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| At my sophomore year bid day |
Happy Monday and happy first day of the spring semester to many of you! I feel like I say this constantly, but I really can't believe how fast the last year has flown by. So, if you are a second-semester senior, take advantage of every second you have left on campus because those days will be gone before you know it.
This week is also another exciting time on many college campuses and that is sorority recruitment. A lot of colleges choose to host recruitment during the spring so that students have a full semester to adjust to college life before jumping into a major extra-curricular commitment, and now is finally the time when sororities around the country are going to welcome new members into their sisterhoods.
As someone who sat on my sorority's cabinet (I was online media director) and our Panhellenic executive board (as Vice President of Marketing), I spent a lot of time engaged in the Greek Life community at my school and can say that I absolutely recommend that everyone go through sorority recruitment during their college years. The commitment is not binding until you are initiated into your organization, and so there is truly no harm in testing the waters -- you just might find that you truly love it!
Now that I am graduated, I still find that there are so many benefits to being in a sorority, and today I wanted to share my perspective on why I recommend joining Greek Life. Also, I'm sure that I would write the story a bit differently now, but I shared my recruitment story here if you want to know more about my experience!
I met my closest friends in college from joining a sorority. Many of the girls that I met through my sorority experience were people outside of my major, students that I would have never been in a class with, or met through my dance team. Many of my sorority sisters are engineers, aspiring doctors, and pursuing amazing careers that are unlike my own journey. I am a better person because I learn so much from my sisters every day, and the people I am closest with are the people who I met through joining a sorority.
I was able to be part of the history of our organization to make the most of my experience. When I joined my organization, it was new on our campus and we had full reign over how we wanted to make our legacy last. It was exhilarating to brainstorm creative ways to make our sorority the best experience possible, and I love seeing the ways our new sisters continue to grow our chapter.
I was able to gain leadership roles that have benefitted me in the real world. Because our chapter was new, it gave members a lot of chances to develop leadership skills and take on additional responsibilities. I have been able to talk about my experiences with rebranding, designing graphics and more during interviews, in cover letters, and in job applications.
I took a chance on something new that was the highlight of my college years. After reading my recruitment story, it's clear that I took a chance on something that I wasn't 100% sure of when I started. So many people in my chapter felt this same way for one reason or another (lots of girls who said they "would never join a sorority" and ended up LOVING it), and I think they would all agree that being part of the Greek Life community was such an important part of their college experience. If you are hesitant to join because you don't think it's for you, I would once again encourage you to give it a shot!
I gained access to social events and bonding activities. Going to a high-stress university meant that there weren't a ton of opportunities for social activity since most of our free time was spent studying or in the library. As a member of a sorority, I had an immediate group of friends to do social things with, whether that be grabbing lunch together between classes or hitting up the town on the weekends.
I had a network of people to help me with work and studying. One of the academic benefits of joining a sorority is that so many older members have taken the classes that you are currently taking, which means you can get help on homework or gain insight about which classes and professors are great. After graduation, many sisters will share if their employer is hiring, or help you by reviewing your resume and proofreading your emails for you. (I'm looking at you, big 😉)
I learned a lot about myself and grew from the highs and lows of being in a sorority. While there were lots of great times being in a sorority, there were also some not so great times. I never wrote about it here on the blog, but one experience that was particularly difficult at the time was not being chosen as president of my sorority. But, it led me to more new experiences, like joining the Panhellenic executive board and helping run recruitment, being chosen as captain of my dance team, and studying abroad in Copenhagen, which was when and how I discovered my dream career!)
I joined a group of incredible, successful women including Tory Burch, Melinda Gates, Whitney Port, and Sheryl Crow. All of the above women, and many more, make up a great professional network of people who are members of my sorority. Because our organization extends across the country and even has chapters in other countries, there are so many ways to get involved as an adult. I have friends who have moved far from home and gotten involved in alumnae chapters to make friends and others who have used sorority connections when looking for jobs and roommates.
I could go on and on about more reasons why joining a sorority was so beneficial, but I hope that this helped you a little bit if you are still on the fence or even want to know how Greek Life goes beyond college. Below are some other posts I've written in the past about sorority life:
Being in a sorority was one of the best decisions I made!
ReplyDeleteBriana
https://beyoutifulbrunette.com/
It's so great to be in a network of women for life <3
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