Hey y’all! This week we have an awesome guest post from Brooke over at Chasing My Arrow. I’m really excited for y’all to read this post, because Brooke offers a great perspective about sorority life, which is something that I know can be intimidating for any college student!
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5 Things I Learned From Joining a Sorority
1. Greek life is not what media portrays it to be
Before I went through sorority recruitment, I had this picture in my head and you probably know the one I’m talking about. Girls dressed in Lily Pulitzer dresses with perfectly curled hair and a full face of make-up. These girls also choose the easy majors and only like to eat salad. Boys who sleep with as many girls as possible and who care more about beer pong than their grades. A group of people who hazes their new members. Are any of these ringing a bell?
These are the thoughts that came to my head when people mentioned Greek life, but I was so wrong. Many of my sisters (including myself) don’t wear makeup every time they leave for class or go to get food. Most of my sisters do not dress preppy at all and many of them prefer wearing sweatpants. My sisters are all different shapes and sizes and have all different majors. We have Engineering and Biology majors. (Easy? I think not.) And many of the boys I have met in Greek life are some of the nicest people I’ve met at school. And yes, they care about their grades and don’t party all the time.
Also, WE DO NOT ALL HAZE. We’ve all heard the horror stories of sororities and fraternities that haze horribly where people are completely humiliated and sometimes even die. This is not at all what I’ve experienced. No one has ever laid a hand on me, forced me to do something that I don’t want to, or made me feel uncomfortable.
2. Being in a sorority is a resume builder
In general, being involved in extracurricular activities looks good on a resume because it shows that you are able to do more than just study. It also indicates that you are good at working with others. However, sororities offer some extra resume builders that not all organizations do.
We spend a lot of time volunteering and raising money for different organizations which companies look very highly upon when considering who to hire. They like to know that you have more skills than just those specifically needed for your job. It’s also important that you are an active citizen. Sororities also give you ample opportunities to show your leadership skills. In addition to an executive board, there are many other roles that are needed to be fulfilled in the sorority (i.e. fundraising, sisterhood, public relations, etc.). These positions look great on a resume and show what you are able to contribute.
Even better, if you go to a smaller school like I do, each Greek organization is also smaller than at other schools which means you are even more likely to get these roles. Many girls in my sorority hold two positions. Think about how many positions they will have had by the time they graduate.
3. I can craft (a lesson that applies to everything)
Sororities should come with a warning label that reads: must have crafting skills. This is one thing that I really did not understand was coming when I signed up for sorority recruitment. I’ve known for a long time that I’m not exactly an artist. In fact, art class stressed me out in middle school because I’m a perfectionist and I knew I couldn’t be perfect. I’ve never been the type to doodle in the margins while taking notes either. Arts and crafts were never my thing.
But when you join a sorority crafts suddenly become a part of your life. Every sister has so many canvases on their walls. Then one day you’re on Pinterest and you see one that you want to make for your best friend, your big, or yourself. And then all of a sudden a craft bin is a very important staple in your room and glitter (the herpes of sorority life) is everywhere.
But through this I’ve come to learn that I can indeed craft. I may not be the best, but with practice I get better. And that is a lesson you can apply to anything in your life. Even if you are the best crafter.
4. The importance of time management
I’ve always known that time management is an important skill to have. However, I thought it was a skill I didn’t possess. During high school, I went to school, went to my extracurricular activities, and then came home and crammed in my homework before going to bed. I thought that because I was always up late I didn’t have time management skills.
When I got to college, I actually had time to manage. After joining a sorority I learned that I do actually have these skills and that I need them to make sure I don’t go crazy. In college, you’re on your own in deciding when to do work, what social activities to go to, and when to eat. The great thing about this though is that it gives you the flexibility to choose what works for you.
Sometimes, time management is prioritizing. There were times I had to decide to stay in and get work done when there was a social event that I really would rather not miss. That’s part of being an adult though. And trust me, at the end of the semester when my grades reflected my hard work, I was happy with my decision.
5. Sisterhood is more than just a word
Girls in sororities always mention the word sisterhood, but you don’t actually know what that truly means until you experience it. Sisterhood isn’t just having a bunch of people you call sisters. It’s having a group of people who always have your back and are always there when you need them. Here’s an example of when I really experienced that sisterhood:
During the semester that you’re a new member, you are incredibly busy and you always have things going on. So around the time of midterms (which is always the worst part of the semester for everyone) I became incredibly stressed. I had so much work and I spent every extra second I had doing it, but still didn’t seem to have enough time to do it. Because of this, I didn’t have time to clean either – I was lucky that I had time to do a load of laundry, but still didn’t have the time to fold it and ended up just rooting through my hamper every day to find clothes to wear. And having a messy room stressed me out even more.
So one night during all of this stress my roommate (we don’t have Greek houses and I lived in a regular dorm) was incredibly rude to me and I ended up just breaking down in front of my friends (and I am really not the type to cry in front of other people). So what did my friends do? They took me back to my roommate and cleaned for me while I did my work. No joke. One friend did the dishes, one folded laundry, and one hung up some clothes in my closet and then just sat down and said things to try and make me feel better. I know they probably had a ton of other things to do, but they did that for me.
That’s when I realized that even though joining a sorority made me more stressed, it was the best decision I could have made. Where else would I have found friends who are that amazing? No sisterhood doesn’t mean having friends who clean for you. It means having people who would do almost anything for you and who try their hardest to lift you up when you’re down.
Thank you so much for the guest post this week, Brooke! If you enjoyed Brooke’s post as much as I did, make sure to show her some love by sharing this post and checking out her social media pages (links below!).
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