10 Things You’ll Only Understand If You’re In A Sorority

When I first began college I was extremely against joining a sorority and Greek life in general. I thought every sorority girl was stuck up, selfish, and rude. Despite all my negative connotations, I still decided to do recruitment and see what would happen. Surprisingly I found a sorority where I felt like I fit in and they changed my belief that all sorority girls fit into a certain stereotype. Sorority life is fun, exciting, but also frustrating at times. Here are some things that you’ll definitely relate to if you’re part of a sorority!

1. The Recruitment Process Isn’t Fun

On both ends, recruitment is tiring, challenging, and stressful. Every conversation you have starts to sound the same and the recruitment week seems endless. Personally, I did not like going through formal recruitment. It was overwhelming starting out going to so many houses and talking to so many girls. The best advice I was given was to “trust the process.” Ultimately, you’ll end up in the sorority that suits you best if you are true to yourself and your values. Recruitment isn’t necessarily fun, but once you do get in and find the right sorority for you, you’ll see that the whole process was worth it.

2. Making Sure You’re Keeping Your GPA Up So You Can Go To All The Events Still

The pressure is on. If you don’t have above a 2.5 GPA, you might have to sit out the next formal event. Plus, STUDY HOURS. That means you constantly have to keep your grades up to prevent having to go to the dreaded study hours. One sorority girl stereotype type is that every sorority girl is clueless and barely passing her classes. That’s far from the truth. Almost every sorority girl I know is pushing herself in all her classes and doing well not only because there are consequences for having a low GPA.

3. Also, contrary to popular belief we don’t just party all the time.

Another common stereotype is that sorority girls just party all the time and don’t care about anything else. There are parties and events that we do go to, but that’s not our main priority. In fact, a lot of girls including myself have skipped out on going to an event or party because of studying or another school activity. There is so much more to being in a sorority than going to parties and doing well in classes is always the main priority.

4. You hate Monday night meetings, but free food is worth it.

Monday night meetings usually involve dressing up and having to sit in a meeting for 2 hours. However, before the meeting, it usually involves dinner with all your friends. So as much as you dread having to go to a meeting every Monday night, how could you hate having a gourmet meal every week? Plus, being surrounded by all your friends is always a good way to beat the Monday blues. It’s nice to know that every week you always have the comfort of knowing that you’ll be able to see all your sorority friends in one place even if the stress of college is getting to you.

5. Owning a bunch of random outfits that you’ve worn once to a raid.

People may question why you own 20 different themed costumes, but that’s okay because maybe you’ll use it for another themed party. Raids are always fun because there’s a new theme every time and a lot of people go full out. But honestly, what are you going to do with another pair of sparkly shorts in your wardrobe? You’re probably always the costume plug for your non-Greek life friends so that’s always a bonus.

6. Doing the “sorority squat” in pictures just because you’ve become accustomed to it.

The “sorority squat” is real and you’ve probably gotten so used to doing it in every picture with you and your sorority that it just comes naturally. All of a sudden you’re taking a family photo and you start to “sorority squat” in it. It is useful because that way you can see everyone in the photo no matter if they are tall or short.

7. The struggle of memorizing all the ritual songs and chants.

I mean we may have been tested on it when we first joined but who actually can remember all the words to every song? There are just so many, it’s hard to keep track. You’re definitely probably guilty of lip-syncing at times or trying to look at your sisters around you for help.

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8. Sometimes you still feel like you’re in a cult.

You may love your sorority but sometimes you can’t help but feel like you really are in a cult. I mean all of the rituals and identical outfits with letters? You’ve got to admit that’s pretty cult-like. However, it’s still cool that you have all of these shared secrets and rituals with only a select group of people. When another friend asks you what goes on in initiation, you know you must keep the secrets only between you and your sorority sisters. It’s like a special bond. Also, the secret handshakes are cool if I must say.

9. Losing track of how many dues there are and basically wasting all your money on paying them.

Being in a sorority is so, SO expensive. There are so many dues that you have to pay for, including events, clothing, housing, member fees, etc. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of how much you’re really paying every quarter or semester. Don’t get me wrong sorority life is fun, but sometimes I wish it wasn’t so damn expensive. The phrase that if you join a sorority you’re basically paying for your friends does hold a sliver of truth in it.

10. Having friends for life!

One of the main reasons that people join a sorority is to meet life-long friends that will support them and share in their successes. It’s one of the greatest parts of Greek Life! Once you join a sorority, you will meet people that will become some of your closest friends, and some of them you will stay friends with long after you graduate college.

Greek Life is a great way to meet new people, create new memories, and enjoy college life. It may not be for everyone, but I’m glad I decided to join a sorority as it has blessed me with good friends and memories that I will cherish forever.