As soon as I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to join a sorority. Granted, I’m not from the South, so my experience was a lot different. However, it was still the best decision I ever made.
Leadership Opportunities
Even as a new member, I had the chance to run for a leadership position in my chapter. I didn’t have to serve as Chapter President to get real-life, resume applicable leadership skills. In fact, there are so many positions that correlate extremely well with all of the different college majors. Are you a marketing or public relations major? Run for your chapter’s PR chair. Are you an education major? Serve as your chapter’s scholarship chair. Finance or accounting major? Get a friend to nominate you for your chapter’s finance or treasurer position. Taking on a leadership position was the best way to get various work experience for me to add to my resume.
Service
Growing up, my family did loads of community service, and I didn’t want that to change once I got to college. Fortunately, each sorority has a large emphasis on its philanthropies and participating in charitable work. Not only am I passionate about my sorority’s philanthropy, but I was also passionate about helping other sororities and their philanthropies. As a bonus, many chapters require you to do so much service each semester. I loved being held accountable to give back to my community.
A Place on Campus
As a commuter, I felt lost, unaccepted, and lonely. Sure there was a commuter’s lounge, but it just felt weird loitering on your own college campus. I wanted to feel welcome at my university, which is one of the big factors of me going Greek. By joining a sorority, I finally had a place on campus. I was able to use their kitchen facilities, I could study at the house, and I could sleep on a couch if the weather was too awful for me to drive home. I will be forever grateful for that.
Networking
By joining a sorority, you join such a valuable network of sisters that you can’t get anywhere else. Sure, you can network with your college’s alumni association, but what about being able to network with women all over the United States? I housesat and babysat for sisters. I also got hired for jobs because of my sisters. It’s incredible when you find a common link amongst all these incredible, hardworking women. Not only do you get to network with your own sorority, but you also get to network with all your Panhellenic sisters as well. P.S. Google famous sorority alumnae, you’ll be surprised to see how many are out there!
Staying Busy
In high school, I was in every club and activity imaginable. However, once I got to college, I was bored with just my classes. Fortunately, I soon joined other clubs, but for some time, Greek Life was what was keeping me busy. I had study sessions with sisters, weekly Panhellenic Council meetings, weekly Chapter meetings, social events, and more. I loved having things to do and events to attend.
In the end, Greek Life may not be for everyone. But as a brunette who entered college as an engineering major, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much I loved it. As sorority recruitment season is coming up, I encourage you to check it out. Attend an info session, grab a brochure. It is always easier to decide something isn’t quite for you vs. missing out on an opportunity.
Cheers!
Lydia
Looking for more Greek Life posts? I blogged about What I Wore For Recruitment and Greek Life Terms you should know. Check them out!
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