Sorority Life: On the Real

When most people think of a sorority they think of the typical Hollywood movie and all the stereotypes that come along it. Basically, you think of pillow fights, drama, parties, and a house full of stuck up, pretty girls. Honestly though, what else are we supposed to think when our only perception of sorority life is determined by what we see in movies. Prior to going through recruitment myself, I felt the same doubts and experienced the same misguided thoughts about the entire system. Thankfully, after much persuading from a friend, I decided to give recruitment a chance and the entire meaning of the word “sorority” took on a whole new life.

Perks of joining a sorority from an inside perspective:

Campus and Community Involvement

One perk of walking into a house comprised of seventy diverse and accomplished women is that each woman belongs to at least one additional club or organization, whether on campus or in the community. It’s easy to join organizations when you know someone who can show you the ropes or give you suggestions on how to get involved. Plus, there’s always philanthropy and community service tied to membership, meaning sororities actively contribute to their communities through volunteer work and fundraising.

Academics

Constantly being surrounded by women who hold themselves to high academic standards can definitely be scary at times, but ultimately those standards encourage members to set elevated goals and strive to improve academically. Grades are important, that’s why we’re in school right? I personally think being in a sorority makes keeping grades up just a little bit easier! Plus, you always have a study buddy!

Leadership Skills

A lot of Greek houses operate similar to a business in that there is a suite of officers made up of elected members. These opportunities for leadership enable women to break out of their comfort zone, as well as learn to work with multiple different types of personalities. The house is student-run so making decisions affects the entire chapter and that responsibility contributes to preparation for real world situations. It’s basically like a giant family. I mean they refer to sorority girls as sisters for a reason, they share clothes, argue, laugh, cry and act like officers are their mom’s away from home at times! Which is honestly how it should be!

Community

The Greek Community is pretty close in that I almost always know someone from Greek Life in my classes or student groups. It’s nice having a network of people that automatically have something in common with you. It’s pretty cool walking around campus seeing a familiar face on almost every corner.

Relationships

One of the craziest opportunities presented to sorority women is the chance to live with their chapter. In my case, I live with 34 women, I know, call me crazy! Really though, living with these women has allowed me to connect with with them and grow with them. It’s the casual encounters that are the most memorable, like the countless times I’ve been caught up laughing in the kitchen until 1am or having ridiculous conversations with girls who stopped by my room because they heard laughing. Not to mention the spontaneous midnight ice cream runs and random shopping trips I can never seem to say no to.

The point is, the friendships are made through the everyday experiences that come from being a member of something bigger than just an organization. Yes, living with 34 people can be trying at times, I’d be insane if I denied that fact, but honestly the benefits widely outweigh the trials. I know that regardless of what I’m going through, whether that’s a breakup, family troubles or the general stresses of daily life, there will always be someone there to keep me going. I’ve met my best friends through my sorority and developed friendships with so many amazing people. Joining Kappa Alpha Theta has been the best decision I’ve made throughout my college career and it’s an organization I’m proud to be a part of. The reality is sororities aren’t all matching outfits and themed events, they’re about building up members, developing friendships and belonging to an organization who’s impact lasts a lifetime.

Shoutout to all my sisters that have made my college experience one for the books!

Have you ever had an interest in joining Greek Life? Are you Greek and have a fun story to share? Comment below!