Thinking of going Greek? When it comes to sororities or other organizations, it’s hard to know what to wear, what to say, or what to expect. Greek life is a lot of fun, and you really feel like your a part of the family. It can be nerve-racking, but we’re here to help: here is everything you need to know about going Greek! But also, you don’t have to commit to anything just yet… read this and get some info!
The first thing to know about Greek life, before you rush a sorority, there will be what is called a recruitment week. The point of recruitment week is to get to know one another, so you can meet the sisters who are already in the sorority. Greek life language tip: everyone is called your ‘sister’, once you’re officially in a sorority. Recruitment week is meant for an introductory five days to welcome you into your potential new family. There’s usually snacks, games, and it’s centered around a fun theme. This makes for super cute pictures to take! One additional tip… everyone during recruitment week is going to be wearing the same color/ similar clothes: on purpose. Don’t feel out of place, recruitment week takes a while to plan, and they are there to welcome you!
You may have seen the cute classic Greek letters plastered on someone’s bright-colored T-shirt once or twice. Those have meaning! Each Greek letter represents the family of origin. For instance, A for an alpha, b for beta, and so on. My sorority organization was Phi Sigma Sigma.
Just like you may have seen in all of the traditional stereotypical sorority movies, yes, they all live together traditionally in a sorority house, with the letters on the front. Typically these houses have 6 or more girls living in them. While it can be overwhelming thinking of living with multiple girls, it’s actually pretty sweet, and it grows the connection further.
One of the biggest parts of Greek life is philanthropy. This fancy word just means that you welcome charity and or support related causes. In sorority life, you will do a lot of this. That means breast cancer walks, color runs, and other fundraisers that raise money for good causes. During recruitment week, there will be a lot of introductions of philanthropy. Ask questions, and have fun!
Okay, so this may seem obvious. Many people don’t really expect much when they go to the first week of recruitment, but that’s really where you meet the most people! Even if you are unsure about greek life, it’s almost as if it is designed to lure you in: recruitment week is friendly, encouraging, and everyone has your back. You will see these girls around campus, so be sure to exchange phone numbers!
For most sororities, there is a GPA requirement. This is designed to help the girls maintain a certain grade point average, but also to ensure that everyone is on track to graduate, and reaching their full potential at school. Depending on the college or university, most schools require a 2.5 GPA, and if you don’t reach that, it’s ok! It happens, and they just want you to succeed. You will be required to do something like “library hours”, or meet up with a study buddy to keep you on track! This is another aspect of Greek life that makes you actually feel a part of a family.
If you aren’t sure about going Greek, maybe this will help. Within each sorority, there are positions that makeup e board, such as archon, vice archon, scribe, and treasurer. These positions are meant to build leadership skills, form connections, and add a little beef to your resume. Holding a position on e council or e board shouldn’t go unnoticed, and a lot of responsibility is linked with it.
Within greek life, there are days planned for meetings, recruitment, big little reveal, initiation, and other events. Once a semester (give or take depending on the school) will offer some type of dance, gala, or fun planned social event, usually semi-formal or formal. This was actually a lot of fun for me and my friends, and I still have the photos from it. It is kind of similar to prom, but better. The schedule is built so that throughout the semester, you can plan accordingly. Joining Greek life may seem like a huge commitment, but it is definitely doable. A typical week would include a Monday night meeting, and a Wednesday night sisterhood, which just means you and your sisters get together and have fun with an activity (coloring, painting, movie night) and is just meant to de-stress. Every school has different schedules, so depending on the school or college this may vary. You can always rely on the meetings being on the same day, however, for instance, a Monday.
One of the biggest aspects of a sorority is friendship. The number of connections, bonds, and amazing friendships that are built within greek life is endless and meaningful, to say the least. I can say that for a fact, joining phi sigma was one of my best decisions in college. I am so thankful for the longlasting friendships I have built over the course of the last two years, and those are memories I will carry with me forever. So, when people make negative comments about greek life and sorority/ fraternity life, don’t listen. We may have a bad rep, but don’t knock it until you try it! Have fun ladies!
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