What Being In A sorority Taught Me About Life

I recently shared a post called “what I would tell my 18-year old self before starting college. Number 11 mentioned following your gut and joining a sorority. I wanted to follow that post up with another that is near and dear to my heart. Because I really feel like it changed a lot for me. This is what being in a sorority taught me about life.

I would have never told my high school self that I would be in a sorority in college. Never did I think I would consider joining a sorority, but I am so glad I did. I’ll be honest, I never took a second look at joining a sorority. I then learned about the ones on my campus. After going to my first rush event, I never looked back.

Joining a sorority was an easy choice for me. I’ll be honest, I never believed it when people said sororities are more than just parties and frat boys. But there is so much truth in that statement. Being in a sorority helped me grow more than I ever would have. I don’t think I would have enjoyed any part of my college experience without it.

You don’t have to have a previous history with someone to feel immediately connected to them

No matter what I was going through in my day-to-day life, I always knew I had 30+ women (and 25+ men in the fraternity) that I could go to. Whether I needed advice, a study date, or just someone to hangout with. There is a reason why your sisters chose the same sorority you did. The odds are, they aligned with the values and ethics that your sorority holds. This makes you feel like these strangers are now ‘your people’. Joining a sorority taught me that valuable relationships/friendships don’t have to have a 10+ year history.

There are other people in the world who think volunteering and giving back to others is important just like you

My parents started teaching me about giving back to others at a very young age. I spent countless birthdays and holidays giving back to others. It’s something I plan to teach my own children. I’ve never known very many people that would go out of there way to help others. But when you join a sorority, you spend a majority of your time doing service activities and focusing on your philanthropy.

Don’t listen to things you see on social media/television about sororities/fraternities

I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Not every sorority on every college campus is the same as what you see on television or in movies. Although the House Bunny is one of my favorite movies. There are a ton of options when it comes to finding a sorority/fraternity that aligns with your values. 

Time management is important

When you are in college you are BUSY. You are fighting to find time to go to class, study, workout, and maintain relationships with new people. If you play sports, or have an on-campus job, it’s definitely a lot to handle. When you add a sorority into the mix, you add a lot more. You are adding philanthropy/service events, chapter meetings, rush events, greek week, and so much more. You really learn how to prioritize your schoolwork and sorority events, and it really helped perfect my time management skills. 

Leadership opportunities are important

You don’t have to take a leadership position when you are in your sorority- because I definitely did not. Depending on how big your sorority is, there could be plenty of leadership roles to choose from. Although I did not choose to take a leadership position in my sorority, I did get to observe my sisters. I was able to watch them grow in their leadership positions. This made me a thousand times more aware of what it takes to be a good leader. I learned how to implement that into my future.

I learned how to communicate better

Small talk was never one of my strong aspects. Neither was, talking in front of a crowd. Being in a sorority will teach you how important communication really is, and communication is such a critical life skill. The small talk made at rush events and during recruitment. Getting to know your new sisters will help improve your communication skills without you even realizing it. Being in a sorority played a HUGE role in advancing my communication skills. This became very handy in my OT program. I met strangers on a daily basis. It was my job to be able to connect with them quickly, in order to provide proper quality care. Having good communication skills really helped me in my career.

“Sorority Girl”

The truth is, I never pictured myself as a “sorority girl”, cue the Luke Bryan Song. And I still don’t think I would call myself a “sorority girl”. My sorority was definitely different than what you see in the movies. I went to a small school. By the time I left college, there were only 2 options each for sororities and fraternities. It definitely wasn’t the exact same thing that you see in the movies. But they did have some things in common.

Not All Sororities are the Same

All sororities are different. I would never tell someone they need to join a sorority. But I would definitely tell them to consider what each sorority stands for. Pay attention to their mission, their values, their gpa, and their philanthropies. If the sorority you are interested in has values that aligns with yours, then take the chance. You can always leave if it turns out different than you expected- but its definitely worth looking into. A sorority can teach you so many life skills. All life skills that you will use after college and for the rest of your life.

I was lucky enough to find a sorority that aligned perfectly with my values. I met my best friends through my sorority, and even had 3 of them as my bridesmaids at my wedding.

A sorority isn’t for everyone, but it definitely could be for you; because it absolutely was for me.