When picking a college, most kids pick a four-year university for the sole purpose to rush. Greek life is what it’s all about. You just graduated. You’re trying to learn as much as you possibly can about the college you picked. You’re stalking all of the girls that have letters in their Instagram bios just to see how much fun they’re having this summer or what mixers they had in the fall.. I know. I’m guilty of it too. But are you 100% positive that a sorority is the right move for you? Here’s my story.
I’m currently going into my junior year at JSU and I’ve just completed my first year of college being in a sorority! Did I lose you there? It should be 2 years, right? Unfortunately, I made the mistake – yes, I said mistake, of not rushing my freshman year. I did in fact give it some thought, but the choice I felt was right for me at the time was to take my first year of college slow, so I could adapt to all of the changes that high school was supposed to prepare me for. Jacksonville is only an hour away from my hometown so naturally I knew a lot of people that already went there. I wasn’t that scared that I wouldn’t have any friends or that I would be alone. Four of my good friends from high school chose to go to JSU as well but they made the decision to rush. I should’ve known from the start that not rushing was a mistake. We spent all summer talking about how we were so excited for college. We went apartment shopping. We talked about football games and the outfits I already had planned – I take fashion very serious, LOL! Then rush week came and guess what? I was alone. I didn’t see my friends for a whole week because they were so busy with rush events. Then bid day came. Then classes started, and they already had at least 100 new friends to go to the TMB with for lunch. Then mixers started. The formals. You get the idea. My best friends had this whole new life that I was no longer a part of. I couldn’t go to their formals. I couldn’t go to their mixers. All I did was sit in my apartment. I attended football games, school events and I even went out on Thursday nights, but something was missing. I needed more out of my college experience. Of course, I was able to hang out with my friend’s and their sorority sisters, but they weren’t my sisters. I didn’t have a home of my own.
This is when I made one of the best decisions of my life so far…. TO JOIN A SORORITY! I spent a year on campus getting to know each sorority and what was important to them, so I already knew who had my heart. Of course, I gave them all a chance, but I just couldn’t let go of the feeling that AOII is where I belong. Boy am I glad to say I didn’t! It’s kind of like a puzzle, really. When you’re digging through the box trying to find that one specific piece and you finally do. AOII was my piece! Once I got my bid from AOII I felt complete. I felt like I was a part of something, which I was, but I no longer felt like an average JSU student. They welcomed me with open arms and all of that panda luvvvvv and they haven’t stopped yet. AOII has helped me discover qualities about myself that I had no idea I even had. It has given me some of the best girls that I am honored to call my friends. I have stepped out of my comfort zone and took on my very first cabinet position! I get to attend formals, mixers, date nights, etc. AOII just makes me feel alive! When you join a sorority, you quickly learn that it’s not about the materialist things. AOII is so much more than that. We do in fact get together and have fun, whether it’s going out or just something as simple as grabbing lunch with a sister in between classes, but that’s not all. I have quickly learned that AOII is my home away from home. AOII has taught me how to be someone that other people admire. It has taught me how to be great. The love this sorority and my sisters show on a daily basis is unmatchable and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of Alpha Omicron Pi.
I’m writing this to you in hopes that you don’t make the same mistake I made. No matter how you feel about it, no matter what anyone else tells you about it, I promise you it’s the best decision you could possible make. College is so much better when you’re a part of something bigger.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Micaela Bright, PC '17
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