Greek Speak: Let’s Talk Greek Life

September 7, 2010 5:00 pm     Posted in College, Reality  Sorority Girl g+ page


By Sorority Girl

Hello future, present, and past college sorority women (and creepy guys trying to get in on the juicy sorority gossip)!! My name is Megan, I’m a Junior, I go to Purdue, and I am so excited to be CollegeCandy’s Ultimate Sorority Girl! (Also, I like exclamation points.)

Being the official voice of Greek Life on this very (fabulous) website, I’m sure a lot of you are wondering about my sorority experience…. and I’m sure a lot of you aren’t. But too bad -  here it is:

I wasn’t far into my senior year of high school before I began creepily stalking the Purdue sorority websites and dreaming about what sorority I would soon be in. I registered for sorority recruitment the first possible day online and counted the days until it would all actually begin (while also researching every last bit of information I’d need to know to succeed and become the best sorority sister these girls could ever meet). Embarrassing, yes, but a steady form of entertainment for the summer before my freshman year of college

When I got to campus, I jumped into recruitment head first (with a totally new wardrobe for the occasion) and  when it was all said and done, I was an official ‘Baby Owl’ for Chi Omega’s 2008 pledge class. Hoot, hoot!!

Now (holy hell, has it been two years already?!), as a member of one of  the largest Greek Communities in the nation, I know what it is like to work hard and play hard in college. Living in a house along with more than 130 women and playing an active part in all my sorority’s activities – including social events with other sororities and fraternities, philanthropies, and formals – I can say with 100% certainty that I know Greek Life. And I know it well.

So here I am: your guide to all things Greek.
And here we are: at the cusp of a new school year.

I cannot believe it is already September, and we are getting settled back into the groove of things or, for some, finally breaking away from the fatally tight grip of the rents and leaving the nest. Take a deep breath of fresh air – you’re free…. and it’s going to be fun.

For me, the end of summer means a lot of things.

1. I’m officially a junior and therefore fall into the category of ‘cougar’ while preying on the new hot freshmen with my sorority sisters. Is it wrong to do frequent late-night freshman dorm drive-bys?

2. My summer abroad in Sydney, Australia has come to an end and the reality of waking up early for classes has (begrudgingly) set it once again.

3. It’s time for a new crop of potential sisters to line up and start their own journey into the fun, exciting, confusing, meaningful and overwhelming world that is sorority recruitment.

So here I am: an open book, a tell-all REAL sorority girl.
Your Rho Omega (read: guide) to Greek Life.

What do YOU want to know? Let me know in the comments or tweet it up @sororitygirlcc

20 Comments on "Greek Speak: Let’s Talk Greek Life"

  1. Jessie says:
    Wed, 8th Sep 20108:02 am 

    Oh yay. I've been waiting for some sororoity stuff on this site. I'm a freshman and we start rush next week. Ive heard you get, like, 5 minutes at each house and i'm scared that i won't get to know the girls and they won't get to know me. How is that long enough?! Can you do something about rush? I can use all the help I can get.

  2. Susan says:
    Wed, 8th Sep 20108:03 am 

    Yes! I need rush advice too. I really really really want to be in Chi O at my school (help a siter out!?) and want to know the best way of making that happen. The girls are so cool and their house is so pretty. I dont even want to look at otehr houses.

  3. m says:
    Wed, 8th Sep 20109:22 am 

    susan this girl is probs so mad at you right now. you cant say to help a sister out cuz u wanting to be a sister is nothing like actually being sisters wow dont go around saying that during rush

  4. Someone who knows says:
    Wed, 8th Sep 201010:08 am 

    Susan,

    I would not worry about what 'm' says… I know the author to not get upset about colloquial phrases. People tend to think that Sororities represent this big, evil self esteem destroying machine. That worry then causes you to behave in a way the is not appealing (asking too many questions, fake excitement, really bad jokes, etc. etc.)

    The key when going through rush is to know yourself – and be CONFIDENT in the person you are. Don't set your sights too hard on just one house. Your goal should be to find the environment that works the best for you. And this makes sense – if you're devoting all of your energy to worrying about what other people are thinking, and which house you really, really want to be in – you won't be able to be the person you are – you'll be a very bad represenation … and those usually lead to no-bids.

    Best of luck to you – know that you're making a good decision with Rush.

  5. Victoria says:
    Wed, 8th Sep 201010:10 am 

    Hey Jessie and Susan,

    I'm a sorority girl too. (Yay Kappa Kappa Gamma!)

    Jessie, the girls at each house will be using your conversations to get an idea of the kind of person you are. Honestly, being comfortable and open about who you are will increase your chances of being placed in the house that's right for you. Conversation skills are good too. You will probably be asked a lot of generic questions, but try to find something in your answer to help you stand out as a person. For example, one year I had a really good conversation with a rushee because she took my question about winter break (we have deferred rush, around January) and we ended up talking about skiing and family traditions. She stood out in my mind because of her conversation skills. On the other hand, the worst thing you can do is get intimidated by the atmosphere; while it is an easy, understandable thing to do, it does not help the sorority girls get to know you. If the girl you talk to has to report back to the chapter that you were shy, they may assume that you simply aren't interested in their sorority. So be yourself and be interesting. And feel free to ask questions about their organization too: their philanthropy, their functions, etc. It's a great way to show interest while giving them something they'd love to talk about. And believe me, we love talking about having fun with our sisters.

    Susan,

    You may want to consider going into rush with an open mind. Be careful discounting everyone else; if you don't get into the sorority you have your heart set on, you may end up without a bid at all. If everyone else thinks that you're only interested in one house, they will likely cut you from their rounds to make room for people that will enjoy being in their house. It's okay to have a first choice, but getting into your second choice is better than getting into none at all. All sororities have good things to offer and good connections within. I was lucky to get into my first-choice sorority, but I also liked things about the other organization that wanted me as a sister. I still have friends in the other house and gladly support their philanthropy events. So go into rush with an open mind and let the system place you where you belong.

  6. Laura says:
    Wed, 8th Sep 20105:29 pm 

    I pledged Chi Omega in Spring '08 and will be graduating this December! Definitely a fun experience with a lot of learning, growing up, and laughter involved!

  7. A says:
    Wed, 8th Sep 20106:05 pm 

    I am having this big dilemma: So I've always been against going Greek. I have a friend that pushed me into signing up for rush week and I did. I ended up accepting my bid. The problem is that I don't know if I am Greek material, or more importantly, if it is something that's for me. I don't feel excited about it, but I am planning to go through with the new member process to give it an honest try. I just don't know if this is for me. And now that I accepted the bid, I don't want to not go through with initiation and to have all these girls upset at me.

    Any advice as to how I can formulate a truly sincere interest in greek life and learn to enjoy my sorority?

    Seriously, what are some of the benefits I can get from this experience?

  8. Brogan says:
    Fri, 10th Sep 201010:32 am 

    BX or Die

  9. Limey says:
    Sun, 12th Sep 20108:32 pm 

    A,

    I was also very skeptical of the Greek system when I was a freshman, but my friends convinced me to go through spring recruitment, just to see what it was about. I ended up pledging Kappa Alpha Theta, and it hasn't always been the easiest choice, but I've gotten a lot out of it in the long run. In the past three years, I've met two girls who I now call my closest friends, I've learned a large set of conversation and leadership skills, and I've cultivated a very large social network, which can be immensely helpful and satisfying during your time in college. In my experience, you will get as much out of sorority life as you put in. I would recommend signing up for committees and leadership positions, help out with philanthropy events, and attend social functions with the other girls.

    However, if you go through the period before initiation and still feel as if your sorority is not the place for you, then you shouldn't feel pressured to initiate. I personally feel that there is a place for everyone in the Greek system (although my school's Greek system is admittedly very different from most schools), but if you don't click with the other girls, it may not be the right sorority for you.

  10. Ayu says:
    Mon, 23rd Apr 201211:11 pm 

    That is a wise blog site. I imply it. You might have a lot knowledge about this issue, and so much paosisn. You also understand how to produce individuals rally behind it, obviously from your responses. Youve received a design right here thats not too flashy, but helps make a statement as massive as what youre saying. Wonderful job, in fact.VA:F [1.9.10_1130]please wait…VA:F [1.9.10_1130](from 0 votes)

  11. aesmith03 says:
    Wed, 1st Aug 20125:11 pm 

    What advice would you give to a woman going into her senior year who wants to go inactive, for financial reasons?

Tell us what you're thinking...