Greek Speak: Balance It All Out

By Sorority Girl

Back in the day when I was a wee freshman just starting the rush process, I was scared. Scared of talking to all those older girls, scared of rowdy fraternity boys throwing water balloons at me as I walked from house to house (wet, frizzy hair? OH THE HORROR), scared of not even getting into a house….

Most of all though, I was scared of what being in a sorority would do to the rest of my life. I had watched many older friends go through the whole sorority process and I knew about all the activities, meetings, date parties, social events, etc. that come with it. Would I be able to handle it all? Would my GPA?

I think a lot of people (like my parents) have the same concern: is it possible to juggle everything successfully? The answer: YES. It may not be easy, but it doesn’t take long to figure out a way to balance out friends and exams, roommates and papers, tailgates and gym dates, and this week our panel of sorority sisters is going to share their secrets for making it all happen. (Here’s a hint: it starts with “plan” and ends with “ner.”)

Gabby: Phi Theta Chi, Winona State University
A PLANNER. A daily planner with lots of space given for each day.  If you, as a college woman on her way to career-hood, do not have one yet – you are severely behind the success curve. I swear by my planner and it’s my personal belief that you can’t be successful without one, let alone be successful juggling classes, sorority meetings, events, boys, and the rest of your social life.

Rachel: Chi Omega, Indiana University
If you really love what you’re involved in, it’s easy to balance your time.  Outside of Chi Omega, I am director of an a cappella group, a reporter for the school newspaper, a critic for an online music blog, and I’ve never gotten lower than an A- in any of my classes (so far… knock on wood!).  I thrive on being so involved and love making the campus smaller for myself, and I also have a great time with all the friends I’ve met through my activities.

Lisa: UCLA
Weird but true, my grades have gotten infinitely better since I’ve taken on all the responsibilities that come with being in a sorority. I guess now that I’m always so busy, I have no choice but to majorly plan out my life and stick to a schedule. The best advice I can give is to hold yourself accountable for everything and make sure to put yourself in a position to get it done. And I do mean position. I learned quickly that I can’t write papers in my house (I live in a quad, yo), so I tend to go to class, make a plan of what needs to be done before I can get home and stay out on campus to do it. I tend to save loads of time (that would have otherwise been spent procrastinating or being totally distracted) and when I come home, I have nothing to keep me from everything else I need to do…like watching Teen Mom with my roommates.

Ariana: Gamma Phi Beta, Penn State University
For me, the best way to stay organized is my calendar. I keep everything – and I mean everything – that I need to do/want to do listed in my day planner, and keep everything color-coordinated at that. If you stay organized, go through to-do lists, and always make sure you have time for a quick nap or meal when you need it, it’s not hard to balance being involved in your chapter and other campus activities, while still staying up on your grades!!

Kit: Alpha Chi Omega, Ohio State University
The only way to balance everything is to plan ahead. This year I finally committed to keeping an up-to-date planner, and it’s by far the easiest way to stay on track. You’ll never miss a important event for your sorority or forget when your next paper is due, and it lets you know what days are free to plan time with friends you don’t always get to see.

Megan Watson, Purdue: Chi Omega
Being in a sorority, especially on exec, takes up a lot of time. Be sure to map out everything you have to get done for the week. Prioritize. You’ll have to decide what the most important tasks are and go from there! For me? Sorority president duties, then academics… THEN I get to be a normal college student and be social. Sad, but true.

[Got a question for these women? Send it on over to submissions [at] collegecandy [dot] com. In the meantime, get the DL on Greek Life from the women who are living it right here.]