5 THINGS I WISH I KNEW AS A NEW MEMBER

I got a little nostalgic recently and found myself reminiscing on my months as a new member. Being a new member is such a special time that, once it is over, can never be redone. I will completely attest that being a member is way better in terms of knowing secrets and stuff (haha!), but being a new member was absolutely one of the BEST experiences of my undergrad. Even though it was pretty amazing there were some things that I wish I would have known then that I know now:

1 | Your pledge sisters are your new best friends.

Seriously though. No one else is going to go through the same experience as you except for the other girls in your new member class. No one else will ever be able to share the laughs, in-house experiences, recruitment stories, etc. like they will. Because of this, these girls inevitably become some of your best friends. You know what they say - make new friends, but keep the old. That totally applies in this situation. Keep your high school friends, but your sorority experience will not be the same without your pledge sisters.

2 | Get involved!

It is so much easier to get involved in things on campus when you are younger. If a upperclassman in your sorority is involved with an activity that you are interested in, talk to her about it! She can be your in. If no one is involved with something you are interested in in your sorority, that's okay! Forge your own path and be your sorority's go-to person for that activity. You will gain so much real life experience from being involved in multiple things.

3 | Don't be afraid to ask for help.

There was one point during my new member period that my grades were beginning to suffer because I just did not understand chemistry. Finally, after wading it out on my own I told my New Member Ed during a check-in meeting. She introduced me to an older member who was a chem major and really helped me understand the basics. After that I felt so silly not using the resources I had available through my sorority.

4 | Establish a routine.

The best thing ever that some pledge sisters and I did was establish that Thursdays would be Grey's nights. We would meet at the house every Thursday night and watch Grey's Anatomy, eat popcorn and candy, and just decompress from the week with each other. We kept this going throughout my active years and I am pretty sure my chapter still does it now. It was so amazing to have that uncoordinated time to come together and just hang out. It was so natural for us and really helped keep us in check personally with one another and build those relationships.

5 | Learn to accept others' uniqueness.

This was probably the biggest thing I learned from my sorority membership in general that I did not expect. I learned pretty early on that not all of my sorority sisters were alike and I absolutely love that to this day. Not everyone is going to be 100% into every event that your sorority does and that is okay! Learning to accept each other for their uniqueness will only help you see how diverse and interesting your sisterhood is in the long run. 

*BONUS*

It is okay to be friends with members from other sororities.

What do you wish you knew as a new member?