WHAT'S IN A BLOG?

Your Sorority Sister has officially been around for 2 years today! I cannot believe how much I have learned during that time from you all. I can honestly say, as much as I apply to this blog from my personal life, I also apply equally to my personal life from this blog. You are all helping me realize new things about sorority women and here I thought I would just be giving you advice.

I thought it would be fun to do kind of a Q & A session for this post. Obviously, I am an anonymous blogger (xoxo, Your Sorority Sis) and don't reveal too much, but I have told you a lot more about myself than I ever thought I would. Maybe I'll reveal more in the future. Or maybe, in true Gossip Girl fashion, wait until the end to identify myself. I don't really see an ending in sight so I digress. I asked my amazing Campus Reps for some questions to answer for you all and they came through!

So join with me in not only celebrating this blog, but also yourself! It has been phenomenal to get to know you over the past two years and I look forward to more to come!

Why did you name the blog "Your Sorority Sister?"
I wanted a name that rolled off the tongue in every day conversation and could also help you see that I am here to relate to you. I didn't want to be this ambiguous persona. I want to be just like your sorority sister. Who else would you feel more comfortable going to for the tough questions?

Why did you start the blog and what keeps you going? What is the goal of Your Sorority Sister?
Before Your Sorority Sister there was another blog that I started the September before. My goal with it and always has been to provide sorority women with the resources they need and to answer the questions they may be afraid to ask in person. I know I struggled with that a lot as a member so I've always wanted to bring sorority women together for that reason.

Once I started blogging, I knew I had more to say and to teach. Slowly, my blog started picking up and more of you wanted to know more. I took what I knew as an undergrad and paired it with my new experience as a Greek advisor to make the blog into what it is today. It is so exciting to see the response and to be able to connect with you all through Your Sorority Sister.

What made you join a sorority and your chapter specifically?
When I went to college I wasn't really dead set on joining a sorority. A friend from high school talked me into it. We joined the same chapter because we both genuinely got along with the girls in that chapter better than the others. A lot of girls from my high school joined another chapter on my campus and I knew I wanted something a little different too. High school wasn't terrible for me by any means, but I always looked forward to college as a time to reinvent myself and get out of the ideas everyone had of me. My chapter gave me that opportunity, whereas others may not have.

What is it like to go from active to alum to advisor?
Such a great question! I was really involved as an active member so being a December graduate really suited me. I didn't have to go from holding positions for three years to being a regular member in chapter. Being an alum was weird because all of my girls (my new members) were still in and so I helped them out as much as I could. The summer after I graduated I moved away and haven't had much interaction with my chapter since, but that's when I became a Greek advisor.

Being a Greek advisor is totally different than being a member because you have to remember that actives are just now getting their experience. It would be simple for me to do everything for my students, but it wouldn't be fair to them either. Taking a step back from being overly involved to overseeing everything was a big transition, but I absolutely love it!

What do you wish more chapters would know as an advisor?
This.

What do you do to relax?
Netflix and sleep. But really... I slept until 11am this past Sunday just because I could. I work a lot of late evenings and weekends so my "me time" is precious.

What positions did you hold in chapter?
I served as Philanthropy Chair, VP of Recruitment, and New Member Educator. I got to do a lot within each of the positions, but my absolute favorite was New Member Ed.

What is your favorite part about being in a sorority?
Since I was New Member Ed, I loved teaching the new members about my sorority. It was always so much fun to see it all come together for them during Initiation and to welcome them as a Sister!

What is your favorite part about blogging?
My favorite part about blogging is connecting with you - not just through social media, but nothing makes my day better than receiving a comment about how one of my experiences clicked with you. I think we sometimes feel like we are all in this alone, but we really aren't.

What advice do you have for other bloggers?
Don't take it too seriously. I see a lot of the blogs that I have followed for a long time kind of get off track and lose their momentum because they take it too seriously. I try to post five times a week, but if I don't I'm really not worried about it. Sacrificing quality for the sake of quantity is just not worth it.

What have you learned through blogging?
So many things!! This may sound silly, but I never would have become as fashionably-minded as I am today without blogging. Blogging is what introduced me to so many clothing brands that I love today.

Aside from materials, the greatest lesson I've learned from blogging is that it is okay to be unique. We don't all have to have a set of qualities to make us into who we are. We all have something different to offer.

How do you write your typical posts?
This year I am making a point of using an editorial calendar. If I have an idea, I put it on the calendar before I can forget it. When it comes to the actual writing I do it whenever I have time. I write down everything I want to say in the post, fix grammatical errors, make graphics, and publish. I used to schedule all of my posts and still do on occasion.

Where do you want to see Your Sorority Sister in another year?
Honestly, I have no idea. I would love for it to be bigger and with more interactions from you all. Maybe within the next year I'll make the leap from blogger to wordpress. Who knows?