I was never a girl who thought about joining a sorority and becoming part of the Greek Life Community. My whole life I was an introvert. I enjoyed having one or two best gal pals so I enjoyed my clubs and organizations, always thinking it would be enough.
I guess I felt something was missing because suddenly I went through recruitment, joined a great chapter, and now I live in a sorority house.
I am on the executive board for the Collegiate Council of World Affairs (CCWA) and they support me 100 percent! Although I am very involved in CCWA, I also hold the position of scholarship chair within my sorority, which I am also very passionate about!
Living in a sorority house has most certainly fostered my personal growth and development. Although I am shy, my sorority sisters force me to get out of my bedroom once in a while and be social.
Living in has also helped me become more connected to the Greek community. I started going to bed at midnight rather than ten because I had so many things to do and places to go.
But living in a Sorority house isn’t what people would expect, especially when they think of sorority movies and stereotypes.
Expectation: Girls partying all night, just to sleep in all day.
Reality: Girls studying all night, just to wake up early and study all over again.
Expectations: Little studying because sorority girls are not the smartest and have easy majors.
Reality: Girls studying all night, since they are in some of the hardest majors Ohio State has to offer. It always impresses me to hear the average GPA at the end of the semester, considering the all the other hard work we do on campus. Not only do we volunteer around Columbus, but also stay involved in campus life. We are in clubs, programs, and organizations of all kinds.
Expectations: Boys everywhere.
Reality: Just, No.
Expectations: Everyone is a girly, conservative, white, religious person.
Reality: I am white, Jewish, hard core liberal. My best friend is a Republican Christian, but we get along great. We even talk about politics and religion. She wears dresses when she goes out and I wear hoodies. There are girls of all types. The one thing we do have in common is sisterhood.
Expectations: Girls checking themselves out in mirrors and constantly fixing their make up.
Reality: Sorry to burst your bubble but I’m just not that self-obsessed. I wear make up maybe once a week.
Expectations: Drugs and alcohol are included in dues.
Reality: Good one but sororities aren’t allowed to have alcohol on the property, let alone drugs.
Expectations: The girls are supported by their rich parents.
Reality: Most of us have job and internships, just like every other college student. My best friend works three jobs to pay for housing, sorority dues, college tuition, car payments, and the little things in between.
Through living in my sorority house, I have learned a great deal about college, life, and myself.
1. Living in a quad gave me the motivation to start my day early. My roommates would wake up around 7:30 or 8 for classes, so I would do the same.
2. Working out in the basement was easy access, so sorority sisters encouraged me to get moving on the days I felt my worst.
3. My first year of college I was commuting but living in my sorority house gave me more freedom.
4. Since chapter meetings were held at the house, I just walked down the stairs every Monday, rather than worrying about when to leave for chapter.
5. Yes, we have a chef. Yes, we realize we are #blessed and really, really, food spoiled but we are thankful. Not cooking and going to the store gives us more time to spend on our school work. I love cooking, and I know how to do so; But, having a chef decreases the stress of college immensely.
6. College is mentally hard. Being on a campus of over 50,000 people can surprisingly get lonely. Living in the sorority house makes it so there is always someone home to talk to if lonely, sad, bored, etc. In a house of 42, there is always someone who understands what you’re going through.
7. My favorite part about living in is living with my best friends. After a long day we will pop some popcorn and make hot tea to talk about the day.
8. If I ever run out of anything, 1 of 42 girls probably can lend me what I need.
9. We have the pleasure of getting to know the chef and cleaning people well. In fact, l discovered our cleaning lady loves lottery tickets, so I got her two (one for her daughter) for Christmas. Then, a following holiday she returned the favor and slipped me a holiday card.
Check out this awesome campaign by a sorority at Ohio University, in Athens, Ohio.
What’s your living experience in college?
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