For my university, recruitment starts tomorrow. That's right- the student center will be abuzz with excitement similar to that of Christmas. This weekend mine-as-well be a school wide holiday for all Greeks on campus. While recruitment is exciting for chapters because it means growth, recruitment can be nerve-wrecking for potential new members on the hunt for their new homes. Having gone through recruitment and coming out the other side a year later and a whole lot stronger, I'm hear to be your fairy rho-gammother and bring you all some advice about what you need to know about recruitment.
1 // Be yourself. If you're finding that you really have to struggle to fit a perceived ideal of a chapter, it might not be the chapter for you. And that's okay. There is a reason that your chapter will be your home.
2 // It's okay to be nervous. Everyone is nervous. The girls in your recruitment group are nervous, the chapter members are nervous- heck, even your Rho Gamma is nervous. It's totally normal. But don't let it consume you. Embrace the weird nervous feeling and run with it.
3 // Show your excitement. If you really really really like a chapter, or even an aspect of it, tell the sorority women that! It shows your enthusiasm and honestly, nobody is a mind reader so they will be clear that you're passionate about them.
4 // Ask questions when you're in your rounds. Be interested about learning more and ask chapter members meaningful questions (such as: why did they go Greek or what their favorite memory has been).
5 // Go in with an open mind. I went into recruitment thinking I knew exactly where I wanted to be. Then I went through the rounds the first night and suddenly I was thinking about a chapter I hadn't even considered previously before. Granted, my original number one became my home (and I am truly so blessed), your recruitment process will never be clear cut. Don't limit yourself because you can't get out of your own mind.
6 // Make friends with the girls in your color / rounds group. These girls will either become A) your sisters, B) some of your best friends, or C) someone you happen to share a class with every fall semester and literally run into on campus all the time. Make bonds with these girls. It's a special relationship that is built when individuals are going through the same process.
7 // Utilize your Rho Gammas. We have been training for months for this short week and we are so excited for you, you probably can't even fathom it. We literally love you as our own children and just want to foster your growth in Greek life. So please- ask us questions, send us outfit pics, tell us how you're feeling. We want to be apart of your recruitment process. We live for recruitment.
8 // Have fun. Don't stress yourself out over recruitment. At the end of the day, you will end up where you belong. Which brings me to...
9 // Trust the process. You may not realize it while it's happening, but you will end up where you belong. I've talked to people who didn't want to be apart of their chapters originally but they gave it a shot and ended up loving it; they would not want to be anywhere else. So just know that wherever you go, there's a reason why it'll end up being home.
10 // Have fun. Be authentic. Recruitment can be the best experience of your life. I know that not for one minute of my life have I ever regretted going through recruitment and becoming a member of Greek life. #NoRagrets.
Good luck with recruitment, ladies! Your homes are waiting for you!
