I am beyond happy to get back to y'all. I am so sorry I was gone for two weeks, but honestly, it would've been impossible to post. But now that Work Week and Recruitment are ovaaa I can get back to business. Bid Day is today and I am BEYOND excited to see our new girlies rocking our letters. I promise to upload a pic of the new pledge class but before I can get that to y'all, check out some picks from this week!

Love y'all so much! Have a good weekend!

            As the week of recruitment wound down, I began to be faced with what chapter I would eventually call home. I was looking for a place where I knew I would belong, not just because they wanted me, or because their name was known as top tier, but because I connected with the sisters on a personal level and I could see myself being friends with the girls.
            When I looked back on the chapters I met with, only one stood out to me as one where I had real, legitimate connections. There was only one house where I felt at ease and where everything just seemed to click.

            I had heard some negative things about the chapter. Which is true for every chapter. No sorority has a 100% positive reputation and I made the choice to not believe the hype, but rather, trust my instinct and pick the house where I didn’t have to pretend to be something that I’m not.

            Two years later, I cannot imagine picking another sorority. Infact, I’ve had dreams where I had to pick again, given all the choices, I still picked my chapter because it is where I feel most comfortable.

            As you go through recruitment, try to find the place where you can be yourself, where you don’t feel judged. Don’t listen to what other people are saying, don’t listen to negative comments about any sorority. Try it out for yourself and remember, trust your gut.

With all the stress of recruitment, its hard to remember what you must have with you between rounds. If you are an active or a PNM here is what you should grab when you have a free moment.

First- Dove Body Spray. It is hot and gross. You need to smell good. No matter what. Even if you don't think you smell. You might. So don't go over board. Especially when they say don't wear perfume. A couple spritzes in the morning and you are golden. Typically I use perfumes like CLEAN but Dove actually stays on all day--what a concept!

Second- Secret Clinical Strength. This is a duh. No embarrassing sweat-marks to worry about. And no that smell isn't you. Win-Win.

Third-With the heat, you may be tempted to use make up removing wipes, but that totally defeats the purpose of the time you spent on your makeup at the crack of dawn. Oil blotting wipes will save you from the shiny look and the drama

Fourth- A nice re-application of mascara, mid-day, will make you appear fresh--faced. I choose a pharmacy brand for my kit because if it goes missing between rounds I won't be heartbroken or out some serious (okay serious-ish) money.

Fifth-A comb/brush/thing to put to your head. Hair is weird and never perfect. Fix yourself and make sure you look the part by giving your hair a little bit of a brush between round.

I don't care who you talk to. Recruitment is hard. For PNMs, Actives, Panhellenic Delegates, Advisors, Rho Gammas (rush guides), moms, boyfriends. It is hard for everyone. From nerves the first few days, disappointments that threaten to end your sanity to the lack of sleep for several weeks, it is hard to stay sane during the week before and during Recruitment. After a year on both sides, I'm going to offer some advice

Actives
Ladies get your game faces on. You can do this. You go first for the advice because a) you are probably leaving soonish and b) work week+ recruitment = rough

Here we go:
Move in day, make sure you take priority. Put your recruitment clothes and work week clothes away. Make your bed. Unpack your makeup. Find your underwear. This is all you need to survive. Don't worry about making your room a Srat Castle. You can do this when you have time.
Set alarms. Set many alarms. Keep lists. Staying organized is the key to not forgetting your pin or something the day of.
Drink a ton of water. It is hot this time of year. It is good for your complexion. What's not to love?
Be compassionate. Is your sister acting crazy? Maybe but consider the fact that she is on matching, has been given way to many responsibilities and just try to be nice.
If you cry- it is okay. Most people do. You aren't a freak. This is a challenging time. Just breathe, read a book, watch a tv show. Breathe. You can survive these two weeks.

PNMs
Wow you are in college! Going through recruitment! Good for you. This is going to be an amazing and unique experience. The next week of so will fly by and that's okay. It's okay to become overwhelmed. It.Is.Okay.
Tips
Try to sleep before the first night (easier said than done).
If you spill your drink don't worry, no one is going to hold is against you (promise).
Do not discuss your choices with people. Keep it to yourself because this is your own personal journey. You are not the person next to you and if they are trying to compare with you, remember its apples and oranges and its hard to compare two different things.
Keep an open mind in every house. You are not even a college freshman. You are not better than anyone else on campus. Sorry. 
If you are totally crushed by not getting a house you want on a day. Do not stop going through. So many girls want to drop out after they don't get a house, but honestly trust the system (I know, I know). It works. Promise.
Do not believe actives who say "See you tomorrow", "I want you to be my little" or "You are going to love being in our sorority" etc. They have no control over their promises. Treat it like a UFO sighting.
If you don't get what you want on Bid Day. This sucks but happens. It's okay to be heartbroken but remember a chapter wants you and is excited to have you. Go and try it out for a couple of weeks. It won't kill you and hey, maybe you will love it.
If you cry- it is okay. Most people do/ will. You aren't a freak. This is a challenging time. Just breathe, read a book, watch a tv show. Breathe.

Ladies. These are challenging weeks ahead. I am 100% confident that we can all make it through in one piece. I will try to update as much as I can once I get to school and in the thick of it, but I will also be dedicating my time to staying sane. Taking deep breaths, reading books, thinking about what I am doing and how in a couple of weeks, this will be all behind me. So get some sleep, relax, and drop me a comment. How do you stay sane during recruitment times ladies?

When you are an active, recruitment is typically a time when you can't pick out what to wear, so I won't go over what actives can wear. PNMs are typically told what to wear from the Panhellenic Council,  and while what I give you are examples of what I would wear, remember that you should wear something that you are comfortable in, that expresses who you are and something that looks BEST on your body. 
Here we go:

Day 1 at most schools is a day when PNMs are given plain t-shirts to wear, and thus I give a basic look with a white t-shirt here. A nice set of shorts, with matching jewelry and sandals will keep you cool and feeling great on Day 1.

Day 2 is a little more dressy, but still pretty casual. A nice dress and simple flats is all that you need for this day.

Day 3 is a day girls typically describe as "church clothes" or "what you wear when your bf brings you to his grandma's house". I recommend another nice dress, with a necklace, wedges (if you are comfortable wearing them) and a bracelet.

Pref Day! Last day of recruitment. Actives have lost their voices and you are getting nervous. Today is the day to dress to impress. This is a very nice cocktail dress. No prom dresses. Here I give you 2 examples.

Now these are my recommendations for the different days of Recruitment. If you have any questions or you want to know what I think a dress would be good for just leave me a comment and we can talk! Happy Wednesday Y'all!

When I went off the college, just two short months after graduating from High School, people thought I was crazy. I'm from the Northeast, where colleges don't start until September and sororities just aren't a thing. No one else in my grade was going through recruitment and most people thought I was crazy for jumping right in a going through, rather than waiting a semester or two.
While everyone at home thought I was crazy, once on campus, going through recruitment was the norm. It's just what girls did on campus. But my reasons for going through aren't just because almost everyone else did. I was looking for something. 
I go to school over 2,000 miles away from home. I have no family in Texas and I graduated from a school where my graduating class was 61 girls. Even though my school isn't huge, it sure felt big to me. 

I went through recruitment because I wanted, in all the chaos and transitioning that the first year of college entails, a place that I knew I belonged, where I knew I could find friends (but have them not be my only friends), a comfort zone. While the recruitment process is anything but comforting, especially in the south, by the end of the week, I knew that the chapter I was placed in would provide me a support system I would need so far from home.

So my suggestion to you ladies, if you are an incoming freshman, or perhaps older (which is fine), is that you go through, with an open mind. The girls you meet and the chapter that you will be in will provide an amazing support system that no other group in college can. While it isn't for everyone (and that is 100% totally fine) it is important to try it out, test the waters. 

Well, that's why I went through sorority recruitment. Actives, why did y'all go through? PNMs, why are you going through?

Welcome to the first day of Greek Week!
I had vocabulary tests and spelling tests all throughout school; I thought once I finished the SAT I was done, but oh I was wrong. Being a member of a Greek organization comes with its own vocabulary/jargon and sometimes it can be confusing. That's why I've decided to kick off Greek Week with a little vocabulary lesson so that way we are on the same page for the rest of the week.

So let's get started shall we?

I can't believe how fast the summer has flown by. In a couple of weeks I will be back at school participating in sorority recruitment. This is a two week long event where there is lots of bonding, stress, tears, dance parties and very little sleep. In order to get psyched up for it, in addition to typical posts I will have, I will also have a Greek focused post each day. From why I chose to go through recruitment, to vocabulary (yes, there is vocabulary), how to survive as a PNM (see! told ya, vocab) and as a sister the stress of recruitment, and why I chose the chapter I chose, I hope you will enjoy and learn a little about something that is very much a part of my life. 
Get excited and get ready for Greek Week on Pearls & Political Science!