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.

Here's something quick and sweet. My music obsessions for July 2013

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?

Phew! That was a long post. I'm enjoying this Greek Week and all that it is, but I just thought I'd catch up with y'all about what I'm up to. It's finally cooled off here so the heat isn't crazy obsessive and while there may be a month left of summer, for me, it's not that long until I go back to school. I've been packing, making Target runs and trying to spend some time with friends before I go back. Weeks like these can get a little hectic and I just hope y'all are well and are enjoying this week. Embrace whatever is being thrown at you and remember, you can do anything for a little while.

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?

I am a big fan of social media. I mean, most 20-somethings are. From life's staples such as Facebook, to my procrastination tool, Pinterest, I have always been a semi-early adapter to social networking. The one site I really hesitated getting involved with was LinkedIn. I didn't feel old enough or like I could even fill out a profile because well, I'm just a student. I know so many of my friends felt and still feel the way that I did, but I'm going to tell you that if you don't have a LinkedIn, you really should. 

But why? It's another thing to keep up with. While that is true, it does take time to set up and a small time to update, but its benefits outweigh the costs. When you are applying for a job, if you don't have a LinkedIn, your employer is probably looking at your Facebook. I don't know about you, but while there isn't anything on my FB that I wouldn't want my Grandma to see, my Facebook screams more "sorority girl"  than "Political Science student on the job hunt" and while I love my sorority, when I'm applying for an internship or job, my sorority isn't the first thing I want my future employer to know about me. LinkedIn is all about self-advocating and being proactive, letting those who search for you on Google, get to know you professionally before they do so personally. 

Not only is it a great way to be proactive online, connecting with your friends is really a different experience on LinkedIn. From actually seeing what your friends are doing in their prospective major, to having them endorse your skills and specialities, you are making your relationship with people more dynamic than your mutual love for Pitch Perfect etc.
You can check out my LinkedIn if you want here
And sign-up for your own ASAP if you haven't already,

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?

Back on Tumblr, I featured (or attempted to feature) charities that I stand behind and support. I believe it is high time to bring the feature over here. This month, my charity is the Ubuntu Education Fund

Founded in 1999, Ubuntu Education Fund is a nonprofit charitable organization that "provides world-class health and educational support to the orphaned and vulnerable children of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, ensuring that they can access higher education and employment."

So what does that entail? Well the founder of Ubuntu, Jacob Lief, said on the BBC, that they are effectively providing everything for these kids, from cradle to career. That mean's pediatricians, psychologists, macbook pros and good teachers to learn from. Ubuntu isn't just a normal charity, it is taking money and using it how parents in the U.S. would, by giving their kids the best education and support they can.
Here is a video to give you a better idea of what Ubuntu is.

What spoke to me most about Ubuntu was the marketing campaign below, "Should your birthplace determine your future?" This spoke volumes to me because there are times, when I realize just how amazing my life is simply being born where I was born, forget who my parents are, what school I went to, any of it because I was born in the U.S. That is such an amazing gift that will set me up for success in life (plus how amazing my parents were and where I went to school). It made me think, why should something we don't have control over dictate our lives fully? It shouldn't and Ubuntu is doing the best it can to ensure it doesn't.

I feel such a great connection to this charity, and I will be doing my best to get involved with them anyway possible, and if it speaks to you as it does me, I encourage you to help out as well.

Check out Ubuntu at http://www.ubuntufund.org/
Follow them on twitter at UbuntuFund
Here is their Facebook and Instagram

If you have any suggestions for charities to feature, please leave them in the comments below!

It's Sunday, so while I'm gearing up for the week, I always like to think about something, so I'm going to share with y'all.
Let's be honest, the world we live in (at least in the US) is materialistic. Pinterest is a website dedicated to things we want. Instagram is an app to show off what we have (as well as embarrassingly funny childhood pictures). And it's not like I don't love it. I love finding new things, pining over things I want. I love any occasion to validate my shopping habits.

But I do think it's important to take time, a least once a day and mediate on how grateful I truly am.  
As Ferris Bueller says "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it", and I like to think of the habit of being grateful as the same thing. It's so easy to want for everything, that if you don't slow down and appreciate what you have, you'll miss all that you are blessed with.
Okay enough of my spiel. Hope you have a good Sunday and stay cool!


xoxo