Or the friend may be super gung ho about it for her own personal reasons, and her opinions are not necessarily those of anyone else in her alum chapter, or her sorority for that matter. The way that the OP's worded her posts just gives me pause on that score. Not to mention the whole joining an alum chapter that is not the recommending friend's chapter. As I said, I hope I'm incorrect but it would behoove the OP to have the WHOLE story before she proceeds.

Hence why coming here with a very specific issue or problem, regarding people and circumstances which we don't know and cannot possibly give an informed answer to the question, "Thoughts?", is not the best of ideas.

This type of question, following a few select details, is prevalent on forums and message boards all over. I belong to a specific diseased-focused medical forum, and people come on there asking about a new medication.

Instead of looking for manufacturer information or asking for people to share their own experience, people come on to ask "I heard about X medication. Will it work for me?" Even if they had come on and given more details such as their ABC levels or specific clinical manifestations (or symptoms), no one there can tell them if they should take the medication. They don't ask look up manufacturer info (which tells them all about side effects, rates of success, etc.), they don't ask their doctors. Despite countless attempts to inform these people that the forum is not to diagnose or treat any condition (rather, share experiences), and that one's physician is the only one who can adequately answer the question, they just keep on coming.

Is it a generational thing? The wealth (not necessarily quality) of information online? People wanting the easy answer instead of doing the work themselves?

Excuse the rant. I know that I can simply close a thread or not take the time to reply, but I don't understand this phenomena. Before the internet, we asked the experts - or the people who presumably had the answers. Yes, sharing experiences and developing camaraderie is great, but no internet forum can tell you what others are thinking, what your odds are, or see the future.

I don't think it's a generational thing in this case as the OP is past 40. ;)

But re your question in general, I do think it partly has to do with getting so overwhelmed w/ information and opinions you just don't know where to begin.