I know it seems that way. I've never really been active ever before ( which made getting into college hard) so I don't want to miss out. I also have a hard time meeting people and makeing good friends because I may have SAD, so I'm really trying to change in college.

Yes, but you're coming off as desperate to join A GLO...ANY AND ALL GLOs. That's not very becoming.

If you want to serve your community, join the Kiwanis or the Lionesses or the Red Cross or something. Not EVERYTHING has to involve a GLO.

Thank you! Not that I want to discourage asking questions, but many organizations require you to have been in school for at least a semester and have a good GPA.

I would start with each org's national site, they're going to give you the best information on the org, then look to your school's student activities site.

Well I tried red cross and they never got back to me. at my school everything is very seperated by culture, like the African Student Union, the Asian Student Council etc. and other than that there isn't much else. Maybe I am a bit desperate to join, but like i said I will make this year about school.

Good. That's the best possible idea.

NPC formal recruitment ended at VCU on Sept. 16. Alpha Omicron Pi is hosting recolonization information sessions this week. This would be an opportunity to get to know at least one NPC group and to find out about commitments. Good luck with school.

Kudos to you for wanting to try new things and seeing college as a fresh start! As someone who was a major over-committer in high school, being overly involved doesn't help anyone. You end up stressed out with tons of people you know, but fewer friends. Then you are burnt out and no better than when you started! I would focus on one group that meets your particular needs, which seem to be academic pursuits, community service, and sisterhood. An *existing* service group or GLO could meet these. Through one group, you can get leadership experience and end up meeting people in other groups as well. You don't have to cram every hope and dream into the next four years - enjoy the fun of college and start small! Good luck!

It's so exciting to be in college and to have so many options laid out before you for your choosing (I remember!!), but I am glad to hear that you are going to chill this year and focus on school. I know sooooo many people that jumped into organizations as freshmen, got super-involved, and --soon-- school work was interfering with their extra-curricular obligations ...... and they flunked out. It won't mean a thing to have your letters and be back home. Without your degree. Sad and pitiful.

Good luck in your endeavors ...... and pace yourself. It's a marathon, not a sprint :)

I agree with everyone. Focus on school right now and just take time to observe the different organizations. Attend different functions hosted by them and get a real feel for what people are doing on your campus...and ofcourse make some friends while you're at it. If you still have all of those interests, you might want to start with a GLO first and especially if you are going for an NPHC org, you will find that the social and service go together quite nicely and the one org has all that you need. See how well you can handle being in the GLO first since we are quite busy all the time. Also you should want to give your all to your organization or organizations, not just a little bit of yourself to each. Think about that.

I agree with whoever said it's possible to do all of them, but don't pledge all of them at once.

That would be pure madness.

Very Helpful
 

Thank you for all the advice. I am no longer confused:)

I'll just throw out there as a person who is in two GLOs and very active in both at the undergrad level:

It's a lot! I have trouble handling it and I pride myself on time management. For example, on Sunday, I have PSP at 5p-6:30ish and SAI from 7p-9:30ish. That's a lot more meeting that most people like to sit through. Tonight, I had an SAI rush party at 8p that ended 5min til 9p. Interviewing of prospectives began at 9p, so I ran over to that room and made it just in time. As soon as that was over at 10p, I had to run to work and work til midnight. This Sunday, I have to skip my Phi Sig meeting at 5p because I have a mandatory SAI event from 5p-7p.

But, you know what. I started doing it all when I had my feet firmly planted on the college ground. And, oh by the way, the members vote on you....so, you might not get an invitation to join all three.

I'm not aware of any professional GLOs having a significant pledging requirement, and at many campuses, membership in one, unless you are an officer is a fairly minimal time commitment. I am less familar with service orgs, like APO, but I've gathered that it varies widely from campus to campus, with some chapters being VERY social, and with others never really scheduling anything not directly related to service projects.

Unless an APO Chapter is barred by their school, they will have a pledge program. How 'significant' it is will vary from school to school. Most chapters should have some level of social events (we call them fellowship events), but again, how much will vary from school to school.

For OPhiA, the pledge period is pretty significant and will take up a good bit of time. There are social and service reqs, and while there is some variety from chapter to chapter, the core is a national standardized program.

Just in case anyone was curious :)