Hi Erin!
I'm excited about recruitment, too! It'll be my first as a sister!
What was your biggest fear going into rush?
The thing is, I didn't understand how it worked at all. I have this thing where I get totally irrational fears sometimes, and regarding recruitment I hesitated to even apply because I was scared of getting cut after round 1 if they didn't think I was "cool enough."(But it doesn't work like that.) My roomates the summer before freshman year talked me into it (and I ended up being the only one who went through with all of recruitment!) When I was actually in the middle of rush, though, I remember sitting there in the houses and thinking, "This is so easy. It's just chatting. Why was everyone so nervous?" It's no sweat, I can tell you that right now! And I had no recs and am not a legacy, either, but got my first choice. **But since I have never been on the other side I don't know how important that was.**I could've just been lucky. So if possible try to wrangle up some recs. Recruitment here in the south is serious business.
-Is there alot of competition between the girls rushing amongst each other?
I didn't notice any. The girls in my rush group were awesome, whenever we had breaks we would sit together and get snacks and encourage each other to keep on with recruitment. We didn't discuss which houses we wanted or anything about the houses, we just complained to each other and made each other feel better. First taste of sisterhood.
And on the bus ride to Pi Phi we were a little tired and cranky and the girl next to me got us all to sing a stirring rendition of "Baby Got Back." Preview of crazy times...
-What would you say is THE BEST thing about your sorority life? And if you have one...the worst?
The BEST thing about sorority life are my best friends. I love them, I trust them, I have so much fun with them. I have like 10 really close sisters but honestly I feel I could call up ANY of my 180+ sisters with a problem and they would genuinely care and try to help. You can't buy that kind of bond. Whenever I was feeling down and just sitting there with them, not even talking about the problem, I felt like I had no problems to begin with. They never judge me. Sisters make everything better. It's hard to put into words. *wiping tears from eyes*
The worst thing? I have to walk on eggshells around my friends from high school because I don't want them to think that I've gotten snobby or vapid. I have to try extra hard to come across as down-to-earth and intelligent. With anyone else in the world I'm myself because they have nothing to compare to me to and they like me, but I feel like the old friends are observing everything I do. (They really were.) But that's just what happened to me...it wouldn't have mattered if I joined a sorority or not...we're just different people.
Anyway, Erin, good luck with recruitment! Please post your questions, your recruitment experience, anything on your mind! We love this stuff!
Love,
Dyan
ps: sorry I wrote such a novel, but I have so much to say about why I love sorority life and everything that goes with it!