torn on what I should do..help

[foreversisters]

i am a freshman in college and just started my second semester. I am currently in a sorority as well. Last semester my grades were horrific and i can't believe I got the grades I did. needless to say I am very embarrassed and decided to dedicate this semester all on school. My sorority does take up a lot of time and I am nervous on what they will say about my grades. I do not want to quit by any means but is there anyway i can take a "break" from my sorority for a semester without quitting?

please give me some advice on what I should do.

[knight_shadow]

You should talk to your big or a member of your exec board (or, if they don't know, an advisor). We have no idea what your sorority's policies are.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by foreversisters

i am a freshman in college and just started my second semester. I am currently in a sorority as well. Last semester my grades were horrific and i can't believe I got the grades I did. needless to say I am very embarrassed and decided to dedicate this semester all on school. My sorority does take up a lot of time and I am nervous on what they will say about my grades. I do not want to quit by any means but is there anyway i can take a "break" from my sorority for a semester without quitting?

please give me some advice on what I should do.

This varies by sorority.

Some offer inactive status, others do not.

This is a good question for your advisors.

[BraveMaroon]

Keep in mind that you are not the only Freshman who ever had a bad first semester. Also keep in mind that it is in your sorority's best interest for you to have good grades just as much as it's in your best interest.

Your house has a Scholarship officer of some kind - seek her out and talk with her. She may assign you hours to study, she may help you find sisters who have taken the same classes you're taking now who can help you find the most effective way to prepare for that class.

Now, that said, you have to make good decisions for yourself. You're in school for an education, and part of that is learning to manage your time. Not everything your sorority does is always going to take top priority. Learning to say "no" nicely is a skill you'll do well to develop now.

Finally, don't beat yourself up. It sounds like you know where you may have fallen short, and you can use that knowledge to not make the same mistakes again...

[HannahXO]

Like Bravemaroon said, your sorority could be a great resource for helping improve your grades. My chapter has incentives to attend study hours, and if I'm ever struggling in a class I can easily find sisters who have taken it before and are willing to help out.

Maybe you shouldn't attend socials/non-mandatory events until you get your grades up, but it might not be necessary to completely take a semester off.

[AOII Angel]

If your grades are that bad, you'll probably be on academic probation with your chapter. They'll be interested in working with you to get your grades up. I agree with Hannah XO about the social activities-- these are events that you should only think about after you have made your classes and study time your main priority. That does not mean that you can't have fun time or spend time with your sisters. This just means that this is not the year for you to be Suzy Super Sister, but if anyone expects that out of you, their priorities are misplaced. Check with student services at your school. They may have study skills classes that can help you if you are having difficulties transitioning from HS to college. The style difference may be part of your problem, or it just may be that you had too much fun last semester. Look for all the resources available to help you succeed. Good luck!

[violetpretty]

Don't be too proud to seek help! Whether it's in the form of a sister who has done well in trouble classes or tutors or help from your TAs or profs, use the resources available to you!

Study with your sisters; they can be of great help to you! Find someone in your chapter who has good study skills and good grades and go to the library with her to study and try to adopt the same habits. Even if she doesn't take any of the same classes as you or have a similar major, merely going to the library with her will help you carve out time to study, because you hold each other accountable. It helps to be accountable to someone other than yourself if motivation is an issue. Keep your scholarship chair informed and she can check in on your progress.

Based on the limited information yo've given us, I'd suggest using the resources available to you rather than just take a semester off from the chapter. (If you even can---check with your exec board or advisors for your chapter's policies). Prioritize the important events of your chapter.

[Alumiyum]

Your first move is to talk to an exec member...your New Member Educator and/or your VP Scholarship (or an older sister you trust). Your academic career should always be your first priority in college. In many organizations a below par GPA will result in some sort of probation/study hours and those can be used to your advantage. As others have said, use the resources your campus provides in regards to tutoring and don't hesitate to ask sisters for help...show up to the minimum activities at the least and be sure to otherwise put your studies first. Social functions are extras. Just let your sisters know you'd love to be more active if you could, but that you need to concentrate on your studies. That's ok. Many freshmen have a rocky first semester. You're not alone! The fact that you realize this is a serious problem already puts you ahead of many of your peers.

[foreversisters]

thank you all so much on your input. I will keep everyones answers in mind. another question is that are they allowed to announce your gpa to the chapter? or is it all confidential? I just don't want everyone to know my gpa and i'm nervous that they will confront me about it. everyone is very helpful. and btw AOII angel i'm an AOII too (did yall have a meeting on academic development? and what is included?) thank you all!

[navane]

Originally Posted by foreversisters

thank you all so much on your input. I will keep everyones answers in mind. another question is that are they allowed to announce your gpa to the chapter? or is it all confidential? I just don't want everyone to know my gpa and i'm nervous that they will confront me about it. everyone is very helpful. and btw AOII angel i'm an AOII too (did yall have a meeting on academic development? and what is included?) thank you all!

It depends on the campus - at many places, having a grade release on file is a requirement to accept a bid. This allows certain chapter officials to know your GPA or academic standing.

I work for a major public university and serve as the Faculty-Staff Adviser to one fraternity and two sororities. Each semester, I receive a chapter roster which includes the name, semester GPA and overall GPA for each member with a grade release on file. If any member is on academic probation or has been disqualified from the university, that is also noted. This roster goes to me, the chapter adviser, the chapter president and chapter scholarship chair.

Now, are they going to announce your GPA to the whole chapter during meeting or post a list on the bulletin board? No. At least....Ive never heard of a chapter doing that! It's more likely that the scholarship chairwoman will contact you privately about your fall grades and help you come up with ideas for success.

It sounds like you're awfully nervous about the chapter finding out. I know it might seem embarassing, but we all have a "whoops" sometime and it's not going to be a complete shock to anyone that a first-semester freshman had a "whoops" on grades. Going to college is very different than high school and maybe you hadn't quite gotten the hang of it yet. That's ok! Visit your campus academic advising center to obtain advice about how to improve your GPA and maybe ideas for improving study habits.

The others here have given great responses about how the chapter and your sisters will be able to help you give your best effort this spring. Your chapter wants you to succeed! Your chapter might have study hours, tutoring, etc, etc. Ask and they will help you out!

.....Kelly

[DubaiSis]

Your chapter will almost certainly not set out to embarrass you so I wouldn't worry about that. I'm a little confused though (big surprise). Are you back at school now? If you are, your scholarship chair already knows. Even if you're not back at school, she likely already knows. This is a good opportunity for you to treat this like a grown up and handle it head on. Pretending it's not there is not going to help anyone.

I had a semester where I got a 1.7. I was in charge of about 15 things and had gotten elected an executive officer AND had taken on some extra challenging classes at the same time. It was pretty easy to figure out what I did wrong, even living in the middle of it. Yours may not be that easy to resolve, but you still do have to figure it out. Sorority life doesn't have to be too much to handle, but it definitely can be if you let it.

On the other hand, you have resources available to you that non-Greeks could only dream about. Use your scholarship chair! She's there ready to help, and very possibly will be thrilled to work with someone who isn't shutting her down at every step. They have to deal a lot with - I'm fine, I don't have a drinking problem, I'm not out of my depth in my major, my boyfriend isn't ruining my life, shut up shut up shut up! Don't be that girl and you'll come out of this better for having gone through it.

[AOEforme]

Originally Posted by foreversisters

thank you all so much on your input. I will keep everyones answers in mind. another question is that are they allowed to announce your gpa to the chapter? or is it all confidential? I just don't want everyone to know my gpa and i'm nervous that they will confront me about it. everyone is very helpful. and btw AOII angel i'm an AOII too (did yall have a meeting on academic development? and what is included?) thank you all!

It depends on your chapter/school policy.

Likely, (as stated above), you signed some sort of academic release form meaning your grades will go directly to the chapter. BUT, that doesn't mean everyone will see them. They won't be posted somewhere for everyone to see. Generally, only the people who need to know (Advisor, President, VP of Academics) will know and they will quietly help you out.

Our chapter's bylaws actually stated that the people who received the grade reports were unable to share that information with anyone else.

Chapters are generally good about keeping grade information secret, because everyone has a semester where their grades just aren't as good as they should be.

As everyone else said, make sure you find out what resources your chapter has to boost your grades. Panhellenic may also sponsor some programs, so be sure to participate in those.

When I was studying for the MCAT, I spent my weekends studying with sisters who had exams on the next Monday. I would just ask at chapter who had an exam next week, and who would probably spend the weekend in the library studying. I'd then spend the weekend in the library studying with them. It was great, because you'd have someone to share pizza and Starbucks with as well as another person who missed the really fun mixer on that Friday. I really recommend it if you find it hard to skip socials.

[IrishLake]

Yep, odds are your Scholarship or Education chair/VP already knows. The quarter that I pledged (first quarter of school) I had a 1.5 GPA. Too much partying, not enough studying, and my classes were really hard. BUT, with help and incentive from my chapter, I had a 3.0 the following quarter. Yes, I was on academic probation (couldn't attended any social events, just chapter meetings, study related stuff, and service related stuff) until I got my GPA up. Go to them for help, your GPA is important to them because it'll drag down the chapter's overall average. (And no, they shouldn't announce it to the chapter, but some people will figure it out if you're put on probation).

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by foreversisters

thank you all so much on your input. I will keep everyones answers in mind. another question is that are they allowed to announce your gpa to the chapter? or is it all confidential? I just don't want everyone to know my gpa and i'm nervous that they will confront me about it. everyone is very helpful. and btw AOII angel i'm an AOII too (did yall have a meeting on academic development? and what is included?) thank you all!

I pm'd you.

[AZTheta]

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off. It's a new semester. At the chapter where I advise, the first full week of classes has just ended. The actives whose GPAs are all far above a 3.0 are already up to their noses in their studies. Many of these women hold leadership positions and some also work part-time jobs. They have learned the first secret of success: time management.

View your studies as a full-time job that comes first. Put in at least 40 hours a week between classes and studying. Get coaching on how to plan and manage time. Something this simple will have amazing results. It has worked for everyone I've told it to, and it will work for you.

College is vastly different than high school, and graduate school (law/medical/etc) is yet another step up. It all prepares you for the world of work. We want you to succeed and also enjoy your sorority membership. We are not about shaming our members, we are about helping one another. I'm in your corner on this one. Scholarship is the foundation on which most, if not all, our GLOs were built.