Moving into the House?

Owlette · #1 12-11-2007, 09:43 PM

Hi ladies!
I'm new here. I just had a question, and pardon me if this is in the wrong location:
I'm a new member of my sorority. I'll be moving into the house next semester. Yay! However, I'm kind of worried about the atmosphere in the house. After all, I'm moving in with a bunch of girls that I hardly know. I've barely gotten to know the girls in my NM class (I'm pretty quiet) and I don't know any of the sisters well at all, including my big.
Is it common to get to know the girls in the sorority better once one moves in and such? Or, am I up a creek without a paddle? Or, am I just freaking out over nothing? Has anyone else been in a kind of similar situation?
Thanks for any advice you can offer!

fantASTic · #2 12-11-2007, 09:49 PM

You will be just fine, as long as you do the same thing as you normally would with any roommate you don't know very well! Be courteous, don't talk badly about other sisters to them, and compromise on any issues that come up and you will probably become much closer to them. Good luck!

GatorDG · #3 12-11-2007, 10:31 PM

This will be the perfect way to get to know your new sisters. You will be there for all the spur of the moment activities. My daughter was feeling a little lost at her new house. She went over to watch television and was caught in a tornado warning. Sitting in the hallway with all the sisters bonded her for good. Relax and enjoy the experience, it goes WAY too fast.

KSUViolet06 · #4 12-11-2007, 10:42 PM

Girls who move in as newer initiates often find themselves in the same situation as you, not really knowing anyone very well.

My best advice would be to treat it like any other move-in experience with a roomie you have yet to meet. Be couteous and iron out any ground rules early on and just respect each other's privacy.

Also, there are little ways to get to know people:

* If you see sisters watching a movie you like in the TV room, sit down and watch! If you're going to watch a movie, peek your head into a random sister's door and ask if she wants to watch with you.

*Don't always eat in your room or on campus. I got to know plenty of girls just by eating in the kitchen with everyone else.

*Sometimes, just saying hi to a sister passing by or asking how her day is going is a great way to get to know people.

honeychile · #5 12-11-2007, 10:57 PM

You'll be as happy as you decide to be. I positively thrived in our suite - my grades improved, I loved the company, etc. I think it's a wonderful experience, for at least a year or two, but don't be shocked if you decide against it by your senior year.

And I'll agree with KSUViolets' advice - get to know your sisters, and join in on things. If someone sends you a Finals Package or other goodies, share them. If you're making popcorn, ask if anyone else wants to have some. It's the old "you make a friend by being a friend" standard.

Owlette · #6 12-11-2007, 11:27 PM

Thanks for all the words of wisdom offered! My nerves were definitely on edge; I was kind of thinking that the house was one big clique and that I'd be left on the outside...
Anyway, I'll definitely heed your advice! I'm getting excited now!

GeekyPenguin · #7 12-11-2007, 11:56 PM

I moved in the semester after I initiated. I was a sophomore and all my roommates were upperclassmen, mostly seniors. I really enjoyed it - I got to know the "older" members of our chapter better and I probably wouldn't have if I didn't live in. I also got out of the crappy res. halls - sharing a bathroom always sucks, but it's a lot more fun to share with your sisters than it is with whatever randoms you got stuck living with!

violetpretty · #8 12-11-2007, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Owlette

Hi ladies!
I'm new here. I just had a question, and pardon me if this is in the wrong location:
I'm a new member of my sorority. I'll be moving into the house next semester. Yay! However, I'm kind of worried about the atmosphere in the house. After all, I'm moving in with a bunch of girls that I hardly know. I've barely gotten to know the girls in my NM class (I'm pretty quiet) and I don't know any of the sisters well at all, including my big.
Is it common to get to know the girls in the sorority better once one moves in and such? Or, am I up a creek without a paddle? Or, am I just freaking out over nothing? Has anyone else been in a kind of similar situation?
Thanks for any advice you can offer!

I felt the same way before I moved into my chapter house. I felt like the outcast of my NM class. I didn't know with whom I was living until the day of room draw. Fortunately, things worked out really well. My roommate and I got along great. I loved living in the house so much that I lived there for 3 whole years. It gets you close with sisters with whom you might not be close otherwise.

lauralaylin · #9 12-12-2007, 02:43 PM

Your situation is identical to mine (although a few years back!). My best friend/roommate got pregnant and decided to move home at the end of the semester, so I moved into my sorority house. I worked during our nm meetings, my big was MIA (and transfered after my first semester), and I was very shy. I moved in knowing almost no one. It wasn't easy at first, but I hung out with the people that seemed the most friendly towards me, and as time went on I established my close knit friends. I just pushed myself to get involved. I attended everything, took positions, volunteered to help with things, and over time I felt more comfortable.

ISUKappa · #10 12-12-2007, 03:50 PM

I moved into our chapter house second semester Freshman year and lived in until I graduated.

I very much loved living in the chapter house (obviously) but it does take some effort and getting used to sharing a small living space with that many girls.

The great: there was always someone around - to talk to, to study with, to go get coffee, to watch TV, to go out with, etc.... It definitely helped me get close with more women in my chapter, especially older members. I have the best memories from when I lived in the chapter house, even though that time wasn't necessarily always perfect.

the good: location, cost and conveniences. Personally, these were secondary to my overall living experience, but they definitely helped. We had a daily housekeeper for the common areas (including bathrooms!), a great cook, we were the closest house to campus (and campustown) and it was definitely cheaper than living in the dorms or in an apartment.

the bad: with any communal living arrangement, not everyone got along. Sometimes things would go missing (most commonly food), or people would borrow without asking. Members would get into arguments that would affect the entire chapter. You may not always get along with your roommate (even if they were your BFF before). You may find out, um, interesting habits of sisters (like I was the one who colored her hair over the 3rd floor laundry sink) but those are all learning experiences.

I'm guessing there are other girls who are just as nervous about it as you. I wasn't very close to women in my pledge class either, and that didn't necessarily change much after we all moved in. Sometimes, that's just how things are.

ForeverRoses · #11 12-12-2007, 04:19 PM

You mentioned that you thought the house might be one big clique- and to a certain extent it is. When you live in the house, you live and breathe the sorority all the time. But when you move, you will become part of the "clique". You will probably know things way before members that don't live in the house. And living in is a great way to get to know other members especially if you are shy.

I didn't have the best roomate situation when I lived in, but I met other women in the house that I have stayed in contact with to this day. The house at least has other places to escape to if your roomate is driving you nuts.

guardedbystars · #12 12-12-2007, 09:07 PM

I have heard from almost all my friends that living in the house was the best decision they ever made, hands down.

You get so much closer to all the girls and you're at all the events that are in the house, well, because you live there.

I have not lived in the house because I have a great living situation--I have my own room and I live with my sisters, but I would like to know what it'd be like!

Benzgirl · #13 12-12-2007, 10:05 PM

THE GOOD: Always someone around to talk to, eat with, hang, study, and cheer on your favorite team. Convenience, Great Food, Beautiful House. Lots of House Boys to counsel you like a big brother (and built-in dates for formals).

THE BAD: Can get noisy, even during "quiet hours". You sometimes have to wait on a shower. Room mates who snore (gets you ready for marriage)

THE UGLY: Election time when you are close friends with both who are running for president

, the smell of stale beer in the stairwell on Sunday mornings, someone pounding (ok, playing) the piano when you are trying to sleep -- my room was directly over the piano.