Keep these things in mind

[UGAalum94]

But, I'll be honest, I wonder that about girls who post their own real time threads. Not if they are geeks, but if the very fact that they would prefer the solitary act of typing at the computer to being out with the girls in their dorm or new friends at college means that they are going to have a different experience that the really social kids. (Sure they are connecting with their online audience, but it's a different kind of social than the girls who are hanging out together or even going out downtown.)

To be honest, I've wondered it about some to of the more elitist undergraduate members. If you real life chapter is so amazing, why would you be on here so much?

[33girl]

Typing on a computer is no longer a solitary in your room experience. Lots of people can connect from their PDAs or cell phones. I would wager many of the undergrads that post on here are doing it in class, between classes, or while they're in transit from one place to another (hopefully not driving, though).

If this was 1985 and an undergrad was posting on here constantly - yeah. They'd probably be a bit of a freakazoid. So would an undergrad who carried around a phone. I'm sure girls 20 years ago did the same thing with their rush experiences, they just wrote in a journal instead.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I'm sure girls 20 years ago did the same thing with their rush experiences, they just wrote in a journal instead.

Obviously. Otherwise 2007 wouldn't have been the Summer of Retros.

[adpiucf]

I just remember what it was like to go through recruitment as a PNM, and then as a collegiate sister. We had no free time and we were exhausted by day's end... all I wanted to do was have dinner with my roommates and go to sleep. Then again, this was before the internet was very popular.

I think many people use message boards, My Space, Facebook, as an evening "unwind" at the conclusion of their day... So I can understand people signing on and posting story updates. In the past, as someone said, we would have journaled or read a few pages from a novel before going to bed.

I do think PNMs would be much better served to journal their experience offline and then post it on GC once they had a chance to live the experience and perhaps edit their impressions for public consumption. But that's a personal decision. I wish the best of luck to everyone pursuing membership this school year, and to the sorority women going through membership selection. Both sides will experience a lot of ups and downs throughout.

As anyone who has been through this process can attest, recruitment is simultaneously the best and worst week of your life.

[UGAalum94]

adpiucf,

I agree.

I also agree that the undergraduate members might be posting in class (I'm convinced it must be what the law students are doing) or when they get a moment here or there, but I really doubt that the PNMs are reporting their disappointing rush results from their handhelds.

And I stand by the idea that if you are composing a thread, you are focusing on it and not the other people right around you.

The girls who I think will have the most successful rushes at SEC schools this fall are not the ones who ignore the people right around them to post or talk to people far away. And unless you are talking about posting right before bed. . .

[AOII Angel]

I kinda get the impression that girls who are posting their current rush experience are in need of support. Maybe they don't have understanding family or friends who can council them during this hard week. If you have your parents or boyfriend or girlfriends telling you that it's stupid to rush, then GC is probably a great place to find someone to validate your experience.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by AlphaGamUGAAlum

But, I'll be honest, I wonder that about girls who post their own real time threads. Not if they are geeks, but if the very fact that they would prefer the solitary act of typing at the computer to being out with the girls in their dorm or new friends at college means that they are going to have a different experience that the really social kids. (Sure they are connecting with their online audience, but it's a different kind of social than the girls who are hanging out together or even going out downtown.)

If I'd known about GC before I joined a sorority, I'd have been posting my thread here too. I spent my nights on Fark.com and other geeky sites instead, yet certainly I managed to have a happy social life with my sisters and my other friends. Posting updates and reading GC doesn't have to take that much of your time... and many have said they're doing it before/after going out (or couldn't update because they were hanging out with friends). It's silly to suggest that being social online=being socially inept in person. (Just because you enjoy typing at your computer doesn't mean you're not a "really social kid")

[UGAalum94]

I'm really not trying to say that loving the internet equals being socially inept. But I'm saying loving the internet to the point of posting about your recruitment as it happens might not be typical of most girls who having successful recruitments.

It's about the chosen preference, not a lack of ability or skill. Doesn't that make sense?

I guess because my recruitment experience is SEC I'm using kind of wacky standard. At most campuses there is likely to be more of a balance.

ETA: when I think of the girls who had the perfect rush when I rushed, they either did nothing but rush, groom and sleep or they used all free time to go out with other friends. When I think of the folks who would have been taking time out to do a lot of journaling and reflecting, as opposed to quick notes to keep groups straight, or to stay in and read or listen to music, they were more likely to have mixed results. Some did very well and ended up in great groups, but compared to the 24/7 extroverted-social group, the percentages weren't as good.

Once in the groups though, I think, a lot of the 24/7 SOCIAL types chilled out quite a bit. When it's not your first week away from home, I think a lot of people setting down to a more typical balance.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by AlphaGamUGAAlum

I'm really not trying to say that loving the internet equals being socially inept. But I'm saying loving the internet to the point of posting about your recruitment as it happens might not be typical of most girls who having successful recruitments.

It's about the chosen preference, not a lack of ability or skill. Doesn't that make sense?

I guess because my recruitment experience is SEC I'm using kind of wacky standard. At most campuses there is likely to be more of a balance.

ETA: when I think of the girls who had the perfect rush when I rushed, they either did nothing but rush, groom and sleep or they used all free time to go out with other friends. When I think of the folks who would have been taking time out to do a lot of journaling and reflecting, as opposed to quick notes to keep groups straight, or to stay in and read or listen to music, they were more likely to have mixed results. Some did very well and ended up in great groups, but compared to the 24/7 extroverted-social group, the percentages weren't as good.

Once in the groups though, I think, a lot of the 24/7 SOCIAL types chilled out quite a bit. When it's not your first week away from home, I think a lot of people setting down to a more typical balance.

I think you're looking at it from an SEC standard. Believe me, most people did NOT rush, groom and sleep at my school during recruitment. The sorority sisters do because there's not time for anything else, but PNMs? Nah. It's not that intense. PLUS the sororities are less the stereotype and more interested in women who aren't just 4.0 legacies with a perfect pedigree. (stereotyping but you get the point). Introverts probably don't do as well at the SEC recruitment as they do elsewhere.

[SoCalGirl]

From the sorority side all I remember wanting to do after the parties were over was to crawl into bed. Even when I was an advisor and helped the chapter behind the scenes I would eye the air bed in the Panhellenic office wishing I could curl up for a few minutes rest.