Graduate Student and AI

[KunjaPrincess]

Originally Posted by mkriske

Thank you. Isn't one of the reasons to have an Alumnae Chapter, to help support the Collegiate Chapter? Afterall, the majority of those who will make up the Alumnae Chapter are those who are in the Collegiate Chapter.

I am assuming that you mean that the Collegiates who graduate will go on to become members of the Alum chapter? Possibly so depending on the area but many collegiates go to school away from home so they will not join the local alum chapter. My alum chapter has people from as far apart as WA and Maryland in it and they didn't go to the same school LOL.

Yes, ideally an alum chapter will support the collegiate chapter BUT not every member of the alum chapter wants to support the collegians. Our alum chapter has a lot more members than who support the collegians reguarly. We have our advisors and our House Corp board but most members of the HCB aren't even active in the alum chapter and vice versa.

An alum chapter is nothing like a collegiate chapter. I can say that since I work with the collegians. They are not usually going to have get togethers every week. Some won't even have them every month. Even if they do they are not mandatory and won't likely have the same people turn up every time.

[LPIDelta]

Maybe my experience is not the norm, but from what I have seen, most alumnae chapters do not interact with the collegiate chapters on a regular basis. Yes, alumnae chapters may send some volunteers to help with recruitment and they might have an annual event with area collegiate chapters, but its not like they are there holding the hands and giving weekly support to the collegiate members.

As an adviser, yes, there is the opportunity to be involved more frequently, but even then you have to be careful about how involved you get because its not your chapter to run.

Originally Posted by mkriske

Afterall, the majority of those who will make up the Alumnae Chapter are those who are in the Collegiate Chapter.

Not exactly.

The majority of our seniors leave campus/state after graduation mostly because jobs are hard to find here. It's very rare that one, let alone two, will stick around and join the alum chapter.

We get a lot of alums from other chapters who've since relocated here as well.

[texas*princess]

I think one of the things I don't think I will ever understand is that some people can't get past the whole sorority thing.

I am pretty sure that if I hadn't found my home while I was in school, my life would have moved on, and I wouldn't worry 10 years later about finding that sorority that I didn't join when I was in college.

I probably won't be doing the grad school thing for awhile, but if I was in grad school, I'd have more important things to worry about (ummm grad school... work, and the rest of my life) than to think 'gosh darnit! i need to find a sorority home because I didn't find one that fit in college!!'

Sorry for the rant, but I really just don't get it.

[AUDeltaGam]

As someone who's IN grad school (2nd year), I don't see how anyone has time to relax, let alone find a sorority home. If a person is dead-set on AI-ing, I would advise them to wait until after they've finished grad school. There are more important things to worry about while in grad school.

Just my $0.02.

[Dionysus]

Grad school's tough, but if you don't have enough time to relax (for anything), you're probably taking too many hours.

[blueangel]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

I think one of the things I don't think I will ever understand is that some people can't get past the whole sorority thing.

I am pretty sure that if I hadn't found my home while I was in school, my life would have moved on, and I wouldn't worry 10 years later about finding that sorority that I didn't join when I was in college.

I probably won't be doing the grad school thing for awhile, but if I was in grad school, I'd have more important things to worry about (ummm grad school... work, and the rest of my life) than to think 'gosh darnit! i need to find a sorority home because I didn't find one that fit in college!!'

Sorry for the rant, but I really just don't get it.

One of ZTA's slogans is, "Zeta is Forever." It doesn't say, "Zeta is for your college years".. it says "forever." College is only four years.. "forever" is a very long time. Hope that helps.

[blueangel]

Originally Posted by AUDeltaGam

As someone who's IN grad school (2nd year), I don't see how anyone has time to relax, let alone find a sorority home. If a person is dead-set on AI-ing, I would advise them to wait until after they've finished grad school. There are more important things to worry about while in grad school.

Just my $0.02.

There is a very famous motivational speaker named Zig Zigler who once did a talk about putting things off that we want to do. He said that we often miss opportunities in our life because we are always caught up with what we're doing now.

For instance, we say, "Oh, I'll do that after I graduate college." Then we graduate and find outselves busy looking for a job. "Oh, I'll do that once I find a job." Then we are busy with our new job. "Oh, I'll do that once I get married and have two incomes." But then we're busy with out new home and our new husband and a new baby. "Oh, I'll do that once the baby is old enough to go to school." But then we get a job when the child is in school. "Oh, I'll do that once I retire.."

.... and on and on it goes.

The moral of the story is, if we want to do something badly enough, we can make the time to do it.

And speaking of AI'ing.. it's a long, difficult process. But aside from sending out a letter and meeting the local chapter.. it's not a time consuming process. It's more about waiting.

If one finds their home through AI, it can be as busy as you choose-- depending on how involved you want to be. There are no mandatory meetings... you are as active as your schedule permits, and put in as much (or as little) time as you like.

[TrueBlueKappa]

Originally Posted by blueangel

There is a very famous motivational speaker named Zig Zigler who once did a talk about putting things off that we want to do. He said that we often miss opportunities in our life because we are always caught up with what we're doing now.

I'd think getting "caught up with" getting an education should probably come before geting "caught up with" AIing a sorority.

Just my $.02.

[AUDeltaGam]

Originally Posted by TrueBlueKappa

I'd think getting "caught up with" getting an education should probably come before geting "caught up with" AIing a sorority.

Just my $.02.

You had me at W.E.

[blueangel]

Originally Posted by TrueBlueKappa

I'd think getting "caught up with" getting an education should probably come before geting "caught up with" AIing a sorority.

Just my $.02.

I agree! School comes first.

And that is exactly my point. The AI application process on the part of the PNAM is not a time consuming endeavor. However, it can be a very long waiting process. There is even a chance that the person would have graduated by the time she was initiated!

And, as I stated in my post above.. once someone finds their home through AI, they can be as active as their schedule permits.

My AA usually has one social or philanthropy event a month. I think that's pretty typical... although some have more (such as the huge AA Houston chapter) and some have less.

Unless someone is a chapter advisor or an officer in my AA.. it would mean that if the person went to every single event-- she would only be devoting two hours or so a month. That doesn't seem out of line for a grad student.

[TrueBlueKappa]

I read your original post and understand what you're saying. But, from reading all these AI threads, it seems that women sometimes get very caught up in the whole AI process. We see threads time after time written by obsessed women who spend quite a bit of time trying to initiate, speed along, and/or worry about the AI process.

[blueangel]

Originally Posted by TrueBlueKappa

I read your original post and understand what you're saying. But, from reading all these AI threads, it seems that women sometimes get very caught up in the whole AI process. We see threads time after time written by obsessed women who spend quite a bit of time trying to initiate, speed along, and/or worry about the AI process.

Yes, it's exciting for the women who are going through the process... just as it's exciting for women who are going through collegiate rush. Some post a lot about it because they have questions, or they want to share their experiences.

And yes, they do worry about it.. that's natural when it's something that means a lot to them, and they're not getting any feedback. The AI process is very difficult, and can be quite the emotional rollercoaster. Often there is silence on the end of the GLO for many months-- leading the PNAM to wonder if she's out of consideration, or if there is something holding up the process-- like a national vote, or misplaced paperwork.

However, I don't see the obsession you mention in the threads. Maybe it's a difference in the way we are perceiving these threads.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by TrueBlueKappa

We see threads time after time written by obsessed women who spend quite a bit of time trying to initiate, speed along, and/or worry about the AI process.

I think the reason why these women get stalled, is because they are approaching groups on their own recommendation and therefore, do not have anyone on the "inside" who can or will "vouch" for them, or give them updates as to what is happening.

[Xidelt]

And yes, they do worry about it.. that's natural when it's something that means a lot to them, and they're not getting any feedback. The AI process is very difficult, and can be quite the emotional rollercoaster. Often there is silence on the end of the GLO for many months-- leading the PNAM to wonder if she's out of consideration, or if there is something holding up the process-- like a national vote, or misplaced paperwork.



Is there a prize on GC that I didn't know about if you repeatedly post the same thing over and over, like how the AI process is long, difficult, emotional, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah....