Time Requirements for sororities

[Ladybug1993]

I wanted to know when I am being initiated will that be very time consuming? I want to be able to have a job and also be in colorguard but it seems like colorguard will take a lot of my time as well during the weekends and from 4-7 during the week. I also have to have time to study. Right now my biggest priorities are school, rushing to be in a sorority and a job., so does anyone know if adding colorguard would probably be a little bit stressful for me?

[carnation]

You need to ask women in the chapters at your school. At some colleges, Greek life is very time consuming and at others not.

[AZTheta]

And I'd add that it depends also on how good you are at time management and setting priorities.

[33girl]

Are there a lot of members of sororities in color guard now? If not, and if the color guard members kind of look at you funny when you mentioned sororities, it might be a hint that you need to choose between the two.

[sigmagirl2000]

I was in marching band (colorguard) and it's a class, so it was an excused absence from SK events, even on weekends. Luckily, marching band season ends whenever the football team craps out.... so unless your football team is AMAZING and goes far into post season, you're done before Thanksgiving and have the rest of the year to fully dedicate to your future sorority. The only time I had a huge issue was my actual INITIATION DAY because there was a football game and mandatory rehearsal at the same time. Luckily my band director was cool with it and gave me an excused absence until I could get there after the initiation ceremony Good Luck!

[navane]

Originally Posted by sigmagirl2000

I was in marching band (colorguard) and it's a class, so it was an excused absence from SK events, even on weekends. Luckily, marching band season ends whenever the football team craps out.... so unless your football team is AMAZING and goes far into post season, you're done before Thanksgiving and have the rest of the year to fully dedicate to your future sorority. The only time I had a huge issue was my actual INITIATION DAY because there was a football game and mandatory rehearsal at the same time. Luckily my band director was cool with it and gave me an excused absence until I could get there after the initiation ceremony Good Luck!

Don't some marching bands and colorguards participate in competitions and floor shows year 'round?

[sigmagirl2000]

Originally Posted by navane

Don't some marching bands and colorguards participate in competitions and floor shows year 'round?

Not many that I know of at the collegiate level. University of Delaware comes to mind as having a WGI competing winterguard.... In spring semester, we had an optional tech class that was 2 hours a week or so. I suppose that the OP would need to spell out more about the time commitments of the marching band/ colorguard. Her username had 1993 in it, didn't it? So I'm assuming that she isn't a traditional student or she isn't going to a school with a super competitive recruitment or super competitive marching band if she's just considering these things now. But you know where assumptions get you. I'll leave it at the fact that I was able to participate in Marching Band, was on the administrative staff for the band, was active in my sorority, worked 40 hours a week at a local restaurant and was a successful math and statistics major.

[Ladybug1993]

Originally Posted by sigmagirl2000

I was in marching band (colorguard) and it's a class, so it was an excused absence from SK events, even on weekends. Luckily, marching band season ends whenever the football team craps out.... so unless your football team is AMAZING and goes far into post season, you're done before Thanksgiving and have the rest of the year to fully dedicate to your future sorority. The only time I had a huge issue was my actual INITIATION DAY because there was a football game and mandatory rehearsal at the same time. Luckily my band director was cool with it and gave me an excused absence until I could get there after the initiation ceremony Good Luck!

I would like to add that our school doesn't have football so I will be doing straight competitions almost every weekend until November. My schedule for class is MWT (4-7:30) and I also want to get a job to pay off my car. So where does that leave time for sorority functions or even working a job after class?

[clemsongirl]

OTOH, I did marching band as a freshman and our director was very much against people going through recruitment. You weren't allowed to miss practice for any parties because marching band is a class and classes take priority, so it was very difficult for girls to do recruitment because they would miss parties and they be dropped by chapters whose parties they'd missed. My chapter sister who should have, by all accounts, been one of those "stellar" PNMs with her pick of invites was cut harshly because she missed so many parties for band practice. I myself decided to quit marching band rather than try to make the two work because I knew they wouldn't mesh well.

Your director might be more lenient or your recruitment might conflict, but if you also want a job it doesn't sound like you'll be able to do color guard on top of all the other things you mentioned. To answer your question, adding color guard would probably be very stressful for you and I wouldn't do all those things at once your freshman year. Go through recruitment first and then figure out if you have time for guard.

ETA: if you're not a freshman as some have guessed then recruitment will be even more of an uphill battle for you and you should make doubly sure that the two don't conflict.

[sigmagirl2000]

Originally Posted by clemsongirl

OTOH, I did marching band as a freshman and our director was very much against people going through recruitment. You weren't allowed to miss practice for any parties because marching band is a class and classes take priority, so it was very difficult for girls to do recruitment because they would miss parties and they be dropped by chapters whose parties they'd missed. My chapter sister who should have, by all accounts, been one of those "stellar" PNMs with her pick of invites was cut harshly because she missed so many parties for band practice. I myself decided to quit marching band rather than try to make the two work because I knew they wouldn't mesh well.

Your director might be more lenient or your recruitment might conflict, but if you also want a job it doesn't sound like you'll be able to do color guard on top of all the other things you mentioned. To answer your question, adding color guard would probably be very stressful for you and I wouldn't do all those things at once your freshman year. Go through recruitment first and then figure out if you have time for guard.

ETA: if you're not a freshman as some have guessed then recruitment will be even more of an uphill battle for you and you should make doubly sure that the two don't conflict.

Truth. I didn't think about the actual recruitment part since I didn't go through formal recruitment. Actually, all my sisters who were in the band joined through COB or informal.... There's always TBS or KKPsi (or SAI) as well if you want to join a music group.

[Ladybug1993]

Originally Posted by clemsongirl

OTOH, I did marching band as a freshman and our director was very much against people going through recruitment. You weren't allowed to miss practice for any parties because marching band is a class and classes take priority, so it was very difficult for girls to do recruitment because they would miss parties and they be dropped by chapters whose parties they'd missed. My chapter sister who should have, by all accounts, been one of those "stellar" PNMs with her pick of invites was cut harshly because she missed so many parties for band practice. I myself decided to quit marching band rather than try to make the two work because I knew they wouldn't mesh well.

Your director might be more lenient or your recruitment might conflict, but if you also want a job it doesn't sound like you'll be able to do color guard on top of all the other things you mentioned. To answer your question, adding color guard would probably be very stressful for you and I wouldn't do all those things at once your freshman year. Go through recruitment first and then figure out if you have time for guard.

ETA: if you're not a freshman as some have guessed then recruitment will be even more of an uphill battle for you and you should make doubly sure that the two don't conflict.

I lost my sister and took a year off and that is why I want to be more involved this semester. I need to get my mind off of things and the coach keeps asking me to join colorguard. I do know that I need to pay on my car so a job is necessary. I also need time to study. And most of my classes are 11-3 so I just feel like if I'm going to work I would be working evenings and I don't think I'd have time to necessarily do it this semester. I am however, thinking about winter guard. Thank you for your advice I could relate to this the most

[andthen]

Originally Posted by Ladybug1993

I lost my sister and took a year off and that is why I want to be more involved this semester. I need to get my mind off of things and the coach keeps asking me to join colorguard. I do know that I need to pay on my car so a job is necessary. I also need time to study. And most of my classes are 11-3 so I just feel like if I'm going to work I would be working evenings and I don't think I'd have time to necessarily do it this semester.

Also if you haven't weighed this into your decision, hopefully you've looked at the membership fees for the sororities at your campus. Those expenses can add up pretty quick as well. I would be a shame to go through recruitment, and get a bid only to drop because you can't afford the fees on top of your other bills.

[FSUZeta]

I am truly sorry for your loss. I can't begin to imagine.

It sounds like you might be stretched beyond thin if you participate in band, go to class and hit the books, hold down a job in order to pay off your car AND join a sorority. Set your priorities and decide which are most important to you.

[clemsongirl]

Seconding FSUZeta, I'm so sorry for your loss. I commend you for wanting to get involved in school again, but I think you might be trying to pile on too much with adding color guard to everything else you want to do. Another thing to keep in mind is if you do join a sorority and then they hold mandatory new member education meetings every time during that week, you're going to miss out a lot on bonding with your pledge class. Your new member coordinator would work with you on making up the sessions, but it isn't the same without your new sisters with you.

I'm glad you want to get so involved, but maybe staggering your commitments like you mentioned is the best way to go. See how you handle working, classes, and a sorority, and then do winter guard if you think it's right for you.

[Ladybug1993]

Originally Posted by clemsongirl

Another thing to keep in mind is if you do join a sorority and then they hold mandatory new member education meetings every time during that week, you're going to miss out a lot on bonding with your pledge class. Your new member coordinator would work with you on making up the sessions, but it isn't the same without your new sisters with you.

I'm glad you want to get so involved, but maybe staggering your commitments like you mentioned is the best way to go. See how you handle working, classes, and a sorority, and then do winter guard if you think it's right for you.

This is great advice, thank you so much! I think I will just try working and a sorority