This post is about reasons why I wanted to join a sorority, but then why I decided it wasn’t for me.
Disclaimer: I have nothing bad to say about Pi Beta Phi Alpha chapter at UofSC. Every girl I met from there was so kind, so if sororities are for you, rush Pi Phi!
I am going to start with the reasons why I accepted a bid from Pi Beta Phi!
1. I loved them during preference round
Pi Phi was my favorite house during preference round for a few reasons. First, I absolutely loved their ceremony where they gave flowers to each girl based on qualities they admired about her. I thought that was so sweet and personal. I also really enjoyed the conversation with the girl who rushed me.
2. I am a legacy at Pi Phi
My mom and my grandma were both Pi Phi’s and they are the sweetest women I know. Being a legacy at Pi Phi did not keep me from wanting to join other houses but it was something fun about joining Pi Phi. I wanted to meet girls just like my momma.
3. I wanted to try it out
I had my doubts about joining a sorority that hadn’t been on my radar until preference round, but I wanted to keep an open mind and open heart towards Pi Phi. I figured that my thoughts were just muddy during the stress of recruitment. I had wanted to be in a sorority because I wanted the community, I wanted fun functions, I wanted to have a big and older mentors, and obviously the cool t-shirts! Between Bid Day dance parties, to new member meetings, pinning of new members and coffee dates with potential bigs there was plenty of things to do! There were some fun things that I really enjoyed, which made my decision hard.
So now I’m going to tell you my reasons why I dropped my sorority two weeks after Bid Day.
1. I am not super girly or peppy
Don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to be girly to be in a sorority but there are plenty girls that are. I am just the kind of girl who hates pink, and glitter deeply. Lucky for me that was the bid day theme haha. Girls definitely were confused when I said that wasn’t my thing. No one really judged me or was mean about it, I just felt out of place.
I also think of myself as a pretty low-key person. So the screaming of the sorority cheers and jumping up and down and intensity of it all was too much for me.
Not only did I not like it on the receiving end, I couldn’t see myself doing that in following years on the other end.
2. Events & Meetings
I dreaded new member meetings and those were supposed to be exciting! Girls were so excited to meet their new sisters and were “already sharing moments that will last forever” as they said, and I wasn’t vibing with it.
I didn’t buy into the whole sisterhood concept like I thought I would.
Each new member meeting had a beginning and a closing ceremony that sounded very similar to a prayer to me, which rubbed me the wrong way.
We were also expected to dress nicely, in dresses or pant suits with nice shoes and our pins. I was really bummed because I did not get the “come as you are” feeling that I was looking forward to once recruitment ended. I did not understand the level of professionality that the sorority had, which my mom later explained to me.
I even found myself frustrated with the commitment of the sorority. I wanted to be able to come and go as I please instead of having to fill out excuse forms for a missed event, or even fines for important things.
Especially as someone who struggles with social anxiety with big crowds and depression, it was important to me to have flexibility.
3. I didn’t feel at home
Pi Phi didn’t immediately feel comfortable to me, and as much as I wanted it to grow on me, it didn’t. It met some really great girls who were all so kind to me. Pi Phi’s girls are all very unique too which I liked a lot. I didn’t feel like they were carbon copies of each other. However, as I continued to go to sorority events and meet people, I didn’t feel like this was my place and I fit in.
Bottom Line:
I had many girls encourage me that I just hadn’t met my people yet, which very much could be true. It takes time to make friends.
However the debate of to be in a sorority or not, weighed very heavy on me. I needed to make a decision because payments and initiation were coming up.
So I decided to drop Pi Phi, and join other clubs that I’m passionate about. I wanted to take time to get comfortable with campus and most importantly work on my mental health. Maybe if things are different, I can re-evaluate my situation and rush in the spring. Who knows. I just had to do the best thing for myself in the moment.
Sincerely,
Meghan Ann
