Here we are, collegiettes – in the homestretch towards the end of the semester, battling sickness, finals, and a yearning for the holidays. What else does the end of the semester signify? For freshmen, it’s the last time you and your friends will all be together without the attached identity of a sorority. That’s right, I’m bringing it up. I’m going to talk about the stress, laughs, and tears associated with recruitment, but with a not-so-traditional twist. I’m here to help you keep your head on straight with the do’s and don’ts of pre, present and post rush week.
DON’T have preconceived reputations in your head about Wake Forest sororities. I know you’ve probably gone out on, like, a gazillion rush dates this past semester and met some cool older girls, but remember to keep an open mind during rush week. Take the conversation at every “house” (or “lounge,” since we go to Wake Forest) seriously. I’m not saying to throw out all the memories of great conversations with older girls from first semester. You should definitely keep those in mind, because those were the girls who took the time to seriously get to know you. What I am saying is DO keep in mind that there are probably a lot of upperclassmen out there who weren’t at the right place at the right time to meet you, and rush week is a great time to get to know them.
DO your own thing. Rush is a time for you to think for yourself and practice being independent. As tempting as it may be to whisper pillow talk about the different sororities with your hall mates, DON’T do it. This will only confuse you, and it can lead to both you and your friends trying to convince each other to rush the same sorority for the wrong reasons. While this sounds like a super fun idea, trust me, it’s not. There’s a whole world of super awesome, super cool girls in your grade at Wake that I guarantee you’ve never met. Wake Forest is small, but it’s not that small. By sticking solely with your first semester friends, you could be shutting the doors to amazing new friendships. If you keep a level head and listen to yourself, you will probably find yourself on Bid Day awkwardly standing around with 49 unfamiliar girls running towards a lounge with strange looking Greek letters on the door frame. And you know what? That’s GREAT! Do you realize how cool it is that you get to spend the next semester forming new bonds with your new pledge sisters? Because all it means is (YAY!) new friends! *Sorority snaps for that.*
DON’T talk to boys during rush week. I know you think this is a super stupid rule that practically no one follows, but take it seriously! I mean it. Boys know the stereotypes, too. And they might convince you to drop a sorority you could have really fit in with while keeping a sorority where you feel like the odd-man-out simply because of the “name.” This just goes back to DO be independent and be your own person. You’d never guess the number of girls who break out crying one random Friday night, weeks after rush, because their boyfriend or mom or best friend “made” them pledge a specific sorority. No one can “make” you do anything. Remember, collegiettes, you are all smart, self-regulating adults now who are fully capable of making decisions for yourself. I say that in the least harsh, least one-year-older-but-not-really-much-wiser way possible.
Just one quick comment about sorority names: DON’T think that any sorority is “cooler” or more “popular” than the next. At the end of the day, they all have philanthropy, they all have fun mixers, they all have oversized t-shirts and colored chucks, and they all have girls whom you will no doubt form lifelong bonds with and be proud to call your sisters.
DO remember that your friends from first semester are the reflection of who you were and who you wanted to be during that specific moment in time. DON’T forget about them after rush. Of course it will be natural for some distance to grow between you as you both focus on getting to know your new pledge classes, but still work to keep the friendship alive. Even something as simple as scheduling to walk to class together on certain days or catching up over a cup of coffee can keep you and your first semester bestie going strong. The best part is that you both now have a bunch of new friends to introduce each other to, and that means even more new friends.
DO have a lot of fun, and DON’T take Greek life too seriously. At the end of the day, it’s only four years of your life. I’m not denying that those four years of being in a sorority can be some of your best, most treasured memories, but it’s not needed to form strong friendships and have a good college experience. I know plenty of girls who had no desire whatsoever to go through the rush process, and, you know what? They still LOVE Wake. Weird, right? Not really! This is what I’m trying to tell you: it’s not strange if sorority life isn’t for you, because, once again, that means you’re (yay!) being your own person. And thank God for that.