How to Decide to Pledge a Sorority

College provides endless educational and social opportunities that can overwhelm you. One of the options you'll be presented with is whether to join the Greek way of life. There will be many sororities to choose from, and it's hard to decide if you want to even pledge a sorority. When you get to that point, consider the following factors.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Analyze the importance of belonging to a group. For some, the sense of belonging to an organized social group is crucial to making friends and their self-esteem. For others, independence is important and they enjoy making friends at their own pace or at activities they enjoy.

2. Think about your past social experiences. If in high school you had to go to the hippest party every weekend, the Saturday football games or out with friends after school, a sorority is a great choice. If you were more reserved and valued your alone time, then you might not enjoy the seemingly constant presence of people around you.

3. Research the number of Greeks on campus. If you're planning on attending a college whose student body is mostly composed of Greeks, you'll probably want to take a closer look at pledging. If the ratio is more equal, pledging may not be as important to you because you'll have just as many social opportunities as Greeks.

4. Count your pennies. You may want to pledge a sorority, but remember that once you make it in, membership isn't free. There are initiation fees and dues to consider.

5. Check the thickness of your skin. Rushing can be fun and a way for you to check out various sororities you're interested in and can provide you with chances to see Greek life up close. But remember that not only are you checking them out, they're checking you out and you have to receive a bid to pledge. If you're not the type to handle rejection well, think about how that might feel if your favorite choice doesn't choose you.

6. Consider your goals and how focused you are on achieving them. You're at college for a reason, presumably to get the education you'll need to succeed in your chosen profession. If you're not the type who can say "no" to a party, you might want to think twice before pledging a sorority. Greek life is famous for its party opportunities, and if you're easily swayed, you may find yourself home after the first year.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that when you accept a bid, you might be pledging a sorority that engages in hazing. This is sometimes dangerous, and at the very least you will find yourself running on little or no sleep and your grades might suffer.
• While sororities provide a lot of social opportunities, if you're more of a free spirit, socializing within your sisterhood might be too confining. You might decide Greek life isn't right for you.

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