Why You Don’t Need to Join a Sorority to Have a Social Life in College
Whether your mom was in a sorority, your older sibling just went through rush or you've simply seen sorority content all over social media (who can forget about Alabama Rush 2022 taking over TikTok?), you may be thinking that joining one is an absolute must when you go off to college.
While sororities can be good for some people, we're here to break down some of the myths and let you know that you definitely don't need to be in one to have a successful social life during the "best four years of your life." While the decision is completely up to you, here are some of the reasons why you don't need to start rushing to rush once you set foot on campus.
1. There Are Other Ways to Make Friends
A lot of people assume that joining Greek life is the best way to make friends in college, but forming a social group tends to happen extremely naturally anyway, whether you're paying to join a specific group with specific letters or not. You can make friends just about anywhere, from the pizza line at the dining hall to the local coffee hot spot, library or even your assigned dorm. Even if you consider yourself to be on the shy or introverted end of the spectrum, it's easy to meet people who share similar interests in college simply through the classes you take or the extracurriculars you pursue.
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Also read about: 5 Stereotypes About College That Aren't Always True
2. It Takes Up a Ton of Your Time
Remember how we just said that you don't need to worry about making friends in college because you'll have plenty of other opportunities to meet the right people? Well, there's also the factor that finding those opportunities requires time to pursue other things that interest you, and that's time that you would have a whole lot less of if you joined a sorority. Between rush week, chapter events, socials and all the small things that pop up along the way, you'll barely have time to study, let alone meet people that fulfill your life outside of your sorority house.
Also read about: I Joined a Sorority Freshman Year, and Here's What You Need to Know
3. It's Not All That It Seems Through Social Media
We touched on this a little bit earlier, but generally speaking, it's important to know that the life of a sorority sister is far from what it may seem on social media. First of all, the premise of social media platforms like Instagram tends to lead to the promotion of showing off a less-than-realistic vision of someone's life, and that's especially true when it comes to things like sororities. These organizations can tend to be highly appearance-based anyway, so you'll rarely get a glimpse at the real way that it might look if you did decide to join.
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Also read about: The 7 Types of People You'll Meet in College
4. It Doesn't Mean These Girls Will Be Your Friends Forever
We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but sometimes the friendships you make aren't meant to last forever. People grow, and with that, they change—it's simple, and it's definitely normal. What's not so normal, though, is acting like these friendships that were formed somewhat artificially are going to last for the long run. Whether it be because you move out of state after graduation, because you decided to prioritize other things or just because of things that are out of your control, you might just drift apart from the "sisters" you once called close (and that's completely okay).
While all of this is not to say that joining a sorority is a bad thing, we do simply want to show you that it isn't the only way to have a successful social life in college. At the end of the day, the decision is purely up to you. But if you need some extra help with meeting friends in college, click HERE for our list of easy ways to do just that.