So you decided to join the Greek community at the University of Arkansas. Are you excited? You should be, we are all excited to have each one of you, but first, we have to meet you, and the week it takes to do that can be nothing but stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. I have put together some tips that I wish that someone had told me.
- You will have a t-shirt given to you for every day of the week except Preference Night. When I went through recruitment most of the shirts were pastel colors, but this year I have no clue what they will be!
- All you need is a cute simple necklace and some tasteful shorts to put with your shirt and some sandals. For the last night, Preference night you will need a cocktail style dress!
- DO NOT OVER DO YOUR MAKEUP. Arkansas in August is hot and humid. You will feel like you are suffocating. Think about this before you apply your makeup. Leave the false lashes and the insane contouring at home.
- We want to get to know you, and of course, we want you to feel comfortable in your own skin. Think the girl next door look, not the latest runway or prom makeup tutorial that you saw on Pinterest.
- Make sure that you are drinking plenty of water. Sweating is your body’s way of cooling down which can cause you to dehydrate, drink water, you don’t want to collapse in the middle of a party if it were me I would be mortified.
- Do not ask what our favorite fraternity is, or if we have a boyfriend, or how often we go out, or what our favorite fraternity party last year was. Like seriously do not ask that. Keep this in mind, if it is a topic you would bring up to your father, or even in front of your very conservative Grandmother, it is okay to bring up during recruitment. But here is another thing to think about, if those are the things you are looking to get out of joining a sorority you have come to the absolutely wrong place. Sororities are about coming together with a group of pretty awesome gals and trying to make an impact on our community and our world for the better. Yay women we are awesome.
- Next order of business: your phone. LEAVE IT WITH YOUR GAMMA CHI OR IN YOUR DORM! I can’t stress this enough. Number one it is illegal to have it during recruitment, but number two if you are on your phone all day you won’t be able to see the bright new faces around you! Take this week that you are mushed together with a thousand other girls, to make some new friends. You never know someone that you meet in recruitment could be standing on the same lawn as you on bid day. You think I am kidding, but seriously it is weird how things turn out.
- There will be people to talk to, movies to watch, and coloring sheets to make beautiful, so embrace it and get to know new people.
- Do NOT talk about the houses. Like seriously I know it is hard, but find another topic. If you say something bad about Delta Gamma Phi, it will be just your luck that a third generation legacy will be sitting right next to you. So just don’t do it, you don’t want to be “that” girl.
- If you fall, laugh it off and just get back up. Remember some of the houses are old, or have just been remodeled so sometimes there are turns and steps that you might not anticipate. Don’t rush yourself take your time to walk in the door and let the sorority gal picking you up at the door guide your way!
- It will be loud. Like honestly so loud you won’t be able to hear the person kneeling in front of you, so speak up. If you can’t hear the girl talking to you ask her to repeat herself. She realizes that it is loud and will not mind at all.
There was probably a lot of information in this that you may or may not have already heard, but I hoped it will help you out just a little. Get ready for the weirdest and most fun week you will never want to do again of your life. But just remember we are just as nervous as you are, and we are human too.
If you have any additional questions go to the Greek Life page for help. I wish that I could talk to you myself, but with the Panhellenic Rules in place, we are not allowed to.
**Disclaimer: This post doesn’t in any shape or form reflect the opinions or views of any certain sorority.
