Dropped Out of Recruitment: What Now?

If you made it halfway through recruitment and found yourself thinking, “What am I doing here?”, then you are not alone. Hundreds of girls drop out of sorority recruitment every year and continue their Penn State career without looking back.

Yes, Greeks are able to make a number of networking connections and throw crazy parties at frat mansions, but it does not mean you are missing out. Greek life is not for everyone. Being a sorostitute means attending obligatory meetings, maintaining high academic expectations and giving in to some peer pressure.

Coming from a sorority girl herself, you are constantly forced to hang out with (and will probably only make friends with) frat boys, who are not all they are made up to be (sorry guys). Yes, they are some of my best friends, but I definitely do not think my future entails marrying a frat star. Sorority girls are constantly pressuring each other to go out on random nights of the week, sending rumors around the Greek Life bubble, spending thousands of dollars a year just to be in a sorority, and having to squeeze in mandatory meetings even when their upcoming week is packed with countless exams.

If you learn one thing from dropping out, know that you are not worthless. Just because you didn’t get back a “Tier 1” sorority, or any sorority at all, does not mean you are insignificant to Penn State. Everything happens for a reason, and either you were not meant to be in that sorority and you should try again, or you will be much better off as a free spirit at Penn State and do not need 100 sisters to help solve all your problems. I will not lie and say that the constant support from so many people is not encouraging, but it really is not possible to have 50 or more best friends.

So you dropped out…now what? First of all, some sororities have Spring Recruitment. My best friend and “little” is from the spring 2010 pledge class, and she is just as close to my fall pledge class as anyone else.

If a sorority is no longer in your future, then why not try IM sports, clubs, THON and making friends on your floor. Everyone always talks about that high school sport they miss, the long hours of dance classes they had, and the after school club meetings and social gatherings they want to relive. Now is your chance.

College is about trying new things, so pick up a soccer ball even if you’ve never kicked one in your life, join the outdoor activities club and climb Mount Nittany, or knock on your neighbors door and ask them if they want to grab some food.

These are the best four years of your life, and if you are lucky enough to be at Penn State, don’t let something like Sorority Recruitment decide your happiness.

Photo by Lauren Matakas