So the first day is over. You did a lot of sweating, gave a lot of dirty looks, and talked about being from a suburb of Philly about 15 million times already. But when you show up tomorrow, and girls have already dropped out and you can’t stop freaking out that you have a reading quiz the next morning, you really start to think, “does this crap really work out like they say it will?”

Honestly, it actually does. I would like it say it’s due to the fact that sorority recruitment is so complicated and rigorous, but I think it’s just because recruitment is really shallow and if they feel like you won’t be a good fit in their *~sIsTerHo0d*~~ they won’t make you come back.

S0 what should you expect now that the first day is over? Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Don’t have your heart set on certain sororities. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Seriously. Any rumors you heard were probably wrong. Trust your gut. Don’t drop just because someone you really wanted didn’t have you back.
• Make yourself stand out as much as possible. Wear something or say something that people will remember. Don’t say “I like dinosaurs” or something, but if you’ve traveled somewhere interesting or even have a funny/embarrassing story, share it! Don’t say that you pooped your pants once, but find a quirk about yourself and play it up. Or even wear a piece of jewelry that has a story behind it. These chicks are talking to literally hundreds of girls a day for only fifteen minutes at a time. Make them remember you.
• Eat food whenever possible. They let you stop to eat for like twenty minutes which is totally asinine because the workers at In A Pickle make wraps at a glacial pace and The Mix is always a zoo, regardless. Bring a Clif bar in your bag and definitely a bottle of water. And of course, if you don’t bring any makeup with you, you’re a damned fool because you’re going to sweat it all off.
• If you really feel like this isn’t for you, don’t be afraid to drop. Greek life isn’t for everyone. It’s a huge commitment and you have to deal with a lot of drama. Don’t get me wrong, it was the best thing I’ve done at Penn State, but there’s a reason why the whole school isn’t greek.
• IF YOU’RE JUST JOINING TO PARTY, DROP. Seriously. Do it. You will be the girls that never do any philanthropy events and miss chapter or show up high and you’re wasting everyone’s time. You girls are the worst. Sororities are about more than socials with our beloved frat bros. Keep that in mind.
• Don’t be too into the craft round. No one actually cares about making cute friendship bracelets, it just gives you something to do with your hands. They’re probably just going to take them apart once you leave anyway. Plus it might creep people out if you’re too into your coloring book. Just be thankful you have some sort of distraction.
• Try really hard not to be creeped out. I really didn’t like how ritualistic things could be, especially on pref night, but just ignore it. Most chapters have to do it because of their sorority’s national rules, not because they sing their creeds everyday. But it’s totally okay to be creeped out when you can tell someone Facebook stalked you the night before. Trust me, you’ll know!

And of course, you could always decide to drop, but then maybe just stick it out a few days longer and act like a total WEIRDO for the next couple days. I sure most girls would enjoy the laugh!

Happy sweating!