My Greek Life Debacle

For around the last month or so I have been seriously thinking about Greek Life. During my senior year I told myself I wasn't going to join Greek Life because I know it wasn't that big at the school I was going to go to, but during the summer two of my closest friends convinced me to think about rushing. 

They were both going to school in the south, one went to the University of Alabama and the other to the University of Central Florida. Both schools have very active on campus Greek systems, so I knew that their experiences weren't going to be exactly the same as mine may be. Never the less I signed up for Recruitment which was set for two weeks into the first semester. 

Photo from my friend Sarah 

When I got to campus I was excited, my friends had told me all about their rush experience and how amazing and tiring it was. But by the time recruitment came around my new friends had convinced me not to rush yet. They said wait until you know if you can handle school first. When I saw all the girls walking to recruitment I was sad, but I knew it was for the best.

Over the course of my first semester I almost forgot about wanting to join a sorority entirely. But once I got back to school in the spring, the desire was back. My old roommate and I were really close, but when she left U Mass I realized that she was one of my only two real girl friends on campus. All of my other friends were guys, and my other girl friend had another whole group of friends from her sports team. It made me kind of sad to think that I really hadn't even tried to make more girl friends first semester because me and my roommate were so close. 

Photo from my friend Kirsten 

And when I saw so many of my friends posting pictures of spring recruitment from their own colleges, and it made me jealous.  I started thinking about it all the time.  I realized that joining a sorority may be the one thing that I was missing at college.  But I have some serious questions that I want you, my readers, to help answer. But keep in mind that I am going to a college with a small percentage of Greek life (7%) in Massachusetts.

One of my hesitations to join a sorority is my lack of desire to drink. I am not a drinker, and I'm not a huge partier. Some people think that's weird, but I've just never felt the desire to binge drink disgustingly cheap alcohol in the hopes that someone likes me for it. So my first question is: is it worth it to rush is I don't drink? Will I be an outcast?

Would the time commitment allow me to stay in another club at school? And still be able to focus on schoolwork?

Do you have any advice or questions I should be asking myself before I rush? 

I can't wait to read your responses! 

xoxo

AME