Many students entering the pearly gates of
college do not know what to anticipate. This world is a far stretch from the
spoon-fed days of high school and parental guidance. Coming to university,
students hold wildly different expectations of what the next four years will
entail. Some seek out a renowned educational experience and pour their minds
into their degree programs with fervor. Other students come for a purely
fun-filled social life with little academic priorities. As a freshman, I came
wild-eyed with no idea of what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be.
Initially, I was in the honors program because
like some other peers, I knew I wanted to be serious about school. A fear set
in that I would not make any friends if I did not include myself in a social
circle other than the honors program. I got out immediately and went into my
first day of college with no ties to anyone.
I did not consider greek life my first year of
college because I believed I was above what I perceived as the party and cult
mentality. I continued to go to classes and make good grades, but I did not
have much else for my freshman experience. In all of my classes, sorority girls
would talk to me but I still saw it as a fake outer image these girls were
trying to uphold. Slowly, my judgment subsided when I made a great friend who
happened to be in a sorority in my Ethics class that year. She was a great
student and had a great social life. She juggled all of it with grace, along
with a job. She was a member of the executive board of her sorority and was a
leader on campus.
Sometime in the summer between my first and
second year of college, I made a promise to myself to try out this new
experience. That fall, I went through recruitment. In each different sorority
room, I was shocked to find that no one asked me about partying or boys. It was
all about leadership and campus opportunities. Of course, fun things were
involved but the focus was on things of greater importance. Each sorority has a
selected philanthropy that they raise thousands of dollars for every year
through a variety of well-planned events. The focus was on the gains of the
friendships and how you could use it to better your life.
Ultimately, although I made connections with a
girl in every sorority recruitment room, I chose Alpha Delta Pi. My
expectations as a new member were still low due to my prior judgments. Within a
few months, I had some great friends that I would have never met outside of
this sorority. They greeted me with welcome arms and encouraged me to do my
best in everything I did. Soon, I accepted an elected position in my sorority
as the secretary. This position opened the door to making many important
connections with older members and alumnae.
Through my position and the friends I made, I
got a paid internship at my school, the University of West Florida, in the
Marketing and Communication division. My boss is an Alpha Delta Pi alumna
member and she has been an important asset to be career development. I have now
been working there for close to a year.
Before this year, I would have never imagined
myself where I am today. I owe many successes to the sorority life I was
bashing a year before. I continue to love my internship more everyday and I am
now the scholarship chair in our chapter. The best thing I have learned in
college is to lose the fear and get involved. The things you involve yourself
in reflect your ambition and character and I am proud of what I have to show.
Article Source: EzineArticles
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