10 Benefits of Joining a Sorority in the South

There are many different reasons for why people join Greek life in college. I got harassed a bit from my friends back at home when they found out I was interested in it. One of them in particular, that I'm no longer friends with, exchanged scathing stereotypical opinions with me. I've never considered myself a girly girl, and I did wonder how I would fit in with a group of girls that would most likely be so different from me. I decided to give it a try anyways. For me, I was not joining for the friends; I was confident I could make friends on my own without a sorority.

I joined a sorority because I genuinely enjoy community service, and I thought the connections could benefit me outside of my collegiate life. I never expected what my sorority would do for me. It helped shape me into the person I am today and has helped me lead a successful life. Here are 10 beneficial ways it can help you too.

Being in a sorority comes with standards. They want you to represent their chapter well and in doing so, you have to look well put together. These standards pushed me to become the best version of myself when I got ready in the morning. It also helped me gain a fashion sense and an appropriateness of what to wear for certain events. I never even owned heels, let alone knew how to walk in them, before I joined a sorority.

The council member in charge of standards set me up for a lifetime of success. At times, members would become frustrated because it felt like a parent telling them what they can or can't do. Without the sorority keeping me in check every day, it wouldn't have taught me how to present the best version of myself to the public eye every day.

This saved my career long before I got my first job. Like I said before, the sorority wants you to represent the chapter well. In doing so, they'll make sure your social media accounts are clean. When it came time for me to look for my first "big girl job", I was at ease compared to some of my friends who weren't in Greek life. While they frantically scrolled through their social media accounts deleting inappropriate pictures and embarrassing posts, I was sitting back relaxing.

College is hard. You have numerous amounts of assignments to complete in a short time, you have a social life, and you're trying to maintain a decent amount of sleep on top of all of that. A lot of students, like myself, did extracurriculars and worked a part-time job as well. It was exhausting and stressful. Being in a sorority taught me to utilize my daily planner and plan things out in advance. It taught me that if I don't get my assignments done in time, then I have to sacrifice the fun things in order to get them done. If sacrifices aren't made, your grades will start to drop in your classes. Always remember that your academics are your number one priority!

My sisters pushed me to do better academically, unlike some of the stereotypes you may have heard of. My sisters checked up on me, helped me, and made sure I was on the right path to success. Without them, I wouldn't have done as well as I did in the classes I really struggled in.

My sorority had multiple philanthropies: Confidence Coalition, Prevent Child Abuse America, and Girl Scouts of America. With my career in teaching, these three philanthropies were a huge hit in the interview process to get my first teaching job. The Confidence Coalition wasn't just beneficial for the interview process, but it was also helpful towards my well being. I came into college as a shy individual who hated who she was and what she looked like. My sisters built me up every single day, and I did the same for them. I wouldn't be who I am today without the inspiring work my sisters and I have done for each other and for other females in the community.

Joining a sorority gives you an incredible opportunity for your career. Finding a job right after graduation is hard and competitive enough. A lot of times it comes down to who you know. When you join a sorority, you aren't just making connections with your sisters. You're making connections with other sororities and fraternities on campus. Your future employer could have been part of the same sorority as you. If they are, you already have a connection with them. They know where your morals and values stand, and your chances of getting hired will increase.

These girls will have your back any time, anywhere, any day. It's incredible to be a part of an organization where people don't hesitate to help someone in need at 1am.

Being a part of the recruitment process in search of new members can turn into a valuable skill to bring into the world outside of college. You'll talk to so many different kinds of people, and it teaches you how to carry out conversations without any awkward moments. If you want to improve your communication skills in more specific areas, it could be beneficial to sign up to be a council or chair member.

If you're like me, you'll roll your eyes at this. I get it. I was like that too before and when I first joined, but it is absolutely true! Some of these girls will be your future bridesmaids. I had two of my sorority sisters in my bridal party, one my sorority twin and the other my grand little, and I also had a small group of other sisters attend. You might not be best friends with everyone in your sorority, but you'll find a small group of girls that you'll click with. Joining a sorority isn't for everyone, and I certainly didn't think it was all for me, but you never know until you give it a shot.