Going greek: Is it right for me?

To go greek or not to go greek, that is the question. But it’s a question I can’t really answer.
I did not go greek, and I’m sure for some going greek is one of the most important aspects of college life. And although I’m not sure why students devote so much of their time worrying about rush and other aspects of greek life, I do know that thinking about going greek is not an option that should be taken lightly.
When I first came to IU, I was scared. I was scared of not knowing what I wanted to do with my life, scared of what I should do with my spare time and scared of how my life would pan out.
I remember sitting down with my adviser and going over minor schedule technicalities, when she asked me if I had thought about joining any organizations. I shook my head no. She told me to consider going greek.
I wasn’t too sure that going greek was for me, and it turned out it wasn’t, but I didn’t blow the option off immediately. I had a friend who was a sister in Sigma Delta Tau, and in order to get me more adjusted to the college life, she had invited me to her sorority house.
It was one of those nights where all of the sisters bring a potential recruit to the house. Much to my surprise, I had a good time.
We got the grand tour of the house and then gathered around in the kitchen and made s’mores.
I just remember thinking, “Wow, this really could be for me.”
Unfortunately, I did not rush my freshman year. I don’t even think there was a definitive reason for not rushing; I just didn’t.
When sophomore year rolled around, I considered rushing once again. I had a few friends in the School of Journalism who were in Gamma Phi Beta. One afternoon, I was invited back to the house for lunch and for me, a free lunch was better than no lunch, so I accepted the invitation.
It felt more like a family than anything else. I would be invited back several more times that semester, as I could never pass up free food.
Once again, I considered joining a sorority, for the sake of having friends, a social life and some steady normalcy in my life.
During that first semester of my sophomore year, I got more heavily involved in my academics and completely snoozed on the deadline to rush.
I wasn’t quite upset that I missed the deadline, because the more I thought about it, the more I realized I don’t know whether I would have enjoyed that normalcy in my life.
I’m eccentric and I hate planning my days out. Half the time, I don’t know what I’m doing for my next meal. The life I had been leading seemed to fit perfectly into the mold I had created at IU.
And trust me, it was scary making that decision. But there has never been a point in my three years at IU that I have regretted not rushing.
Picking up and starting a new life in college can be overwhelming. With all these options in front of you, it might be hard to decide what to do. But in the grand scheme of things, the decision you make is yours, and whether you decide to go greek or not, the decision will ultimately become the factor in defining who you’re going to be.