reality 101 in the house you did not want

Here is how to have the absolute best time of your life in the house you did not want:

1) Put all thoughts of dropping to get a better house away and understand that the house you are in is your best option. ALL other houses dropped you, and unless you RADICALLY change over the next year, these same houses will drop an older, sophomore version of you even faster next year. Give the house you are in right now credit for valuing YOU for YOU right now without radical changes, which really gives you be best opportunity to feel comfortable in that house.

2) No matter what house you are in, that house made big cuts to get to their pledge class list. There were lots of girls that wanted YOUR spot on that pledge class roster. Think of all the fantastic girls with lower GPAs that will have a very limited social life this fall because of grades who will have no pre-planned social schedule and have to watch others continually go to events.

3) Appreciate what you just got! This is Bama, EVERY house offers the best of the best in the sorority experience compared to anywhere in the country, with our brand new georgous houses offering fantastic and exclusive dining and living options.

3)EVERY house has tremendous experience in creating a giant social calendar, which kicks off immediately this fall. You have no idea how huge Greek life is here, so enjoy the fun about to begin. No matter what house you are in, this semester will be filled with so many swaps, date nights, sisterhood events, etc that you will be very challenged to balance your time to keep your grades up. If you drop, no one will be planning anything for you.. Don't tell yourself you are missing out socially because of the house you are in; swaps are like football schedules: we all have a couple of regular favorites each year, but then we mix up the rest of our schedule with different houses each semester. How very boring it would be if we all mixed with the same houses all the time. No other college offers such an extensive or varied social experience even in bottom houses.

4) Recognize that almost all pledges are strangers with each other. While hanging out with a bunch of strangers is uncomfortable for the first several weeks/months, this is actually a great opportunity to meet new people! Right now is prime friend making time as most other women in your pledge class who also feel the fish out of water "I don't know anybody" uncomfortableness. You can't imagine how other newbies will appreciate or welcome you if you introduce yourself and start a conversation. Approach everyone in a friendly welcomong manner and soon you will find those who click. Remember this, if you fell out of a house that picked up a lot of girls that were already "connected", then you would feel much more shut out within an "already friends/know each other" group.

5) EVERY house has 400 members of which 1/4 are total strangers, BUT all 400 are looking to befriend and make connections with the pledges. If you are telling yourself that this giant pool of people looking to befriend you is not a good fit right now, then the problem is YOU with a very immature attitude that needs to work on recognizing the riches listed above. YOU need to recognize that this house is the ONLY one that selected you to pledge and it is filled with brillant opportunities that will make you college years fantastic.