<p>Hey everyone. I have always been slow to make new friends because I’m a little reserved. I really like the idea of a group of sisters that you know as soon as you get to Alabama. I’m out of state, so I really don’t want to feel lonely at Bama. However, my mom is not a big fan of sororities, and I’m sure she won’t want to pay the expensive dues. It’s possible that I could talk her into letting me join one, but I want to know that I want to be in one for sure before I ask her. Could you guys tell me your experiences, good and bad, with the Greek system? Also, any advice for convincing my mom?</p>
<p>What will your major be? Some majors have fewer Greek students and some have more, so that may influence your decision.</p>
<p>If your mom won’t pay how would you pay for it?</p>
<p>My answer would be “no” based on your screen name. Academics come first in my opinion for most majors but most especially for pre-meds. There are plenty of ways to make friends on campus, lots of clubs and organizations that don’t entail the cost of sorority dues (some sororities can be very costly).
Out of State students can join several pre-semester activities which get them acclimated to campus early, doing community service and connecting with like-minded students. Many on these forums have reported that these early friendships have spanned the student’s college career. There are always the Facebook freshman groups which gets prospective students communicating with each other. This is probably a good way to get started if you are a little shy.
Welcome, you are already communicating with all of us here and making CC Friends!! :)</p>
<p>my DD’s Honor a suite has two freshman sorority girls out of the four. They go places together (and I include Parties at Frats and Philanthropy events sponsored by Sororities…)</p>
<p>You do not have to be in a sorority to be involved in things (Greek or not)</p>
<p>The time required for mandatory activities in sororities first semester is so demanding as to potentially derail career aspirations that demand a perfect GPA UNLESS the girl is very-well grounded in study habits…I would use caution if you have an unforgiving major. It can be done, but there is always a pull either way. Certainly take a light load.</p>
<p>Since you’ll be in honors, I suggest that you sign up for Outdoor Action or Alabama Action. You’ll meet new friends that way.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. I want to major in biology or chemistry. I’m mostly worried about not rushing and then regretting it in later years.</p>
<p>How much of a time commitment would you say that a sorority requires? What about after the first semester?</p>
<p>After the first semester, you’ll have a chapter meeting every week at the minimum. If you’re an officer or on a committee, you’ll have those meetings, which may or may not continue through the year. Some committees are short-term, some are long. You’ll have some mandatory events, such as meetings, workshops, philanthropy events, a social or two with alumnae. You’ll have some non-mandatory events, such as swaps, date parties, formals. And you’ll want to just hang out at the house, too, watching a movie with your sisters.</p>
<p>I might add that you will have all your meals at the house, and those dues and fees will cover that.</p>
<p>Recruitment takes up a lot of time at the first of the year. Chapters return a week before recruitment starts to polish their conversation skills, learn about the PNMs, study the rules, practice skits, and then the week of recruitment follows - both of those are before school starts so that should not be a problem.</p>
<p>Some great things about sorority - you have a lot of women you will be working with on various things, and the opportunity to make many friends and work on common goals. Sororities offer programs (both individually and as a panhellenic group) to expand your horizons - anything from rape prevention to the arts. You have a chance to develop leadership skills by serving as a committee chairman or officer. This could range from executing a milk-and-cookies party for new members to, as treasurer, handling a $250,000 budget. You get the chance to meet a lot of cute guys through swaps and parties! You develop skills to help you talk to anybody about anything. You could design a T shirt or banner, learn and perform a dance routine, plan a training session for new members to learn sorority policies, gather backing for your run at an SGA senate seat, help plan menus for a month, have friends from all over the country.</p>
<p>Sororities prize and reward excellent grades with special recognitions. If you’re struggling with a course, you can often find a sister in the same area of study to help. Study halls are also held to encourage studying.</p>
<p>BUT - it’s not for everyone. Only about 1/3 of women students at UA are in Greek groups. That means 2/3 are NOT, so there are plenty of people out there to befriend if you’re willing to get involved, smile, be friendly and talk to people.</p>
<p>It was a great experience for me. Like you, I did not (and still do not) make friends easily, so it was wonderful to be around women and gradually get to know them. Even now, I attend alumnae meetings and friends in my alumnae group, which adds new members every year.</p>
<p>Please do not feel that if you don’t pledge a sorority, your social life is dead! There are lots of ways to get involved, but you may have to push yourself a little harder to do it. In addition to the weekends mentioned above, UA has a “get on board” day each semester with various clubs and groups manning a table and talking to students about what they do.</p>
<p>RTR!</p>
<p>Here’s a good place to start learning about sororities, sorority life, and what’s expected: [Sorority</a> Life](<a href=“http://www.thesororitylife.com/]Sorority”>http://www.thesororitylife.com/)</p>
<p>There has been lots of good advice in this thread. I do want to emphasize that there are plenty of sorority women who go on to medical school, dental school, law school, etc. There are many leadership opportunities available in sororities that give you great experience and are positive additions to your resume.</p>
<p>If you don’t join a sorority, there are plenty of ways at UA to make friends and be involved. With a little work, everyone will find their place!</p>
<p>My daughter is also premed (majoring in Biology) and rushed for many of the same reasons you listed. She is able to balance her time between studying and activities. Most (if not all?) of the sororities have mandatory study hours, so there is time to study.</p>
<p>I would suggest you read the Sorority Life info Southlander posted, and also look at the UA Panhellenic site [UAPanhellenic</a> - Home](<a href=“http://www.uapanhellenic.com/main.html]UAPanhellenic”>http://www.uapanhellenic.com/main.html) to get an idea of what is involved with rushing/recruitment at Bama.</p>
<p>Also, consider going to the preview weekend that will give you a better idea of each of the different sororities and give you a chance to meet some girls. </p>
<p>If you need help convincing your mom, perhaps one of your friends has a mom who was in a sorority and could talk to her about what sorority life was like for her.</p>
<p>My DD is a premed Biology major and she went thru rush. Sure, there are struggles but it takes good time management and realizing one does not have to attend every single social event if there is studying that needs to be done. </p>
<p>If you have a good base of study habits, think this would be the best way to make friends to be “grounded” and/or involved/connected at UA, good time management skills, and know when to say “no” to social events then it might be just fine for you to join a sorority.</p>
<p>No offense to the “current premeds” who are currently in Greek houses, but these people aren’t yet in med school, so at this point, no one knows if they’ll end up in med school. (75% of college premeds NEVER make it to med school…this is true at virtually every undergrad)</p>
<p>My son is in med school, graduated with a ChemEngineering degree with a 3.99 GPA / 4.0 BCMP (AMCAS calculated). He would not have had time to be in a fraternity and get the grades that he got…unless maybe he had pledged Momreads’ son’s House which is set up a bit differently…less demands, etc. That said, ChemE is one of the hardest majors out there, so maybe if he had chosen a “lesser demanding major” he would have had more free time? He did tutor for 7 semesters (not fall frosh), but he only worked 8 hours a week, and ONLY worked 2 hours a week the 2 semesters that he had OChem. Tutoring Calculus, Bio and Chem served as constant refreshers which (I think) helped him in the long run. And, he was allowed to do homework/study during the hours that students didn’t show up for tutoring sessions. So, working didn’t hurt him much at all. </p>
<p>In our own social circle, a friend of mine’s two sons went to Bama as premeds. They didn’t allow S1 to pledge his first year. He pledged as a soph with his brother who was a frosh. Pledging as a frosh really hurt S2’s grades for Bio & Gen Chem. Both sons applied to med school. Guess who ended up in a MD school and which one did not. S2 is at a DO school which is much more lenient on GPA and allows for grade replacement (MD schools do not allow for grade replacement)</p>
<p>Now some can argue that fraternities are more demanding on their pledges then sororities are. That can be true. </p>
<p>And yes, one my son’s old friends (a NMF) did pledge a sorority and is in his same med school class. </p>
<p>I would say that you have to be a very strong student to survive both the premed years and being in a social fraternity or sorority. </p>
<p>I would even suggest that if you plan on pledging to do a “Glide Year” (applying to med school after senior year instead of after junior year). That would allow you to take an easier load during your pledging semester and allow you to spread out your hard science courses.</p>