With the start of a new school year, students are always looking for new clubs to join and new things to try out. Incoming freshmen are looking for something to keep them busy as they transition into this new part of life and returning students are looking to either promote what they do or expand on what they already do.

For me, it’s promoting what I do or am involved with and that would be my sorority. That’s right, I’m a sorority girl. There are some people who hear that and automatically start to think about the stereotypical version that we see on TV where all they do is drink, care about themselves, gossip about each other and act crazy.

Not true. Yes, we like to have fun, but we don’t need to be drunk to do so. We care more about school than anything else, and we help with the community all the time. We all have fun working together to support any cause.

I’ve made many of my closest friends through being in the sorority. We’re all about being there for one another and pushing each other to do our very best. To me, it’s crazy how much sorority has changed my life.

I’m more outgoing and open to doing things. I’ve learned how to be more confident in myself and to meet new people. I’ve never been happier with a decision I’ve made in my life.

My favorite stereotype I hear when it comes to being a sorority girl is that we’re just paying for our friendships and they’re not actually real. We do have to pay money, but it’s all for us to be able to do certain things. Money has nothing to do with making friends though, we don’t care about how much money the others have.

Really, what I’m trying to do here is not to get you to join Greek life, but to help you see it in a different light than what everyone likes to portray us in. We’re not the people going out and partying everyday and getting in trouble all the time.

We’re here for a degree and to meet new people, just like everyone else. If you’re thinking about trying out Greek life though, go for it. You can always decide it’s not for you and leave, but you’ll never know, if you don’t try at all.