I joined a sorority, even though I never wanted to

Allow me to be painfully (pathetically?) honest: I didn’t have friends my first semester of college. Sure, I had people I talked to in class, but I had no well-defined lines dividing friends from acquaintances. As a severe introvert — as in, likes books a lot, stays at home most Friday nights, and gets anxious checking out in stores — making friends was tough. So, two weeks into the spring semester, when a girl asked me if I’d be interested in joining a sorority, a “yes” somehow slipped out of my mouth.

At this point, I’m pretty sure the world stopped as I experienced a crushing identity crisis. I never thought I would join a sorority, despite my mom’s encouragement (she had been a sorority girl). Scrolling through Facebook, I saw girls I knew from high school joining sororities, and thought, “Okay, that seems like something they would do.” But when I told people I was joining one, they said, “What?” My best friend even said, “I would’ve bet a million dollars Julie never would have joined a sorority.”

Finding out who my Big (sister) is

I’m an introvert, and I consider myself a writer, so I thought my self-proclaimed “tortured artist” identity didn’t really coincide with being in a sorority. However, in my first-semester solitude, I had become less artsy and more sad and pathetic, so I thought I’d give a sorority a try.

I went to an information session that week, and while the sisters were perfectly friendly, I still wasn’t sure if I could be a “sister.” But at the next rush event, I felt a bit more comfortable. I met sisters who also considered themselves introverts, and because of them, I decided to interview. To my honest surprise, I got a bid. I thought to myself, “Didn’t they see that I’m an awkward piece of shit?” Well, they probably did, at least a little bit, but the cool thing is that they wanted me to join their sorority anyway.

Studying (sort of) with sisters

After some serious deliberation — I weighed all the socialization I would have to do against the potential of making friends — I decided to go ahead and become a new member. I met the two other girls I would be joining with, and though I didn’t feel a super-special connection the minute I met them, weeks into the process now, I can say that I’ve made friends, potentially best friends.

So, yes, I’m in a sorority, and I’m not the first introvert to join one, either. If you approach someone wearing Greek letters, don’t expect her to be a peppy, sociable, outgoing girl. I’m not. If you met me, I’d probably crush all of your sorority girl expectations (sorry about that). Ultimately, being considered a sorority girl will take some getting used to, but I don’t regret my decision at all.