Many students entering the pearly gatesof college do not know what to anticipate. This world is a far stretch from the spoon-fed days of high school and parental guidance. Coming to university, students hold wildly differentexpectations of what the next four years will entail. Some seek out a renowned educational experience and pour their minds into their degree programs with fervor. Other students come for a purely fun-filled social life with little academicpriorities. As a freshman, I came wild-eyed with no idea of what I wantedto do or who I wanted to be.Initially, I was in the honors program because like some other peers, I knew I wanted to be serious about school. A fear set in that I would not make any friends if I did not include myself in a social circle other than the honors program. I got out immediately and went into my first day of college with no ties to anyone.I did not consider greek life my first yearof college because I believed I was above what I perceived as the party and cult mentality. I continued to go to classes and make good grades, but I did not have much else for my freshmanexperience. In all of my classes, sororitygirls would talk to me but I still saw it asa fake outer image these girls were trying to uphold. Slowly, my judgment subsided when I made a great friend who happened to be in a sorority in my Ethics class that year. She was a great student and had a great social life. She juggled all of it with grace, along with a job. She was a member of the executive board of her sorority and was a leader on campus.Sometime in the summer between my first and second year of college, I made a promise to myself to try out this new experience. That fall, I went through recruitment. In each different sorority room, I was shocked to find that no one asked me about partying or boys. It wasall about leadership and campus opportunities. Of course, fun things were involved but the focus was on things of greater importance. Each sorority has a selected philanthropy that they raise thousands of dollars for every year through a variety of well-planned events. The focus was on the gains of the friendships and how you could use it to better your life.Ultimately, although I made connections with a girl in every sorority recruitment room, I chose Alpha Delta Pi. My expectations as a new member were still low due to my prior judgments. Within a few months, I had some great friends that I would have never met outside of this sorority. They greeted me with welcome arms and encouraged me to do my best in everything I did. Soon, I accepted an elected position in my sorority as the secretary. This position opened the door to making many important connections with older members and alumnae.Through my position and the friends I made, I got a paid internship at my school, the University of West Florida, inthe Marketing and Communication division. My boss is an Alpha Delta Pi alumna member and she has been an important asset to be career development. I have now been working there for close to a year.Before this year, I would have never imagined myself where I am today. I owe many successes to the sorority life Iwas bashing a year before. I continue tolove my internship more everyday and I am now the scholarship chair in our chapter. The best thing I have learned incollege is to lose the fear and get involved. The things you involve yourself in reflect your ambition and character and I am proud of what I haveto show.Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Julia_Thorpe/2215940
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