Want It All
Everyone knows the adage that you only get out of something what you put into it. That doubly applies to sorority life. I was doom scrolling through Instagram, I was really using it as task avoidance, but that's another story. I came across RushTokPodcast, and their content is Seasoned Old Bird approved. One of the posts that caught my attention was the one that spoke of their sorority regrets. Things have changed, a lot, since I was a collegian. I predate home computers & the world wide web. Yes, I spent a lot of time in the library and yes, I know how to use a card catalog. No, I haven't needed either of those skills in a long time, but reading those regrets did make me think of the things I wish I had done while in college.
My advice to all you lovely young collegians, do it all! Run for the office, be a recruitment councilor, basement girl, or just a killer recruiter. Build friendships across the panhellenic community and your university community. Your letters are a point of reference & don't define all of you, nor should they. Get involved on your campus. There are many different ways to get involved, SGA, service clubs (I'm personally big on this one, because it makes you put others before yourself), club sports, join an intermural team, honor societies, represent your academic college or university by being a recruiter, work with a researcher, work in athletics, be a tutor, be in the band, get a job, join a campaign, just do something. Give back, I promise you won't regret it.
Soapbox moment: Wake up every day with a grateful heart. You're in college, which can be hard, but it's the greatest time of your life, trust the old bird. 10/10 highly recommend! Research has proven that people who look for things to be grateful for live longer. It also rewires your brain. I double dog dare you to smile at random people today. Hold the door for someone, if you're at the store, let the person with 3 items jump in front of you in line. Pay for a strangers meal if you're in the drive through line at a fast food restaurant. I'm not saying everything is always sunshine and roses, trust me, my dad passed away when I was a sophomore, so there were days it was hard, so being grateful was a choice. It's one I will never regret.
OK, I'm down off my box, but seriously, this is the time to do it all. When you leave college, you won't have the time to do everything, because something will always be sacrificed. Those who say you can have it all never tell you what you have to give up to try. It never works out how you think. The old bird has tried and failed. I failed forward, so it's not wasted, but let me save you time.
You may wonder what my sorority regret was, it's that I didn't interview to be one of the leadership consultants for my sorority after I graduated. I almost interviewed, but chickened out. It's something that I wish I had done, because I know I would have been good at it. To make up for it, I am a local advisor & National Volunteer. I support and mentor collegians & I love it. I'm thankful that I get to do this for the second half of my life. Do I still want it all? Yes, I do. I am volunteer addict. But, I know that for everything I get to do, the time is never wasted because I get to cheer and love on collegians, and that is the greatest gift of all.
Fraternally,
The Seasoned Old Bird
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