We all understand
Many of our sisters have been through Fall Recruitment themselves and while this year may look a little different, we have been in your shoes and we sympathize with you. Whether you are the first in your family to go Greek or you come from a family full of Greeks, we understand that you may have a lot of questions or maybe don't know what to ask. Feel free to ask our amazing women about their sorority experiences, chapter events, new Netflix releases, quarantine activities, etc. Our chapters are thrilled to talk to you all and we want you to feel comfortable talking to us about anything you want!
Our sisters are often more nervous than you
There are many of us that are recruiting for the first time this year. Just as you have never experienced a recruitment party, neither have many of us-- especially over Zoom. We are so anxious and excited to talk to you all this week, however we don't want you to be intimidated or reserved on our calls. We are dying to hear about you! Don't worry too much about saying the "wrong" things or drawing a blank during conversations because we will most certainly be having the same internal struggles. When in doubt talk about a funny story, memories with your friends and family, or a TikTok trend you can't seem to get out of your head. At the end of the day our community is full of down-to-earth women who are likely to have a lot in common with you and share similar experiences.
You may not have that "it" moment immediately
If you think that you're going to know exactly where you will run home after watching one round of videos, you may be mistaken. Now there are people who may be legacies and feel right at home in the chapter their Mom was in, or talk to someone who they immediately click with and can't picture themselves anywhere else. This is somewhat rare. We suggest maximizing your options throughout the week and remaining open minded about each of the chapters you get to talk to each day. You may speak to one girl you love in Delta Nu(not a real chapter) on Wednesday and not necessarily find much in common, then meet her sisters later in the week that you can't live without. In my personal experience, it took pro/con lists each day to piece together which chapter I felt most at home in by the end of the week. Remember to take notes as it can be difficult to remember who said what, who you talked to, and which chapters you had the best conversations in. At the end of the day, you might not have one significant moment that will help you decide what chapter(s) you like best, but remember to focus on those conversations and HAVE FUN meeting new people.
Your experience is yours and yours alone
It's okay to not have a recruitment experience like other people you may know. We don't want you to compare your experience to others as every individual is different, just focus on yourself and your journey. We understand that some of you may have roommates and best friends that you just have to talk to about your experience however remember that this mutual selection process is best fit to help find the right home for YOU. Your friends may have more or less parties on one day than you and that is okay. As someone who only had 5 chapters back on a day where I could have 9, I was upset especially because I had friends with full schedules, and that is totally okay to feel that way. My best advice would be to just take a step back and focus on that chapters that really want to see you and therefore asked you back. I maintained a positive attitude through the tough decisions and was able to find a perfect fit in a chapter where I was able to thrive.
We reached out to one of our amazing presidents to hear her unique experience that is certainly not your average cookie cutter experience.
Taylor Blair- Delta Zeta President
"Coming into UCF I knew I wanted to go through recruitment because both of my parents had been in Greek life at their universities and they met each other through their involvement with their National organizations after graduating. Joining the Greek community was a no-brainer to me because of the amazing memories I grew up hearing about, in addition to all of the opportunities my parents had from their chapters. However, with my Mom’s sorority not having a chapter at UCF I had no idea of where to start when looking at my options throughout recruitment. To be brutally honest, my recruitment week was anything but a breeze, it was long, tough, and left me with many questions.
After bid day I couldn’t quite shake the uneasy feeling I had about my recruitment week, but I wanted to give the ladies at DZ a chance, and it wouldn't be long before I realized that that was one of the best decisions I ever could’ve made for myself. I soon met my big who I truly could not imagine my life without, and I quickly formed friendships with girls that have pushed me to grow into the woman I am today. It’s okay to be unsure about the chapter you run home to or to be hesitant to be social, because hey so was I until a random girl in my pledge class came up to me and started talking about the Vlog Squad. After some much needed self-reflection post-recruitment, I realized Delta Zeta had always been a home to me in one way or another (yes, I realize how corny that sounds lol). I always felt comfortable being myself and conversations felt so easy and natural when I visited them throughout the week of recruitment. Even though I had some doubts about them initially I later came to realize that while the other chapters here at UCF are amazing and I would’ve been just as happy in them, without my sisters and my chapter I’m not sure I would be the woman I am today. The ways in which my confidence and leadership skills have grown since joining Delta Zeta is astronomical. My sisters have helped me realize I am becoming the person I want to be and have supported me through everything, even when they didn’t realize it."
As mentioned, you may still be unsure about a chapter after running home. Taylor is the perfect example of someone who didn't want to be at DZ when she ran home. She gave them a chance and is now the President, go figure! Remember to see every chapter's potential and for your own sake please give them a chance.
One chapter is not our whole community
Throughout this crazy emotional experience remember to make friends along the way. You will likely find girls in many chapters that you talk to but don't run home to their chapter. Stay in touch after the recruitment process and find ways to hangout or go to their chapter philanthropy events. Just because you run home to one chapter it doesn't mean that you cannot have friends in many other sororities here at UCF. "Pan love", a phrase we use often, is how we can be describe our community and the bond we all share from simply being a part of Panhellenic. Looking to get involved on campus as well? You will likely meet Pan gals in other chapters in these organizations that can help you get even more involved at and around UCF. It's a beautiful thing being able to walk into a class that you might not have sisters in but be able to make friends with people because you are in the Panhellenic community. Overall, I personally wouldn't hold the position I do today on Pan Exec if it weren't for the many women I met through the recruitment process and being involved. Make friends with your fellow PNMs and women you talk to for the best experience, periodt.
-Taylor Soviero