Living in my Sorority
This June, I am on campus taking classes at Dartmouth because it is my "Sophomore Summer," a tradition at Dartmouth in which second-year students stay in Hanover during the months of June-August. Since this is a special term, I decided to give my experience a little twist. Of all the terms I have been on campus, I have lived in my housing community's dormitories. However, I joined a sorority at the beginning of my sophomore year and there was a room available for me to live in this summer. Therefore, I took the opportunity and I am currently living in my chapter's house.
The idea of living in a sorority always seemed scary to me. I thought maybe I was not ready to share a living space with 20 other girls. However, my experience this past two weeks with them has been extraordinary. I have a single room, which allows me to have a space for myself whenever I need me-time. However, all of the other spaces in the building are a common space for any of the sisters in my chapter, whether you live in the house or not. I find this lovely because it always brightens my day to see friends around my living space. Whenever I go down to the kitchen table to get some homework done, or when I go to the living room to watch a movie, I'm excited to know that I'll have friends hanging out there. The idea of a sorority fosters community and it helps you build instant connections through the feeling of belonging. Therefore, getting along with the other girls was incredibly easy for me since the beginning.
Our kitchen is probably my favorite space in the house. A lot of my sorority sisters are great cooks and they are always whipping up something delicious in the kitchen. I have walked into the kitchen several times when sisters are baking, and they always make enough for others in the house to enjoy too! We leave a ton of leftovers in our fridge, which is great especially on rainy summer days when I am not feeling like making the walk to the dining hall or when I am craving some homemade food.
I would 100% recommend living in your chapter's house for at least one term if you are affiliated in Greek life; it definitely allows you to get to know the other members better, and the housing amenities are incredible.
