Greeks Don't Care About School {MythBusters}

One of my favorite myths about Greek life I hear is that we don’t worry about school. I’m assuming this myth suggests that our energies are focused on other frivolous activities such as partying, drinking…you know… the stuff you see on TFM/TSM. Why waste our time with classes and studying when we can party and pay to be in the most elite groups on campus and network to find our dream jobs? HA

            For everyone who understands the real Greek system, the importance of scholarship is taken incredibly seriously. Though Greek life may aid in providing students with the opportunities and skills for networking to help in their future career, each and every fraternity and sorority expresses the ideals of scholastic pursuit and achievement in their creeds, mottos, and membership obligations. Greek life supports students to get involved on campus and to maintain high GPA’s while also balancing community involvement and service. Greek life, in fact, implements systems specifically designed to help each student work diligently and manage time to instill the skills needed after college in the workplace. All fraternity men and sorority women push each other because they both must meet a specific grade point average each semester in order to be in good standing in membership to attend social events. With these multiple checks and balances, Greek life is centered on scholarship and academic success. 

            In addition to the school requirements for social and membership activities, Greek life delivers emotional support from a family of students who strive for success in scholarship and careers just like you. Because all Greeks feel the same pressure to work hard and maintain high GPA’s, each group empathizes with the difficulties and struggles and bonds together to help one another thrive. In fact, in my personal experiences, I have witnessed my sisters and Greek community encourage me in my academic goals and discourage the peer pressures to cave in and waste time. Since joining Greek life, I have seen my GPA soar and have been inducted into several honor societies and received many academic achievement awards, all because I have a huge support system feeding my fire to push harder in my studies.

Greek life is an organization with one of the worst reputations, yet it holds the highest ideals and esteem of any other group I have been apart of. My scholastic success is to blame because of Greek life, and the opportunities I have experienced because of my hard work are unbelievable. I, just like many others, am pursuing my career path and working in a field of study that I love without yet owning my college degree. Greek life is so valuable and is life changing, and I could not be more grateful for my decision to go Greek. My only regret is that I stumbled through my first year without giving Greek life a chance. Sign up for recruitment today!

Written by Abbie Holbert; Edited by UNA Panhellenic

Be-YOU-tiful {Confidence}

As a fellow member of the female population, I am here to be the first one to tell you that I have, and still, struggle with feeling confident in who I am. I doubt and discredit myself daily. Confidence comes in ups and downs. Some days it seems like I just don't have it in me to accomplish my goals, reach my dreams, or even make it through the day. While other days, with the right outfit and a good hair day, I feel like Beyonce..... Can anyone relate?

See, the thing is, most of us girls measure our self-worth by comparing ourselves to other people. Whether she is more successful, smarter, prettier, has a better personality, has a "perfect" relationship, gets more likes on social media, goes to a "better" school, and the list could go on for days. We discredit ourself: our own abilities, ideas, talents, passions... the things that makes us who we are. Our own individuality. It is so incredibly easy to feel like we don't measure up. I know personally this has always been a struggle for me. "Comparison is the thief of joy". True statement. But comparison is also the thief of confidence, self-worth, and ultimately, individuality. 

The problem is that we base our own worth off of the approval of other people. Even if we don't like to admit it. We post a picture on Instagram and don't feel good about ourselves unless we get at least 100 likes... and we scroll through the "likers" ten times to see who approves of it. Filter, edit, crop. We take and retake a picture because we feel ugly and wouldn't dare let someone see us on social media when our faces are bare and hair is a mess. 

But, in reality, our individuality is beautiful. Being unique is an adventure. It makes life interesting and exciting. Different goals, passions, talents, and ideas are useful and absolutely necessary. Our differences makes us who we are and we should embrace them and learn to {l o v e} ourselves rather than beat ourselves up. 

This post is for everyone who is struggling with not feeling good enough. I know it's hard when we constantly compare ourselves to others and lose sight of the fact that we were created for a purpose. A purpose that is part of a greater picture we might not even understand at this twenty-something inbetween stage of our lives. We have different qualities and quirks and they make us uniquely and individually beautiful. 

Embrace you. Embrace the fact that your hair curls at the ends and your thighs touch. Embrace the size of your waist and the number on the scale. Loving yourself is the most freeing and beautiful thing you can ever do. 

Because no one can be a better you. No one has been through the exact struggles that you have and no one can fulfill the plan of your life except you! At the end of the day all you have is yourself. When you lie down to go to sleep and your thoughts race, remind yourself that you are the person that you are for a reason. You are on this planet for a {u n i q u e} purpose and that is an amazing thing. Believe in yourself because you are more beautiful than you believe, smarter than you think, and stronger than you.

Post Written by Guest Blogger, Summer Richardson; Edited by UNA Panhellenic