For my sorority, as seniors, we write anonymous letters to the chapter known as mentor’s reports. This is mine.
Dear Sisters,
I’m a big fan of to-do lists. I have a list of things I must do in Chicago before I leave in June. I have a list of restaurants I want to try. I keep a to-do list for homework and obligations. This is my to-do list for college. Think of each of these things as a personal challenge.
CHALLENGES
Make a conscious effort not to be the drunkest girl at the party. It’s not cool after freshman year. It still happens to the best of us occasionally, but your friends will be a lot less interested in holding back your hair as the years go by.
Keep an open mind and keep your eyes open. I met my boyfriend at SAE’s Westward Hoes party. I was not dressed like a Westward Ho.
However, you should go all out dressing up for at least one costume party. This is another thing that becomes less socially acceptable after college.
Pick classes based on the professor. Lectures will be a lot more enjoyable.
Read a book for fun. It’s a nice mini-vacation.
Go out for coffee or gelato randomly one-on-one with a friend, ask them how they are doing, and LISTEN. A lot of us hang out with our friends, but we don’t appreciate them enough as people.
Do something nice for someone else once a week. Participate in a greek philanthropy, visit your friend at her boring work study job, or actually give a dollar to charity when you check out at the store.
On that same note, do something nice for yourself once a week to de-stress. Order in food, give yourself a manicure, or just take a nap.
Don’t settle. If something isn’t making you happy, do something about it. Life is too short to be unhappy, in relationships, in living arrangements, or in anything. Make your own happiness.
Overall, the most important challenge I can give you is simply: SAY YES. Enjoy college and take every opportunity you have to spend time with your friends. When a Gamma Phi is in a play, go see it! Try new restaurants. Go to Cubs games on Friday afternoons. Instead of saying, “No I’m busy” or just going through a routine every week, make your default answer yes.
And in honor of the Sex and The City movie coming up, and because this is a sorority, we’re going to end with a quote from modern-day philosopher Carrie Bradshaw.
“Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”
Love in IIKE,
The Mentor
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