Survival Guide: Recruitment 2017

Survival Guide: Recruitment 2017

Recruitment is such an amazing experience — you get to see the different environments of each chapter and hopefully find your forever home! That being said, here are some pieces of advice to help make your rush week, the best it can be!

• Come into Recruitment with an open mind. Don’t be set on one house just yet. The other houses may surprise you.

• Don’t choose a house based off what other people have said its reputation is or what “tier” people think it’s on. When I went through I imagined every house on an equal level and then adjusted those “levels” as I went through the house based on what was best for me.

• When choosing your home, don’t choose it just because your best friend is — you will still be friends even if you’re in different houses.

• When it comes to what to wear, just be yourself and be comfortable. Don’t wear what you think you the houses want to see you in, wear things that show off your personality. Don’t freak out if someone is wearing the same dress as you, it happens and no one will judge you for it.

• You’ll hear this from everybody but bring comfy shoes! Have sandals, flats, or running shoes in your tote for in between houses. There’s not much transition time to get from house to house so you might have to run. There will be buses that can take you to the farthest houses, but it's hard to run through the potholes and bumpy sidewalks of West Campus in heels. Also, speaking from personal experience, don’t try to run barefoot because the bottom of your feet will burn on the hot pavement!

• You receive a bag at the beginning of the week — this bag if your lifeline. Make sure your name is on it and something that allows you to easily identify it as yours. This can be a ribbon, a sticker, etc… there’s going to be 50+ bags in a pile and the more time it takes you to search for yours the less time you have to get to your next party. Also, write your contact info on it in case someone accidentally grabs it!

• 
  The weather in Austin, Texas can be unpredictable. Check the weather before Recruitment Week even begins. Last year, it was pouring down rain and humid but in the years before it was hot and sunny. So, be prepared for everything. In my opinion, a poncho works better than an umbrella because you get better coverage. It’s also a good idea to have a backup pair of shoes in case one pair gets soaked in the rain.

• What to Pack in your bag: a fan (mechanical, paper, etc., anything helps when it’s August in Texas), deodorant, a hair brush, blotting tissues (coffee filters actually work pretty well), make up in case of touch-ups, ponytail holders, bobby pins, snacks, and mints.

• You’ll get a nametag at the beginning of the week. Do not lose this nametag! Your recruitment counselors will tell you to pin it to your bag but, to be honest, those safety pins don’t hold well. Put it somewhere where you won’t forget it or where it won’t fall off. My advice is, if you’re going to pin your name tag to your bag, pin it to the inside. That way, if it falls off it will at least fall into your bag.

• Don’t fret about redoing your makeup before each party. If you forget, it’s not the end of the world!

• They say not to ask the girls if you can go to the bathroom in the house but if it’s an emergency, please ask! We won’t be mad — just keep in mind it does take away from the time you get to talk to the girls and feel out the environment of the house.

• My biggest piece of advice for recruitment is to not stress, and take care of yourself. Going through recruitment can be very stressful sometimes. It’s helpful to remember that everything will work out in the end, and everything happens for a reason. You will find where you belong. We are human too, have gone through recruitment exactly as you did, and found a house we click with — just like you will! Lastly, make sure to get sleep when you can!

Zeta Love and Hook ‘Em,

Shannon Dyer

PC ‘16

Recruitment Team 2017