Branching Out To Other Organizations

Do it. It will do you some good.

While joining a sorority will look great on a resume with the ever-lasting commitment you display, good character traits, your ability to lead -- it should not be the only thing that shows what you are capable of doing.

As it is still the beginning of the school year, try to look into other organization to not only build up your resume, but to also build up your networking. It will create a lot of connections to a field of interest.

All college campuses varies by what clubs are offered but each has a consensus for an enjoyable student life.

Look into an academic or business fraternity. It will show that you are goal oriented to prove your own leadership potential and your LinkedIn profile will be blasted with so many connections from your peers and current business employers who will be impressed with your endorsements.

Community service clubs are a great way to connect with something bigger. It can be for a national community service organization like Circle K International or Habitat for Humanity, where you vie for the same type of services for a common goal. Each organization not only provides their services to the community with something small like trash pick up or big like building a new home, but they also fundraise money for their counterparts! You'll get that heart warming feeling when you see so many smiling faces from a job well done.

Get cultural with culture clubs, even if you aren't born into it! You'll get a whole new perspective on an exciting lifestyle for people who are eager to show you! You'll learn something new every time and there will also be an abundance of food from all of the potlucks that will ensue. Yes, please.

Step out of your chapter to develop a better college experience. This will create many memories with different people who, too, share the same interests as you!

Stay in Touch!

I know how hard it is to be apart from your sisters for a long break. A month in December and almost three over the summer, it’s miserable! I have a few ways to keep it together thought and I’m here to share them with you!

1. Download GroupMe: what’s more fun than a massive group text message with up to 50 of your closest sisters? Absolutely nothing!
2. Start a pen pal system: I know I love getting mail and mail from sisters you don’t know as well not only improves your loneliness but it also does wonders to your sisterhood bonds!
3. Organize meetups in different areas: have all the sisters that live within an hour of you, over for a movie night and holiday cookies!
4. Call your besties frequently: a texting conversation is one thing but a phone call really helps you reconnect with someone!
5. Keep the email love strong: if you don’t want to search for a stamp, write your letters online and email them to different sisters!
6. Use a website like Elfster to set up a Secret Santa: even if it doesn’t get started before the holidays do, sending and receiving gifts will make you feel extra special.
7. Skype: have everyone brew a cup of coffee and log on to a chat! If you regularly meet up for coffee at school, this is a great way to do it from your own homes away from school!

Have fun keeping in touch with sisters and while you are sending out holiday e-cards, send one to us too at sisterhoodredefined@gmail.com!

Reunited: Things To Do with Your Friends Back Home

Reunited and it feels so good! Finals are over, and everyone is back home for break. With not an ounce of homework in sight, there’s nothing standing between you and your high school friends from catching up. Some of your friends may have gone to the same college as you, but most likely you all went separate ways after graduation. Winter break is the perfect time to get together to reminisce about the old times and to make new memories. Here are some suggestions to keep you laughing together all break long.

 

Every December, my high school friends and I get together to have a secret Sana gift exchange. Everyone dons their best ugly Christmas sweater and brings holiday treats to share. We do gifts differently every year. One year we are randomly assigned another girl in the group so we knew who we were buying for. Another year we just brought a present then played a game to see what order we picked gifts in. This is always my favorite way to play. You can each pick a gift in a random order, but everything gets more exciting when you can “steal” presents from someone who already opened theirs. Another way to play is musical presents, where gifts get passed around the circle until the music stops. No matter what way you play, it’s usually best to put a spending limit on gifts. We’re college students, not millionaires. By limiting everyone to the same budget it equalizes the playing field and forces people to get creative.

If presents aren’t your thing, have a baking party! Everybody knows calories don’t count over break. So pull out grandma’s recipe and turn on the oven. You’ll get some quality time to catch up on gossip while you’re baking. Who’s got a hot new boyfriend?  Who’s got the crazy roommate? Which girls from your high school are pregnant or married already? If you’re old enough, add some wine into the mix! By the time you’re done chit chatting, your desserts should be ready.

Nothing compares to shopping with your girls. No dressing room mirror is as honest or as helpful as your best friends. There’s so many shopping opportunities over break. Braving the mall crowds for pre-holiday shopping is 10 times easier with your friends. Post-holiday, you can all get together to return that well-intended, but not so chic sweater from your aunt or you can spend; all those gift cards that are burning a hole in your wallet. Don’t forget to stop for lunch or coffee at your favorite little café.

Get outside with your girls! Go ice skating or sledding, just like when you were little kids. You’ll laugh more than you have in weeks and you’ll get some cute photos to add to your Instagram. If you live near the mountains, hike the slopes for a ski or snowboard weekend. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere warm, go to the beach or for a hike. There’s no better way to work off that extra cookie weight than with an adventure with your best friends.

A Gift Giving Guide for a Large Group

One of the challenges of being so close to so many people in your sorority is that once holiday season hits, you feel obligated to shower everyone with love and presents. Here are my top 3 large group and inexpensive gifts for your favorite sisters!
Travel Coffee Mugs – this is actually what I am doing for all of my friends this season. I found a cup I liked online and ordered 50 (my little sister is passing them out to her friends as well) and each cup rang up under $3. I stuffed mine with hot chocolate and instant coffee travel packs but you could fill it with candy or baked goods as well! It’s an easy gift for under $5 each.

DIY Ornaments – hit up your favorite craft store’s holiday isle and you can pick up a dozen clear glass ornaments for around $4. Then just decorate with glitter, fill with pearls or bedazzle these ornaments for an easy gift. If you want to personalize it even more, pull out your trusty paint pen and add a first initial, monogram or even sorority letters to each ornament.

Finals Week Survival Kits – This is what I got from my little last year and I absolutely adored mine! Pick up a few bags and fill each one with anything from highlighters and a spare pencil to a candle or travel size lotion. Add some candy and some peppermints to help fill in space. You can also add in hot chocolate mix or instant coffee here too! 

I hope you have a great holiday season and be sure to let us know what mass gifts you do for your friends and sisters! Happy Gifting!

Big Appreciation Week Ideas

There’s no relationship quite like the big/little relationship. She’s your mentor, your best friend, you role model, your partner in crime. She was showering you with gifts before you even knew her name. Now it’s your turn to pay her back for everything she’s done…it’s Big Appreciation Week! If you’re at a loss for what to your amazing big, here are some suggestions:

Picture Frame - I’m sure you and your big have tons of adorable photos together. What better way to say “you’re beautiful and I love you” than with a frame for her to look at every day. Bonus points to you if you craft the frame so it’s more personalized. If crafting isn’t your specialty, hit up your local TJ Maxx or Target to look for a cute photo frame.

Crafts - Speaking of crafting, why not make some crafts! I’m sure your big made you a slew of cute crafts for big reveal. Now it’s your turn to return the favor. Whether it be a paddle, monogrammed wine glasses, or a pin box, I’m sure she’ll love whatever you make. Every craft is beautiful if it comes from the heart.

Date Night - Take your favorite lady out for a big/little date night. Grab a bite to eat at your favorite café and then catch the latest RomCom that your boyfriend refuses to see. Don’t forget a trip to the nearest ice cream parlor at the end so you two can catch up on gossip over a cone of rocky road.

Matching Shirts - There are so many cute big/little shirts out there. You can find the style that fits your relationship perfectly. Preppy? Get matching frockets with your monograms embroidered on the pockets. Too cool for school? Get the all too hip Biggie Smalls shirts. The possibilities are endless!

When in doubt, just buy candy! Every girl loves candy. With gifts like these, it will be like big reveal week all over again, but this time you get the be the gift-giver!

What have you done for Big Appreciation Week? We’d love to hear it in the comments.

Thankful

Tomorrow is one of the few days that most people really stop and think about all they are thankful for and I'm just as guilty as the next person. We joke that we are #blessed but never really remember to thank those who do so much for us. In order to break the habit, I took this month and have written down one thing that I am thankful for each day and it has been an eye opener. I think I may keep up the habit the cause being gracious makes people want to be around you and help you and just makes you happier overall. Here is what I am thankful for (the number corresponds to the day of the month): 

1. My college friends

2. My parents

3. The front office staff at my apartment complex

4. The baristas at my Starbucks 

5. My (biological) little sister

6. My Big, Little and Grand Little 

7. My boyfriend

8. My roommates

9. My pledge class #AlphaClass

10. The people I have worked with planning Semi-formal

11. My professors

12. My Accounting study group 

13. My sorority sisters 

14. The boys my boyfriend lives with 

15. The people who invented earmuffs 

16. My high school besties

17. The bus drivers at Georgia Southern

18. My alarm clock

19. My grandparents 

20. My faculty mentor 

21. My puppy, EJ

22. The people who grow my food

23. My extended family

24. The police officers that protect me 

25. My fellow Sisterhood Redefined writers 

26. You amazing readers 

A very happy thanksgiving from our family to yours! What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? 

5 Things to Look Forward to Over Thanksgiving Break

I don't know about you but this week before Thanksgiving feels like the longest week of the semester. Some would argue that the week before the end of the semester is worse but honestly, we have finals so I don't think it even compares to this week where you don't feel productive at all.

One thing that almost always helps me get through long days or long weeks are things to look forward to! Here are the top 5 things (though there are countless more) that I am looking forward to next week.

1. Seeing my family. I haven't been home since the beginning of August and let me tell you that it is so incredibly rough. I have plans to shop with my sister, catch up on favorite TV shows with my dad and my mom and I are hair salon bound the day I get home.

2. Catching up with old friends. My two closest friends go to a different school and while we try to see each other during the semester, somehow our schedules never seem to align. I use my week home for Thanksgiving to spend time with people I love. 

3. Going shopping on Black Friday. For those of you that don't know, the shopping in Statesboro is essentially obsolete. I can't wait to take advantage of my mall back home to find a dress or two for winter date nights and a few comfy power outfits for finals.

4. Eating all the incredible food. It's Thanksgiving. Enough said. 

5. Saying no to school work. Now unfortunately, I will have to do a little bit of studying for finals but I am looking forward to vegging out instead of blistering my fingers in the library. Hello Netflix, here I come. 

How To: Meet People Outside Of Your Sorority

I love every single one of my Kappa Alpha Theta sisters, but they’re not the only people in my life. As wonderful as your sorority sisters are, you can’t make it through college unless you expand your social circle a little bit. Whether you are a freshman or a senior, it’s never too late to make new friends. It might sound difficult (or even terrifying if you’re an introvert like me), but trust me when I say it is worth it. Here are a few tips that might help you meet new people:

• Get involved: You’ll never meet new people if you only ever do sorority activities. Some of my best friends are my teammates on my rowing team. You don’t need to join a sport to get involved outside of your chapter, but you should try to join at least one club or organization. When you find a club that matches your interest, then you’ll be sure to find people who have something in common with you.
• Meet the Greeks: I know, I know, your sisters are the best house on campus. But there are other amazing sorority women and fraternity men on your campus too. Try to get to know some of them as well. Whether it’s through all-Greek events, Panhellenic events, or other things, these friends can become something very special to you. I have friends in all the sororities on campus. Going to Panhellenic events is a lot more fun when you know some familiar faces will be there.
• Study buddies: Friends in your major are an invaluable resource. Who else do you expect to get notes from when you’re sick? Start by talking to the people in your class or forming study groups with them. You can even join an organization or honor society specific to your major. You’re going to have a lot of classes with these people over our four years in college and they will be the people you sit with at graduation. Best to learn their names now and not as you’re hearing them be called to walk across the stage.