Welcome to our blog! We are the Epsilon Eta chapter of Alpha Delta Pi at Mississippi State. Our chapter is made up of a diverse group of women with a wide scope of passions we want to share with you. Ranging from advice to tutorials to sentimental messages, this is the spot!

Be the first.

It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway!) that the college hunt is daunting. Cramming for the ACT, attending information sessions, going on tours with current students of the university where you’re so unfamiliar with the school that you don’t even know what to say when they ask if you have any questions - the whole ordeal. It’s all the more intimidating and foreign when you’re stepping onto campus as an out-of-state student.

Hey there! My name is Emma Nisbet - member of Delta Class 10 - and I’m from Columbia, Tennessee. If you have absolutely no idea where that is, just think relatively an hour south of Nashville and - boom - it’s right there. Columbia is definitely on the smaller side. Actually, I’d say it’s just about the same size as Starkville (so, on that front, not much of an adjustment for me!).

Long story short, I came to Mississippi State University alone. I knew no one when I first arrived here. In fact, I had never even heard of the school until my mom mentioned it to me early on in my senior year of high school. Though, the second I set foot on campus for the first time, my mind was set. My dad always told me to ask yourself if you could envision actually living at this school for four whole years of your life; Mississippi State University was the only school I looked at where I could confidently say yes to that question.

I took on every opportunity to better my chances at finding my place at a whole new school - in a whole new state, no less. Before my first tour at MSU, I’d visited Mississippi one time on a family vacation to the coast. Funny story, the first time it truly sunk in that I was now living in a new state was at the first football game of the season and the players ran out on the field with the magnolia emblazoned Mississippi flag trailing behind them - not the tri-star Tennessee flag that I had known for as long as I can remember.

I signed up for New Maroon Camp and, obviously, I went through Fall Recruitment. I wanted to ensure that every door was open to me for finding new friends.

It was practically a given that I would try out for a sorority. My dad was in Phi Delta Theta at the University of Southern California, back in the ‘80s; my older sister was in Kappa Alpha Theta at Auburn University. Greek Life has been running in my family for quite a while now.

I’m going to be extremely blunt here: I’m a complete introvert. I find my energy by spending time alone, rather than surrounding myself with others. I can socialize and have fun and then I have to head off to recharge by myself. Maybe I’ll read a book or watch a movie or something like that.

Rinse. Repeat.

They say you find your closest friends - literally your sisters - in your sorority. After about a month in Alpha Delta Pi, I could absolutely agree.

The conversations with the girls I spoke with at every party during Recruitment felt closer to a casual chat between good friends rather than a rapid-fire interview. There was an immediate click; I knew that this was where I was meant to be.

I found my home in Alpha Delta Pi. They chose me just as much as I chose them.

Though, other than joining a sorority, what are some other ways to make friends on campus - especially as an out-of-state student? Here are just two simple suggestions, from me to you!

1.Get Involved.
If I could shout this one from the rooftops, I would. This is the absolute best way to find a place on campus. I’m a Communications major (with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism) and one week into the semester, I applied to work for the student newspaper and I’ve been working for them ever since. I also love creative writing (minoring in it too!) and I’m now on the Editorial Board for the student-run creative arts journal. I met some truly amazing people through New Maroon Camp who I’m still close to even now. I don’t just have friends in ADPi; I’ve met people all over! I’ll say it again and again if I have to: get involved, get involved, get involved. Take a moment and think about what you enjoy; I’m sure there’s a club for that somewhere. Go out there and find it.

2.Put Yourself Out There.
I know, I know. How dare the introvert say anything about standing out in a crowd. Well, that’s not what I’m saying. I am saying that you need to step out of your comfort zone. Your comfort zone is safe; your comfort zone is, well, comfortable. You won’t learn anything new - or meet anyone - by staying in your own little bubble of the world. Believe me. Trust me, it is way easier to sit in your room on a Wednesday night but…what about that new book club starting up? There’s always something happening on campus. Seriously, I could throw a rock in the Union and be almost guaranteed to hit one of the student organizations that are tabling that afternoon (please don’t throw anything in the Union). Go up and introduce yourself! Like I said: I’m a quiet girl from a small town. I had built up that sort of persona of myself throughout school. I saw college as an opportunity for a completely fresh start like never before. I jumped on that opportunity. I’ve seriously grown more as a person in the past semester than I have in my whole life and that is in no way an exaggeration.

With all that being said, don’t pressure yourself. College is stressful enough as it is. Running yourself ragged isn’t going to help anyone - least of all you. I learned that the hard way with my harsh experiences with that good ol’ friend, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). You can put in the effort to get out in the world but some of it will happen naturally. College only happens once -savor it!

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day!

Hey hey! My name is Keilah Shannon and I am a senior psychology major at Mississippi State and a member of Alpha Delta Pi! I was born and raised in Charlotte, NC and when I came to MSU, I had no idea what to expect – I had always been a social butterfly and never had any problems making friends, but I never really had to work hard for friends either. Most of my friends back home have been my friends since preschool, which is something I never even considered before I moved 550 miles from my hometown and from everything that is comfortable. I was IN LOVE with Mississippi State, and I knew I didn’t want to go to college anywhere else, but I really struggled socially during my first semester on campus. I made friends, got involved, and did well in my classes, but I was constantly homesick, and I had a longing for more – I needed a home away from home to be complete. Throughout my first semester, I toyed with the idea of moving back home (or at least to somewhere closer) and back into my comfort zone and my parents told me absolutely not – I had to go back in the spring and give it my all, and if I still wasn’t happy, I could transfer. I didn’t know this at the time, but my parents were a blessing in disguise. As I thought about how to find my fit at MSU in the spring, recruitment ran across my mind again. I didn’t do recruitment in the fall because it was WAY out of my scope of knowledge, and I didn’t like the idea of being unfamiliar to an entire process – no one in my family was a part of Greek life so I had nothing to work with. I heard about spring recruitment from one of my friends, and she really thought it was a great idea for me! I wasn’t sure, so I brought it up to my parents and they were ALL IN, I have never seen them so excited for something, so I went through with it!

Now that we’ve made it through the backstory, let me be frank in saying: going through recruitment is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I was missing a piece of me when I started this process that has been totally filled by the women of Alpha Delta Pi and all of the opportunities I have had since my Bid Day just a few short semesters ago. Looking back on my recruitment, I seriously had NO clue what I was doing but not a single girl in a single house made me feel like I was out of place. During my recruitment, we had a huge snowstorm that pushed the week-long process to just one night – we would visit all of the houses, make our choices, and come back the next day for bid day…… the pressure was insane!!! From the second I walked into Alpha Delta Pi, I knew where I was meant to be (fate is real!!). I had the most down to earth conversations about school, car problems, and what I was looking for in a sisterhood with some of the most welcoming women I had ever met. From the first conversation, I was sold – these girls wanted to know me, support me, and share the bond of sisterhood with me and I had never felt such a genuine connection. Spring recruitment was so laid back, that I didn’t feel any pressure at all and truly enjoyed the process which is just what I needed to find my home. When I opened my Bid card the next day, I almost cried – Alpha Delta Pi wanted me as bad as I wanted to be there and everything in the world was right because of that. Bid day consisted of meeting new sisters, asking questions about what to expect, and celebrating my newfound sisterhood – one of my favorite days to look back on because I had no idea how many good things were to come at the time.

From my very first day, I felt at home. I was hesitant to come around to the house at first, I was so irrationally worried that everyone had already formed friend groups, and no one would even acknowledge me, but I was horribly mistaken. My first meal at the house didn’t even get all the way eaten because I was too busy talking to the group of girls that had sat with me and wanted to get to know me and make me feel welcome. I remember calling my mom after I left that lunch and crying because I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be, and I finally felt at home. I wanted to get involved, and I was upfront about this – holding an officer position was my top goal and I was eager to make an impact. A senior at the time and I had gotten pretty close, and one day she told me about Freshman Year Navigator applications – she thought I would be a perfect fit mentoring first-time freshmen and helping them adjust to college. I wasn’t so sure, but I applied anyway, and I got the job!!! Looking back, I owe her everything, as I’m now looking to get my Masters in Higher Education and work in Student Affairs at a University. I got that chance at leadership within Alpha Delta Pi my sophomore year when I was appointed Director of Continuous Recruitment – helping to bring girls home that were maybe just a little hesitant about formal recruitment (making them just. like. me.). This position helped me to see how passionate I was about recruitment as a whole and gave me the thrill of bringing girls home! The next fall, I served as the Director of Academic Affairs – my DREAM job!!! I had so much fun helping my sisters succeed academically and had the amazing opportunity to restructure and improve our scholarship program. These positions each showed me different strengths within myself and gave me the chance to lead within ADPi and to make a lasting impact for Alpha classes to come – one of my greatest honors and most beneficial experiences to date. I was never made to feel like an outsider, and most of my Alpha class often forgets that I didn’t celebrate bid day alongside them because of how well we mesh and how much fun we have. Through Alpha Delta Pi, I have accomplished my goals, made lifelong friends, and filled my heart. This chapter has given me more than I could have ever dreamed and has been steadfast in friendship and supported me no matter what since day one – every day isn’t storybook perfect, but ADPi is my safe haven when things don’t go my way and I am accepted and loved no matter the situation.

If you’re thinking about spring recruitment – give it a chance! I know how nerve wracking it can be, but I also know how worthwhile it can be. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone and give it a shot, you might just love it!