Leadership For A New Semester – Putting Plans Into Action

Since everyone’s semester has probably already started, you’re all also probably getting into the swing of your clubs and organizations. If you’re in a leadership role in any of these, be it your sorority or the archery team or anything in between, you’ve most likely spent the summer planning tons of great things for the new semester. Now that it’s here, how do you implement all of these awesome plans?

1. Pump people up about your ideas!

Don’t keep these things a secret! It’s ok to let your chapter or your organization know all of the hard work you & your fellow leaders have put in so that everyone can get the most out of being a member. Don’t complain about all the work you did, but in a positive way, explain that there are plenty of fun things to look forward to this semester, whether it’s an extra special sisterhood event or the creation of a new tradition you think they’ll enjoy, spread the good news! This gets the members excited about these new events and invested in them. They will be more willing to volunteer to help you execute them if they feel that you’re being open and sharing information with them up front.

Can you tell I love SNL yet? But Hans & Franz know how to get people excited!

2. Make a List (or twenty)!

What needs to get done? Just like you (link) make lists in your planner for school, make lists for your organization’s projects.  This way it’ll get done in a timely manner like you envisioned this summer & you won’t wind up pulling an all-nighter to (in the words of Tim Gunn) make it work.

3. Delegate!

Now that you’ve got your members interested in your plans, let them help! I know I’m the worst at this & I’ve had to work really hard to improve over the years. Remember: not everything has to be done your way. It’ll still get done and someone might just have a better way to get it done that you didn’t think of! So use that list of everything that needs to be accomplished, and give someone else part of it!

4. Be Flexible!

Ever heard of Murphy’s Law?  Murphy said that anything that can go wrong will. And I’m sad to be the one to tell you: he’s right. So what is a classy co-ed who’s worked so hard to plan the perfect event to do? Well, sometimes you’ve just got to let things go.  Not everything is going to go your way. This doesn’t mean that your event is going to go haywire, but it does mean that not every detail will happen to the letter as you planned it. So the bus doesn’t leave at 8pm on the dot, so what? A classy co-ed knows the difference between when to laugh off a few things gone awry and when it’s time to go to plan B (or K, whatever’s necessary).

5. Have Fun!

Most importantly, enjoy your time this semester. You should’ve planned well enough in advance for your awesome event that you have time to sit back and enjoy it when it actually does get here. If not everything goes exactly as planned, relax, your sisters or friends will still have an awesome time and will still absolutely love you. So sit back and take it all in since you’ve created something awesome!

6. Take Mental Notes

While you are having all that crazy fun, be sure to take a few notes in the back of your mind. This way you’ll know how to improve for next time! College is all about learning, so take the opportunity to learn from everything you do, including planning events for your sorority or organization. Practice makes perfect!

Do you have any suggestions for being a great leader this semester? Share them below! We’d love to hear your tips!

Kathryn Moore is a College Lifestyles intern from Georgia Tech majoring in Public Policy. You can currently find her cheering on the Yellow Jackets’ Football Team every Saturday this Fall in between all the fun leadership seminars she loves attending on campus!

Why Every Girl Needs A BGF (Best Guy Friend)

As so many of you are preparing to join a sorority (Bid Day at my campus is TOMORROW! YAY!), you’re surely excited about all of the new girlfriends you’re about to acquire and all the fun you’ll have. I know I can’t wait to meet our newest pledge class and get another little and watch GLEE and Project Runway with her.

But there’s another group of potential friends that can get left out in all this excitement, and that’s the guys. Now, I go to an engineering school, so about 70% of the student body is of the male persuasion. Because of this, I’ve got a ton of guy friends and they are absolutely invaluable to me. I’m lucky enough to have a whole fraternity of incredible guys who I can call some of my closest friends and have been there for me through 4 awesome years of college. Why should you be on the lookout for some awesome and totally platonic guy friends? Here are just a few reasons:

1. A New Point of View

It’s scientifically proven that guys tend to think differently than girls.  They have better spatial awareness and tend to process information in their left-brain better than their right brain, whereas women are equally skilled in both. This means that you can depend on your BGF to give you a different perspective when you need a little outside help from friends on getting out of a sticky situation. Guys might just surprise you with how helpful they can be, and not just when you need to lift something heavy.

2. A Change of Pace

Now that you’re in a sorority, you probably want to spend all your time with your sisters (or roomies if you’re not Greek) gossiping about boys, celebrities, and anything in between.  But taking time out to chat with your guy friends can be a refreshing change of pace. Life is all about balance, and guy friends will definitely help you find that.

3. They Understand Other Guys

Know that guy in your Physics class who you have a huge crush on? Ask your guy friends for advice on how to get him to notice you.  They generally think the same way that he does about girls and they can give you the inside scoop on how to get his attention while remaining a classy co-ed! Just don’t bug them all the time about your new crush of the week. Guys don’t generally enjoy pouring over the minutia of your relationships, save that for your girlfriends.

4. They Don’t Take Themselves Too Seriously

Guys are generally good at remembering to have fun.  So when you’re stressed, guys can be the best friends to have around. My guy friends always know how to cheer me up with jokes and by acting like goofballs. It’s why I love them so much: they never take themselves too seriously and they remind me to do the same.

5. You Get To Learn Another Language

Ok, so not really, but guys do tend to use the English language differently that girls do.  For guys, greeting each other with “Where the heck have you been?” is akin to girls greeting each other with “OMG! I missed you soooooo much!”  When you’re talking to guys, don’t read too much in to what they’re saying. 9 times out of 10 they’re saying exactly what they mean, albeit a more sarcastic version of what they mean. Sarcasm is how they show affection. Scientists are still trying to figure out why this is, and maybe they’ll never know, but for now just don’t take their sarcasm too literally.  Hanging out in the boys’ club can help you develop a thick skin, which can be a useful skill to have! It will definitely save you tons of emotional distress throughout your life.

6. Big Brothers are Useful

Guys tend to be protective of their friends. They will back each other in fights, etc. all in the name of being a good friend and protecting each other. They’ll also do this for their girl friends. Whenever I start dating someone new, my guy friends practically demand to meet him so they can “approve” of him. It can be a little intimidating, but it is always nice to know that I’ve got a group of people who are looking out for me, and the guys I date generally understand that. Besides, once my guy friends approve of him, they make a real effort to be friends with him. As long as he doesn’t mess with me or any of my friends (girl or guy), that is.

So while I wish you all the best with your new sisters or roomies, and know that you will all be incredibly happy with all of these newly acquired friends, don’t ignore the other gender! I hope you will all find guy friends as great as mine!

Kathryn Moore is and intern with College Lifestyels (TM) and is graduating from Georgia Tech in May after taking her victory lap (5th year) with a degree in Public Policy. She loves her Alpha Phi sisters, her BGFs and skydiving since they are never boring!