As a rite of passage, all college students must spend their first year living the dorm lifestyle. After freshman year, those who join Greek life will transition from having one roommate to dozens. It can be a huge transition to go from living in a dorm to a sorority or fraternity house. To put it simply, life will change drastically. Here are a few things to expect when transitioning from a dorm to a fraternity or sorority house.

Privacy is hard to find

If you are the type of person who needs your alone time, living in a sorority or fraternity house might be a difficult transition for you. It’s comforting to know everyone’s doors are always open, but it can also be hard if you need some time to yourself. As the year continues, you will eventually get used to having less alone time. You might even feel odd when you find yourself alone throughout the day.

No more dining hall meals

Dining halls generally aren’t known for delicious food. You have probably found yourself craving home-cooked meals throughout your freshman year. However, living in a sorority or fraternity house provides you with less “dining hall” food, and more meals that feel homemade.

Sororities and fraternities have their own chefs and different meal plans each week. You can even suggest meals you might enjoy.

Doing activities together

Whether it is walking to class, doing laundry or simply going down to dinner, everyday tasks seem odd to do on your own because you’ve grown accustomed to being with others. You won’t have to go to the gym alone or suffer through boring lectures by yourself, because someone living with you is bound to be doing the same thing. Living in a sorority or fraternity house means always having people to join you in your day-to-day activities.

Lots of sharing

Living in a sorority or fraternity house teaches you to share many of the things you once had control over in your dorm. You learn to either race for the best shower or patiently wait until your roommate is done. You will also learn to share the laundry machines and all of the snacks put in the pantry. There will be times you hope to come home and watch your favorite show, but the TV room is already filled. In time, you will learn to compromise and join the group’s movie viewing.

You will gain the best of friendships

There is no better way to strengthen friendships than living together. Living with your friends truly allows you to get to know them better than you could have ever imagined.

The greatest laughs and memories are bound to come from living under the same roof.

The best part of living in a sorority or fraternity house is the amazing friendships that will form between you and your pledge class, because instead of one roommate, you have 50.

Transitioning from dorms to Greek housing can initially be a challenge, but like anything, is just something to adjust to.

Jessica is a sophomore in Media.