When most people imagine life in a sorority house, flashes of rooms full of pearl studs, pointed pumps and party pics spring to mind. Movies such as “Legally Blonde” and “Sorority Boys” have created these images, declaring pink the primary color and every night a slumber party. Although partially true, making the transition to “live-in” is exciting — but it may lend a few surprises.

Living in a greek house is exactly what it sounds like. The University of Kansas is home to 13 sororities, and while no two are identical, they all contain similar living environments. Each house is a home to anywhere from 40 to 90 women. The house not only serves as the structure in which a student functions while at school, but also as a “home away from home” where the residents develop into a family. Living with 80 other women may sound overwhelming and was a top concern when Joanna Kirby, a junior Kappa Kappa Gamma from Leawood, moved in.

“It sounds a lot bigger than it really is,” she said

Living with so many girls is convenient and provides great opportunities. Someone is always willing to catch a movie or go out. And someone will always stay in if with someone not feeling up to a night on the town. On the other hand, the many available opportunities can create difficulty when trying to study.

“You can’t get anything done in the house. You must leave to study,” said Kaase Kilian, Hays sophomore in Chi Omega. “There’s always someone distracting you.”

The transition from university housing to a greek environment not only requires an open mind, but in some cases, an open closet.

“Get ready to share,” said Jaime Lowry, an Overland Park sophomore in Kappa Kappa Gamma. In case preschool didn’t train you well enough, you’ll soon learn that when you live with that many women, it’s inevitable that people will borrow your things. Though wearing your roommate’s pair of Sevens to the Hawk on Friday night may sound like fun, it occasionally causes problems.

Jess Elkouri, a sophomore Chi Omega from Wichita, was surprised to find out how inconsiderate some girls are when it comes to borrowing, or simply taking your things without asking.

“Be ready for people to assume it’s OK to borrow,” she advises.

The first semester moving in is the hardest, but you’ll more than likely learn to love it. All of the girls interviewed said they enjoyed their experiences so far. Lowry said that over winter break, she was ready to “go home to Kappa.”

Emily Quy, Hays sophomore in Kappa Alpha Theta, said, “It’s hard to adjust at first, but enjoy it while it lasts because you’ll never have another chance to live with 90 other women.”

So even if members might share similar tastes in fashion, living in a sorority house may not be as cliché as you might imagine. Blair Winum, a sophomore Kappa Kappa Gamma from Glenwood, Iowa, was surprised to find out how “regular” it all is.

“I expected it to be much more stereotypical. Some fit the part, but it’s much narrower than you think,” she said. Of course, with so many college women living together, you’re bound to find an Elle Woods or two if you search hard enough.

What about the fraternities?

No, we didn’t forget about the University’s male greek counterpart. But this section is about transitions in living situations, and most men in fraternities live-in their first year, rather than moving in later as women in sororities do.

Last year, Nick Drake made the transition from a residence hall to fraternity house.

Drake, a sophomore member of Sigma Chi, lived in Oliver Hall last year. Despite the lack of privacy at a fraternity, he still said he thought the benefits outweighed the sacrifices.

The fraternity offers a structure that doesn’t exist in the residence halls, he said.

“You have to hold yourself accountable to other people,” he said. “That has helped with my grades, my self esteem and even my campus involvement.”

Though Drake enjoys fraternity living, he admits that not everyone shares the same opinion.

“It’s not for everyone and it’s not supposed to be,” he said.

How to...

Hide/fix a Hole in the Wall

1. If the hole is above waist-high, cover with a picture or poster.

2. If the hole is below waist-high, cover with a piece of furniture.

3. If hole is the size of your fist or smaller, tape newspaper over it.

4. Mix together flour and water to form a paste (or if you have money buy some spackle)

5. Spread paste over the newspaper and allow to dry.

6. Repeat until newspaper is no longer visible.

7. Use fine-grain sandpaper to smooth out the newly fixed hole.

8. Paint if necessary.

Fix a Blown Fuse

1. Open the door to your service panel and examine it with a flashlight to identify the blown fuse. Typically lights are on 15-A circuits. Receptacles may be either 15 A (for 14-gauge wiring) or 20 A (for 12-gauge wiring). A large fixed appliance, such as an electric range or a water heater, should be on its own circuit, protected by fuses as specified by the appliance manufacturer (see the appliance’s rating plate for amp requirements). In addition, one or more main fuses protect service lines coming from your power utility.

2. For light and receptacle circuits, look for a break or blackened area visible through the glass of a screw-in plug fuse. If all the fuses look good, identify the fuse according to the circuit label (map) printed on the door or next to each fuse.

3. If the circuits are not mapped, locate the fuse by trial and error: Remove the fuses one at a time and either insert a new fuse to test the circuit, or touch the pointed probe of a continuity tester to the fuse’s tip and the clip to its threaded shaft. If the tester does not glow, the fuse is bad.

4. For fuse blocks, which protect an electric stove and the main circuit, pull straight out on the handle, then remove the individual cartridge fuses from the block using a cartridge-fuse puller. Test the fuses with a continuity tester by probing the two ends.

Remove a Carpet Stain

1. Use an absorbent cloth to soak up excess spillage. Do not scrub; it will set the stain into the carpet.

2. Pour large amounts of club soda or water onto stain and repeat step one. Repeat steps one and two until stain is gone.

3. If stain persists, mix three tablespoons water with one tablespoon baking soda and apply to stain. Wait until mixture is dry, then vacuum.

Reset a Circuit Breaker

1. Turn off the light switches and unplug appliances in the room that has lost power.

2. Find your circuit breaker box and open the cover.

3. Locate the tripped breaker. Circuit breakers are small, usually horizontal switches labeled by the areas of the house they serve (for example, “kitchen,” “bathroom” and so on). The tripped circuit breaker will be in the “off” position or in a middle position between “on” and “off.”

4. Reset the breaker by moving it to the full “off” position and then back to “on.” That may clear an overload and return power to the room. If the breaker re-trips, you may have too many lamps and appliances plugged into the circuit; a damaged cord or plug; a short circuit in a receptacle, switch or fixture, or faulty wiring.

5. Identify and correct the malfunction before resetting the breaker.

Get Rid of Ceiling Stains

1. Make sure the leak is fixed before removing a ceiling stain. Lay a drop cloth or a plastic sheet below the stained area of the ceiling to protect your carpeting or floor from drips. Standing on a stepladder, wipe the stained ceiling surface clean with a damp rag.

2. Apply a pigmented stain blocker such as Kilz or Bullseye on the stained area using a paint roller (for center stains) or a paintbrush (for corner stains). Paint 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) beyond the stain’s edges.

3. Let the ceiling dry for one to 24 hours (follow the manufacturer’s directions).

4. Apply a coat of ceiling paint. Let dry. Repeat if necessary.

Source:: ehow.com. Compiled by Betsy McLeod