In the fall of their freshman year, new students are presented with a large university, hundreds of organizations on campus, and lecture classes that could rival some high schools in size. Finding a niche in this kind of environment can be a difficult task for new students.

Many men and women turn to fraternities and sororities to help them find a place in the 40,000-piece puzzle that is Penn State. As the end of the semester approaches, greek groups are choosing which members will help fit into their own university puzzle.

In September, Megan Shull (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) and Frank Mathis (freshman-agriculture) joined many students at the greek system's East Halls rush mixer to try to find their place among the thousands.

Though Shull was hesitant to get involved in greek life, Mathis was very enthusiastic, saying parties and women were his main attraction to fraternities.

As the semester nears its end, the tables have turned. Shull accepted a bid from Pi Beta Phi sorority. She was initiated last Thursday and is now an active member, while Mathis decided greek life was not for him.

Both students said pledging a fraternity or sorority would be costly, but it was a bigger concern for Mathis. Ultimately, he said, it was his reason for dropping out of the process early in the semester.

Shull was not worried because she thought her parents would pay her semester fees. Not long after making her decision, her parents told her she would have to pay her own way through pledging.

"It's definitely pricey; I do pay a lot," Shull said. "[But] in the end, it's worth it."

She said finances won't be such a problem in the future because of extra recruitment and pledge costs.

"It helps to know my fees will be at least $100 less next semester," she said.

For Mathis, housing and the people he encountered during rush were other reasons he decided not to pledge.

"They act like they're nice, but they're really not," he said. "... I didn't want to become like some of the people [I met]."

He added that he hopes to stay on campus for as long as possible and the required amount of time many fraternities say a member must stay in their houses did not fit into his plan.

Mathis' mother was hesitant about fraternity life from the beginning and was concerned about his grades suffering as a result.

Shull said time management and her grades have not been a problem so far. At some moments, she felt overwhelmed, she said, but those times were few and far between.

She also said she faced more opposition from her parents than she had originally thought.

"Initially [they] said they would rather I wait until next semester, but I told them a lot of sororities don't recruit in the spring, and I wanted to do it now," she said. "They don't mind now."

Shull said her experiences this semester have convinced her she made the right decision in rushing.

"If you're questioning [whether or not to rush], at least give it a try," she said. "I was unsure at first and now I'm glad I did."

Mathis had his own advice for prospective future recruits.

"It really depends on your personality," he said. "You can't listen to anyone else; just experience it and judge for yourself."