Elizabeth Banks' time at the University of Pennsylvania studying communications and theater arts was actually a happy little accident. It's likely she'd never have gone down the path into the performing arts if it wasn't for an injury she suffered as a child. She was an avid sports player at school and was involved in Little League baseball when she broke her leg sliding into third base during a game. Looking for something to do during her recovery time, she tried out for the school play and found out she loved acting.
Whilst at university, she was a member of the highly exclusive and internationally renowned "Delta Delta Delta" sorority. Based on that, we're betting that she didn't find her role in "Pitch Perfect" to be much of a stretch. It sounds like she got a lot of practice for it!