Furman University Top Questions

College is not what you think it is, it is what you make of it. Don't think it's going to be easy, because it won't. But that doesn't mean you should obsess about how difficult it is. College is about learning, and taking the opportunity to learn about things that you didn't think you cared about before. Take a deep breath and let it all in. You can think that college is full of people who are obsessed with partying and being crazy, but surround yourself with the people who don't think that is what college is about. They're there if you just reach out and find them. Get to know your professors, because they want to get to know you and how much you enjoy their field. Ask relevant questions, and be proactive with your homework. Don't worry so much, it's only four years of your life so just learn as much as you can while you're there.

Don't stress so much. Everything will be ok. It is a hard transition, but one that you can make. You will love college and you will succeed. Don't worry about everything. It will all work out.

In high school, many simply focus on graduation, but what comes after that? It does not really dawn on you until the caps are thrown high into the air. After entering a completely new world full of hard work and greater responsibilities, I would love the opportunity to turn back the clock and put in extra effort toward my future. Throughout my four years of high school, I worked diligently to make good grades. Honors and Advanced Placement classes pushed my mind into what I believed to be its limits. During my senior year, my teachers stressed that college would be more demanding in many different ways. If I could go back, I would have taken their words to heart. I made the grades, graduated at a high rank in my class, and was accepted into many universities. However, I failed to seek the financial assistance I now need. I would love to go back and push myself to prepare for all of my college needs. Education now is more than studying, it is the ability to pay for it. As I work to make up lost time for financial assistance, I look back at what I could have accomplished.

Don't be so worried. The people are friendly and you will be accepted easily. The classes are difficult, yes, but if you study and do the work you will be fine. I promise.

I have learned many things about mysefl and educationally. I had a struggle deciding if I should stay home and do a community college or go to a university. i have learned that this isn't enough challenge for me, staying home. I should have left. I have learned that college is not as tough as the AP classes I took in high school but they take more home effort. It was valuable to go to a community college first because the transition will be a lot easier next year. It was a stepping stone. I have learned a lot about myself adn have grown.

Not only have I met some of my best friends at school, learned to push myself harder and longer in collegiate sports, and engaged myself in academics and teacher interaction, I now have a clearer mindset on who I am as a person, the things that I find to be most important in life. Furman especially has played a critical role in these things with the value that they, as an institution, place on human rights, social justice, environmental sustainability and open mindedness. All of these things have begun to shape me, and I am only a first-semester sophomore! I can't wait to see what will happen by the time I graduate! All I know is this: I may have turned out alright had I not chosen Furman, or college at all, but the things that I've learned, and the ideals that I have adopted have changed my life in incredible and indispensible ways that I would not trade that for the world.

I found a future goal for myself. A reason to carry on when I felt my life was stagnant. I feel like that alone is unspeakably valuable, and would do anything to keep it. That's why I'm trying for this scholarship: because I refuse to let money be an obstacle for me.

I've learned to appreciate and recognize the human need to see beauty in order to find the internal strength to push forward. This beauty can be from the natural world, from human spirit, or curiousity. It's important to pressure oneself and search for one's limits, if only to push them further.

College is curious. It is as though no other stage in life allows for the various paths one can pursue while being singularly located. For me, college is a final tier of transition from dependence to independence. I can already sense the propulsion to ready myself for what lies ahead and hard decisions I already make. With limited ability and foresight, I must make the best decision possible. This of course involves time management, delaying gratification, opportunity costs, letting go and holding on, pursuing and waiting, protecting and adapting, cultivating and destroying. Various ideas and ideologies surround me, yet I must filter through grabbing hold of truth and who I am or be overcome and programmed. If I do not choose to think for myself, a myriad will gladly do it for me and all internal direction shall surely be lost. Take risks and enjoy life, but be willing to suffer, wait , and wait some more. Be open to new ideas, but discerning for some can ruin you. Afterall, ideas wield power just as information gives it. Value lies within its affect and effect. College tends to change you, whether you grow or shrivel, inspire or ruin, strengthen or weaken.

First, I would tell myself that no matter how rigorous my high school schedule was, college is very different. Even if you never studyed in high school and still got excellent grades, all of that changes in college. You should make it a priority to try your best; don't slack even if you think a class will be really easy for you. I would also mention to myself that college is a great time to make changes in your life. You're in a new place with a bunch of new people. Don't be a different person--just be a better version of who you already are. That may mean getting involved on campus, making new friends, changing your lifestyle, or just changing your attitude. Take advantage of the new environment and the unique dynamics of the college experience. Finally, beware of peer pressure, not just with drugs and alcohol, but with simpler things, such as your bedtime. You may want to have that awesome three-hour-long midnight conversation with your roommate once or twice, but your grades will suffer if you do that every single day. In short, know why you're there, but have fun!