Furman University Top Questions

Be persistant, patient, and stay focused. Always do your best at everthing being worked on. And keep God in your everyday actions.

If I could go back, I would tell myself everything there is to know about time management. In high school, the work load was made so that you could handle all of the different classes at one time, but here in college each professor gives you a certain amount of work and doesn't care about the work you have from other classes. The key is how to manage your time so that you are able to complete each task in a timely manner. I would make sure that I knew that college is not always about having fun and being independent, but it is about having a balance between the fun stuff and the hard work. I wouldn't change anything about the college or major I picked, but I would open my eyes to the reality of the work load and impress upon myself how important time management is to a college student.

I would tell myself to get ready for one of the most challenging and amazing times of your life. The people you will meet and the experiences you will have from the get-go will change your life dramatically. People who you never thought you would be friends with will become your absolute best friends and the changes you go through together will be amazing. Keep an open mind, a sharp eye, and a good head on your shoulders and you'll do very well. The times ahead will be tough but the reward at the end will be worth it.

When I was a high school senior nearly three years ago, I had been adequately prepared for the level of academic rigor that I would face as a freshman in college. Being an African American, I was also mentally prepared to make the transition into a university that was 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} white. In all honesty, the largest transition that I had to make in this university setting was the onslaught of attacks from some professors concerning my christian faith. I would tell myself as a senior to study more diligently the Bible and to better prepare myself for unrelenting attacks by becoming even more grounded in my faith. In addition I would urge myself to learn in that final year of high school, to truly enjoy community service. Often in high school it gets to be that community service is done for the purpose of looking good to colleges. But I have learned that there is joy in doing the service solely to help others. And finally, I would let myself know that it is perfectly acceptable to not have a concrete understanding of classes or even concerning my major. Not knowing everything leaves ample room for progress.

It's my senior year of high school, I an IB student, making fairly good grades, playing volleyball and basketball and is also the student body president. Academics, athletics and my extra circular activities should have been the main focus, in order for me to compete on the next level. While I did take these things serious to a certain degree I should have put in the time and effort to make myself just a little better in each of these aspects. In academics I took all the possible classes in order for me to be recognized as a full IB student. I also did well in some of these exams. I would suggest to myself to take those IB exams more seriously because they are a major help, to have those hours coming into college. Athletics is another part of my life I wished I would have given my all in, I should have played every game with my heart and not just my head, and I believe that would have gotten me a scholarship. There are a lot of things I wished I could have done differently in high school, but never the less I was somewhat successful.

Explore all options and take advantage of the opportunities as they present themselves.

The most important part of college is not getting good grades, it is the overall experience. Do everything you can to get the most out of your college experience. Take classes that interest you, not just those that are required. Furthermore, choose a major that you are truly intersted in, not just one that will guarantee you a job. This will allow you to really enjoy and engage in the learning experience. But its not all about academics. Get involved in clubs, student groups, and other extracuriculars that interest you. This is a great way to meet people that share your interests and to be involved in campus life. Most importantly, you develop life-long friendships in college. So don't forget to have fun! If you make all A's because you spend all your time studying in the library, you are missing out on half of your college experience. Enjoy the people you meet; cultivate your friendships; Let loose every now and then. Academics are important. Don't party your college experience away, but the occasional party will be an excellent stress reliever. These are the best years of your life. Don't waste them!

Don't try to overachieve in your first semester because you have to get used to how many distractions there are. Also, don't try to double major unless it's absolutely necessary, which it's not. Just go to a school that has a good program in what you like and especially one that you can most of it paid for because noone gives money to students who don't have a "need" or can't fill out the FAFSA. Also, schools will never give you more money after you get in; they could care less. Get used to all of your friends going downhill (even your best friends) and most of them starting to drink. It sucks but it's going to happen.

Be open to new ideas and people who are different when you get to college. Do not be judgemental and underatand that there is alwasy a solution to a problem. The first few weeks on campus, get out and meet as many people as you can...do not put yourself in one group and think this is my group for the next four years. Get involved in clus and sports if you can. Most of all...HAVE FUN...it goes back quickly!

Learn how to stand up to for yourself, don't be a pleaser. Learn how to deal with conflict, pick your friends wisely!