Admissions Blog Posts

The Freshman Advice You Didn’t Know You Needed


Last updated July 9, 2021

By Web Admin

By: Alex Bussom

Transitioning into college can be a nervous but exciting feeling. As a recently former freshman, I am here to tell you some advice that you didn’t know you needed to help make the transition as easy as possible. Whether it is making friends or having a healthy work life balance, I have got you covered! 

My first piece of advice revolves around making friends in college. It may seem overwhelming at first, but just remember as a freshman, everyone is on the same playing field where they know few to no people and are eager to make friends. Through fall orientation and the initial few days of living in South Housing (SOHO), you will meet a lot of new people that you can become fast friends with. Although this is an amazing experience, my best piece of advice is to continue to reach out to new people and meet more individuals in your student organizations, classes, or simply by walking around campus. I met some of my best friends that first week of school, but also during my second semester because I was continuously striving to meet new people. One way that I do this is by saying “yes’ to people when they ask to hang out. I have been able to have new experiences such as hiking, river tubing, and axe throwing by saying “YES” within my comfort zone.

Another piece of advice I would give to an incoming freshman is that it is essential to find that work-life balance. College is not like high school with an official structure. There is a lot more free time that needs to be filled and how you fill it, is up to you. It is important to not over involve yourself with student organizations. It is a common characteristic of a Furman student to attempt to get over involved and try to join as many organizations as possible. It is important to find the organizations that you are passionate about and really involve yourself with those. It is better to be more involved in less organizations than be less involved in more organizations. At the end of the day, we are here to get an education, so it is essential that we don’t lose sight of that goal and continue to thrive academically.

It is understandable to be nervous about transitioning to college. It is a huge step in life and can be a major adjustment. At Furman, there is a tremendous amount of support to help make that transition as smooth as possible. From on campus offices to your professors and community leaders, there are many individuals on campus committed to seeing you succeed. The community here at Furman is truly something special and everyone looks out for one another, so there will always be someone to help with the adjustment making it less of a daunting task.