Why Furman? A Journey Through Athletics, Academics, and the Heart of Campus Life

Intro

Hi everyone! To piggyback off the take over I did early last week, I wanted to talk a little about WHY I chose Furman and what my favorite things to do on campus are. Since I am a student-athlete, I am involved with lots of organizations which have all enhanced my Furman experience.

Athletics

The number one reason I came to Furman was to play on the tennis team. The coaches reached out to me while I was playing junior international tournaments in europe. Due to the pandemic, I was never able to take an official visit. I still remember the first time I visited the Furman Paladins Athletics page. The purple popped out at me and I instantly knew I wanted to be a Paladin. I was so impressed by the facilities, especially the tennis complex. There are 13 outdoor courts and 4 indoor courts. This is more than most power 5 schools have. The coaches told me about the renovations that were going to happen each year which got me excited to be a Paladin.

Academics

While Athletics were a big part of the reason I chose Furman, the rigorous academics and highly talked about programs at Furman are what convinced me to come. Since I was not able to take an official visit, I did lots of online research on Furman and its academics. After talking to a few people and reading lots of websites, I learned that Furman was a top academic school in the south as well as the country. After getting to Greenville and starting my classes, I instantly saw why Furman academics are so highly talked about. The small classes gave me the opportunity to connect with my professors on a personal level which made it easier for me to understand the content I was learning. While the academics are hard, we are given all the tools we need to succeed. 

Campus and Student life

Furman is a lot more than just academics and athletics, it is one of the most beautiful campuses in America. Our campus has a variety of buildings which each have a unique purpose. My personal favorite is the Trone student center which is home to the PDen (formally known as the Pala-Den) where we can eat a variety of different foods like Chick-fil-A, Moe’s, Sushi, and more. Before coming to Furman, I researched the Furman experience and found videos on Youtube and social media showing student life. I was amazed with how many activities and opportunities there were to participate in on campus. Now that I am here, I am involved with multiple different organizations, and always have something fun to do. 

Take care!

Elijah