Hello!! I’m currently really interested in Furman. I keep reading how “rigorous” the classes are. Can anyone speak to that? What are the classes like? Are they super hard or just a lot of work? I am generally an A/B student, have taken a fair share of APs and have a 4.5 GPA. I’m a very hard worker and driven person but tend to be quiet.
Any insight on Furman would be helpful! Thank you!
Both my Ds did well in high school - one was valedictorian and one was 6th in the class of a very large public high school. They both were in the International Baccalaureate program and earned the diploma. They took some AP classes on top of that. And they found Furman to be rigorous - hard, and a lot of work. But if you’ve taken challenging classes in high school and are a hard worker you can do well at Furman.
What my Ds found is that because classes are small, professors are able to test at a much more difficult level than what their friends experienced at large state schools. When one D was in lower level Bio classes, she had tests that were essay based and required a lot of critical thinking and synthesis of information. Her friends at state schools were in classes with 200-300 students, so tests were multiple choice. The state schools here are on a 10 point scale; Furman has +s and -s, so for example a 92 at the state schools would be a 4.0, but at Furman it would be a 3.67. This means that there are very few graduating with a 4.0 from Furman.
What they thought were positives about the academics/classes:
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Because of the small class size and student body, they got to know their professors very well. The professors really care about the students, and over the four years they formed strong bonds with professors and other students in their major. This benefitted them when they needed help with a course, and when they needed letters of recommendation for law & medical school.
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There were no classes or labs taught by TAs. In science courses the lecture and lab was taught by the same professor, who have PhDs and do research in their fields.
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Research experiences and internships were readily available
Hi there.
I am currently a student at Furman and I would say that Furman is not a piece of cake. But you do not want college to be easier than high school. While some classes have a larger work load than others, it is all definitely manageable. One thing that I truly love about Furman is that you learn skills outside of the classroom as well. I have learned how to prioritize, how to manage my time, how to be more organized, etc. While Furman students love to complain about how much work they have (we love to see if we can one up one another on work loads) I do not think that many of us would have it any other way.
Furman is a great school if you want to be pushed to be a better student, leader, organizer, etc. I am also a naturally quiet person and I think Furman has brought me out of my shell. I believe that anyone who is a dedicated hard-worker will flourish in Furman’s academic environment.
Hope that helps!