Furman Freshman Tips Please

Colleges and Universities A-Z Furman University
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<p>Hey, I just wanted to say that most (haven’t read everything) of the advice/info that woody2013 has given on this board is solid.</p>

<p>Also, I lived in Blackwell and originally was quite disappointed with getting assigned there, but I ended up loving it! Sure, the rooms are half the size of those in Poteat and McGlothlin (my original top two housing choices), but they are actually a LOT better than what the unattractive pictures on Furman’s housing website portray them to be. There’s also a lot of built-in wall storage. Then again, I (obviously) more enjoyed my hall because of the people living on it and not because of the rooms themselves.</p>

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<p>On the sorority point–there is a good deal of variation between the costs of each sorority. I think that $500/semester is towards the top end, but I don’t know the exact fees of each one. It is expensive. You’ll have plenty of time to decide whether it’s for you, or not. </p>

<p>Yes. A little known, but incredibly informative set of data on everything you could possibly want to know about Furman, statistics wise, can be found at [Planning</a> & Institutional Research: :](<a href=“http://www.furman.edu/planning/index.htm]Planning”>http://www.furman.edu/planning/index.htm) . I’m not exactly sure where exactly the double major file is at, but there is one spreadsheet that has all the data on how many people are in each major (by class), and how many people double major.</p>

<p>Lots of people at Furman do, in fact, graduate with a double major. Even more plan to double major, and get most of a second major done before graduating with just one major.</p>

<p>My question to you is this: Are you planning to get a B.S. (bachelor of sciences) in Pyschology, or a B.A.? The science major is what you’ll need to do if you want to go onto med school or to graduate school in pyschology. The B.A. is what you’d do if you don’t plan to do either of those two things. You’ll talk to your advisor about what is best for you, but it will be a lot more difficult to double major if you do decide to do the B.A. It’s not impossible–I’ve seen people do similar things before–but it will take advance planning and careful scheduling. If you’re coming into Furman with AP credit, or other college credit, that will help. Again, not required.</p>

<p>As for whether it’s more work or not, again that depends. If you single major, but all of your electives are hard classes, then you’ll have a lot more work than someone who majors in Political Science, finishes all the requisites in junior year and then spends senior year taking easy electives (Note: easy is relative. There are very, very few classes at Furman that are legitimately easy. It’s all comparative.). </p>

<p>It’s very tricky to answer the question on racial diversity and interaction. Back home, I don’t really have any white Christian friends, so I’ve had a little bit of an outsiders perspective on how Furman’s social interactions work. People are drawn to people who come from similar backgrounds. The upper-middle-class to upper-class black kids at Furman tend to spend a lot of time with the white kids who are from similar backgrounds. The athletes spend a lot of time with other athletes. These aren’t hard and fast rules, but they tend to stay true. Because there is a far lower percentage of minorities at Furman than elsewhere, it can seem like there isn’t a lot of racial interaction, but I would argue that is not true. </p>

<p>The Greek system at Furman is as homogeneous at Furman as it is at most schools. I would guess that, excluding the black fraternities and sororities, Greek life at Furman is 95% white, and probably 75-85% Protestant. </p>

<p>I see no evidence of overt racism at Furman, but the thing to keep in mind is that a sizeable portion of the student population comes from upper-middle-class to upper-class southern, white, Protestant families. A lot went to private schools that were no more diverse than Furman. So for them, Furman is an extension of that. They probably never had any problems with the rich Indian kid that they were friends with in high school, but they probably also didn’t have a lot, or any, friends who were working class people of color. </p>

<p>Furman is a lot like you would expect it to be, given its demographics.</p>

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<p>Hey thank you both (BobbyCT and Woody2013) for your opinions! And THANK YOU for that “Planning & Institutional Research” link, Woody2013 … I looked at a fair amount of the data presented there.</p>

<p>Some of the things I saw there concerned me though … I mean, I recognized that I was going to a small school, but I was looking at the “Degrees by Major” (which, unless I am misunderstanding the table, charts how many degrees in each major are awarded per year), and there were only 24 psych degrees awarded and 13 sociology degrees.</p>

<p>So … does that mean that if I choose to pursue one of those majors, come junior and senior year I will really be having a big portion of my classes with (about) the 24 or 13 people?? I don’t know, that just sounds stifling. Political science (82 awarded last year) is starting to sound pretty attractive … but then again, I want to study what I’m interested in, you know? Boo this is tough :(</p>

<p>P.S. What’s the sociology department’s rep on campus? What about political science dept?</p>

<p>[Edit] Another P.S. … I will most definitely do a B.A. if I decide on psych. I’m not a science person at all, and you can still go to grad school with a B.A … a B.S. is useful for psychiatry. What makes a B.A. so much more difficult to double major with than a B.S. at Furman?</p>

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<p>Bluishblackbird,
The Political Science department at Furman is one of the strongest departments in the "liberal arts: e.g., non-traditional science majors like bio, chem, physics. The placement of FU students in their #1 or 2 law school preferences is, I believe, at 75%. The Mock Trial Team at FU is one of the strongest in the country-they have beaten teams from Harvard, Yale ( this year), Duke, etc. What is unusual about the Mock Trial success at Furman is that it is one of the few schools in the nation which does not have it’s own law school and continues to beat schools with their own source of training and support. Take a look at the department’s website, you can read a list of notable alumni, including several Havard Law grads who were on Law Review. . As a parent of a former Moc Trial member, it is very competitive for selection and all-consuming if you are one of the top teams-but a fabulous way to pave your way to law school admission. </p>

<p>The new president of FU, Rod Smolla, who will arrive on July 1, is the current dean of the law school at Washington and Lee. He is a well-known first amendment litigator with several successful cases to his credit at the US Supreme Court. -I think his tenure will only enhance the social sciences at FU, and increase Dr. Shi’s ability to raise $ ( which was incredible). There is a rumor that with Dr. Smolla’s arrival, a law school for Furman may be in the offing-but that is mrere speculation.</p>

<p>Both of our kids have taken several sociology classes at Furman and enjoyed them. To major I believe requires 7-8 courses-which lends itself to a more realistic double major. The Philosophy department at Furman is also excellent-it’s chairperson, Dr. Shaner, is iinternationally known in his “niche” area and he is returning from sabbatical this fall. </p>

<p>Furman does have a good Interdisciplinary Studies program where a student can design his/her own major. currently DD is exploring that option with a Philosophy, Neuroscience and religion curriculum. One of Furman’s most well known programs is Communications and Dr. Sean O’Rourke is a student favorite. Very demanding, but cares about his students. He even offered to help us with our daughter at the hospital this winter when she was ill with the flu. Outstanding professor who won a number of best teachers of the year at Vandy before coming to Furman. Check out some of the latest career/job market placements and salaries-ironically jobs in public relations, advertising and communications appear to be thriving.</p>

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<p>Georgiatwins brings up a number of great points on the different departments at Furman.</p>

<p>The Pyschology department at Furman is not huge, but it is one of the stronger departments at Furman. From my friends who graduated this year and were in smaller majors (particularly religion and philosophy), you’ll definitely see your fellow majors quite a bit in the upper level classes, and it starts to become a little bit like a family. However, for a B.A. in psychology, you’ll need to take 10-11 classes, one of which will be an intro class that will have a lot of non-majors in it. Because of a point you somewhat alluded to in your post, there are going to be a wide variety of hard science and social science directed majors in the department (on an aside, the point I was trying to make in my post was not that you can’t go to grad school with a B.A., but that if you’re looking to continue studying psychology, especially anything bio-related in the field, a B.S. might be more useful. That said, if you’re looking to do social science research, or grad school not completely related to psychology, then the B.A. is perfectly acceptable. I don’t have the breakdown of B.S. vs B.A. majors in the department. I’m sure you’re advisor can help you on that point in August).</p>

<p>So, out of 31 classes you’ll take at Furman, a third will be in the Psych department. One of these classes is intro. One is research methods, which is a two class period, double credit bearing class. If you space things out right, you’ll be taking, after freshman year when you get GERs out of the way, about two psych classes a semester. </p>

<p>Even in the bigger departments like political science, there is overlap. I took two PolSci classes this past semester (PSC-150, Intro to Political Analysis and PSC-205, Public Policy), and there were about four to five people in both classes. It’s not really bothersome, I don’t think. Each class is different, and it’s nice to see some familiar faces.</p>

<p>As for the reps of the different departments…</p>

<p>I can’t really speak to how good the sociology department is, but I would tend to believe what Georgiatwins says. I’ve heard that the intro class is incredibly easy, for whatever that’s worth. </p>

<p>As a political science major, I’ve had the great opportunity to take three classes in the department, so far, and the chance to talk to a lot of upperclassmen about their experiences. I love it. The professors have been great, and the courses really interesting. Mock Trial here is insanely intense, and it is one of the best teams in the country. If you want to do pre-law, Furman is one of the best places to do it. I was originally attracted for that reason, but I decided not to do mock trial after getting snared into a number of other activities. I’m not currently planning to do law anymore, but there are numerous graduates who do go to law school following graduation. Some of the schools they get into are amazing. </p>

<p>But the truth is that you have a crazy amount of time before you have to declare a major. Lots of people wait until second semester sophomore year. Some don’t declare until fall of junior year. Don’t feel compelled to come into Furman with a definite, unchangeable plan for the next four years. You’ll have tons of time to learn, grow, and be indecisive.</p>

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<p>Sorry, I’ve been out of town for a few days!</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice. I am still REALLY torn over the majors but it’s nice to know that I have a bit of time to choose. I looked at the Political Science dept and they have some sweet internships. So hard to decide!!!</p>

<p>I took Spanish junior year and got a 6 on the IB exam, which I read gives me “Departmental credit” or something (I forget the exact term). Is that score worth anything at all? Because it looks like I still have to take a placement test … which I will bomb unless I study really hard because I didn’t take Spanish all senior year. I heard that a lot of people intentionally fail it so they won’t get into a hard Spanish class and take a dip in GPA … but I really want to try hard and possibly test out of Spanish altogether, if that’s possible. What would you advise?</p>

<p>This is sort of random … I want to take voice lessons from a lady that lives downtown which I understand is about 9 miles away. My roomie doesn’t have a car and I can’t bring one from California, so I have no idea what to do. Do you have any advice? Is there a bus that runs downtown during the day? Or any possible way I could get down there besides biking? Not having a car is gonna suck so much!! And I’m pretty set taking lessons from this specific person, not a teacher within FU. (If it’s any help, I’d have to be able to get from FU to somewhere called the “Field Shopping Plaza”, which is almost near Bob Jones University. About 9 miles!!)</p>

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<p>As for the Spanish test, a lot of people think that they’ll be happier if they bomb it, but it’s really best to just go ahead and do your best. It’ll place you according to that, so if you’ve forgotten a lot, it’ll place you according to that.</p>

<p>I’m fairly certain that the IB/AP credit policy is interesting because you’re almost guaranteed to get four Spanish credits based on the test, but I think that the class you get credit for depends on how well you do on the placement test/in speaking to the department. I don’t know how they’ll do all that next year but that’s my understanding of how it works.</p>

<p>If you’re set on taking lessons in Greenville, you’ll have to find a good friend who’s willing to drive you. There aren’t really any bike paths that go where you’re going, and I would feel mildly unsafe going the route that you’d need to go to get there. Also, nine miles is a fairly long trek. The way there is mostly downhill, but the way back would be pretty intense. I didn’t have a car this past year and I found that I could almost always find a ride if I needed to get somewhere, but it’s obviously not insanely reliable. </p>

<p>I will say that not having a car is inconvenient, at times, but it is awesome to not ever have to pay for gas.</p>

<p>As for Furman’s public-esque transit:
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights Furman runs a shuttle (from 7p-ish to 2a-ish) that goes between campus and downtown. It goes on a first-come, first-served basis, and can take a long time to pick you up. Also, it’s not incredibly reliable. Some nights it runs, others, it doesn’t. </p>

<p>If you are volunteering through Heller Service Corps (Furman’s volunteer placement agency–It’s awesome!, sign up for it when you get to campus), you can rent a car to get to and from your organization. All you need to do is reserve it and pick up the keys when you need to go. You have to log where you are going, also.</p>

<p>There isn’t a shuttle or bus service that runs from campus on a regular basis during the day.</p>

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<p>Hey thank you so so much for all your advice!!! I’m super excited about Furman and this has really helped cool my nerves during the preparation and stuff :)</p>

<p>Can’t think of any more questions for now but I’ll let you know if I do :)</p>

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<p>Hey, bluishblackbird!</p>

<p>I am a sophomore at Furman and I am in a sorority. Woody 2013 did a thorough job explaining the sororities at Furman, but he also made a couple mistakes and I wanted to help clarify since I am in one!</p>

<p>There is only ONE black sorority at Furman called Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA). The other sororities are Alpha Delta Pi (ADPi), Chi Omega (Chi O), Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delt), Delta Gamma (DG), Kappa Delta (KD) and Kappa Kappa GAMMA (Kappa). And I would say that MORE than 50% of the women on campus in a sorority.</p>

<p>We are not allowed to “recruit” girls during the fall semester, but we have INFORMAL RUSH. We are NOT allowed to talk to you on a one-to-one basis like through texting or Facebook. BUT we can talk to you face-to-face on campus during and after classes and in the dinning hall. </p>

<p>Sororities girls can invite you on “lunch/dinner dates” where you go to the DH or Pden to eat and chat. However, you CANNOT go OFF campus with any sorority girls like to eat or to the movies. Also, freshman girls CANNOT be on sorority halls and sorority girls CANNOT be in freshman dorms and rooms.</p>

<p>Like Woody2013 said, there is a rule about PRIVATE campus events such as NV and Vinings apartment parties. When there are freshman girls at a party, there has to be AT LEAST 2 sororities represented. The sorority girls are required to leave if there is only ONE there. </p>

<p>However, some sororities will sponsor OPEN events for ALL of the student body such as tailgates, BBQs, mixers, etc. These are open for EVERYONE. So even if there is only one sorority there it is okay to be there.</p>

<p>These rules may seems intense or stupid. But they are to protect the freshman girls who are rushing. As Woody2013 said, it is to protect girls from getting “dirty rushed.” The rules give every sorority an even and fair chance to get to know the freshman rushees. And to help the girls make the right decision about joining.</p>

<p>However, as a FRESHMAN… YOU CANNOT GET IN TROUBLE FOR BREAKING THE RULES! Instead, the sorority that was breaking the rules get in trouble and punished. So DON’T WORRY about all the details of the rules because you are safe no matter what! The sorority girls know the rules and are the ones that are responsible to abide by them.</p>

<p>Woody2013 is correct about the formal recruitment process. And I agree, mostly every girl gets a bid. It might not be from the one she really wanted, but she will probably get one from another. </p>

<p>If for some reason you don’t get a bid, there are other opportunities AFTER rush to be in a sorority. If a girl doesn’t get a bid, all the sororities will be notified and the sororities can privately ask the girl to join. And she also can rush again the following year. BUT DON’T WORRY ABOUT THIS AT ALL! Pretty much everyone gets into a sorority.</p>

<p>The “pledging” is just going to meetings to learn about the sorority and getting free stuff. You get showered with presents instead of getting hazed or doing pledge tasks!</p>

<p>Also, about the dues… EACH SORORITY IS DIFFERENT. And they will disclose how much it is AFTER you accept the bid and being pledging. Yes, it is expensive. Especially for the first year because you have to buy one-time things like… your sorority pin, jersey, initiation fees, etc. Each year you are in a sorority, the price goes down. There is also FINANCIAL AID for sororities as well and the sorority will work WITH YOU to help you pay for it! Obviously, they WANT you there and will do ANYTHING they can to help you stay!</p>

<p>I know SO many girls with different financial backgrounds and I don’t know of anyone who has had to drop for financial reasons! So DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT!</p>

<p>I hoped this all helped! And I encourage you to AT LEAST rush! You meet fantastic girls and it’s fun! If you have anymore questions, let me know!</p>

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<p>Hey thanks for the advice! I definitely plan to rush and if I can make the financial commitment, I would definitely be interested in joining a sorority. And it’s nice to know that I get presents instead of getting hazed, haha.</p>

<p>I thought I’d ask you since you are a girl (or anyone who knows is welcome to answer) … do you know anything about the clothes trends on campus? I’m from CA and I’m worried that I’m buying stuff that will be really out of place at Furman. What type of clothes do kids usually wear?</p>

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<p>Yeah! Totally understandable! I had that same question and no one had a good answer for me! Lol.</p>

<p>GENERAL: Mostly everyone (at least all the people from the South) dress extremely preppy. They wear nice, conservative clothing and look put together. The girls wear button down oxford shirts or polos in pastel colors and floral prints or more “plain” looking shirts. They usually wear skirts or khakis. Most girls wear dresses. Jeans can be seen on campus, but are not nearly as popular. Some girls wear heels to classes. (I do sometimes, just because I LOVE heels.) The majority of the girls wear flip flops though! (To get a better idea visually of what people wear, Google some of the designers I listed and the types of clothing. The Wikipedia page for the word “preppy” also helps!)</p>

<p>TRENDS: RAINBOW FLIP FLOPS (I thought it was a California thing… but I guess it’s not!), CROAKIES (they are those things that go around your sunglasses so you can hang them around your neck… <a href=“http://cotradeco.com/uploads/images/products/0001/5760/croakies-original-solid-color-blue_large.jpg[/url]”>http://cotradeco.com/uploads/images/products/0001/5760/croakies-original-solid-color-blue_large.jpg&lt;/a&gt;), SPERRYS (they are preppy boat shoes… <a href=“http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UghS0bvrDNQ/R5DA2-UKRKI/AAAAAAAAAFY/ih8KrHUqWU4/s400/red+sperrys.jpg[/url]”>http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UghS0bvrDNQ/R5DA2-UKRKI/AAAAAAAAAFY/ih8KrHUqWU4/s400/red+sperrys.jpg&lt;/a&gt;), WALLABEES (for guys… <a href=“http://www.bootssandalsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/wallabeeboot01.jpg[/url]”>http://www.bootssandalsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/wallabeeboot01.jpg&lt;/a&gt;), PEARLS (all the Southern girls wear them)</p>

<p>POPULAR BRANDS: J. Crew, Ralph Lauren, Charlotte Russe, Lilly Pulitzer, Vineyard Vines, Lacoste, Brooks Brothers</p>

<p>MY ADVICE: First off, BUY DRESSES! Buy an insane amount! Not like semi or formal dresses, but like casual and sundresses! For tailgates, as an example, everyone dresses up. Girls wear dresses and heels and the guys were bowties or ties. It is bizarre, but that’s just tradition in the South. I only have about 5 or 6 dresses and I NEED MORE. It is seriously that insane!</p>

<p>Coming from California to the South, it was hard because obviously I dressed differently. During the first semester I tried SO hard to fit in and wear preppier clothes such. And to be frankly honest, I look dumb in preppy clothing and it is NOT my style at all. Eventually I STOPPED trying to look like them and I felt SO much better and found my place. After I started dressing like California me, EVERYONE complimented me on my style! And I felt soooo good! Everyone kept asking where I shopped and stuff! I think it is refreshing for them to see because the Southern style is very refined and in California we have the laid back, but done-up look if that makes sense. My advice is to DRESS THE WAY YOU NORMALLY DRESS. DO NOT TRY TO CHANGE!!! It’s not who you are and because you aren’t dressing like yourself, you are NOT going to be yourself and have a harder time of readjusting. Trust me! I wasted SO MUCH time trying to be like them. It’s NOT worth it! Embrace your California-ness! (And believe me, people will be SO jealous you are from California!! ;)</p>

<p>Hope this was helpful! Let me know if you have more questions!</p>

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<p>This forum has been great! I just have a few questions for you guys. I’ve read a lot about Furman, but I wanted to ask about some stuff:

  1. I’ve read that Furman has a close-minded, religious campus. I’m not very religious or conservative. Will the environment be stifling for me? I know that, just like anywhere you go, there will be people who you like, but in general is it a very bible-belt-esque atmosphere?
  2. I don’t really want to join a sorority. Obviously, my opinion may change when I arrive this fall, but if I end up not joining, is there a social divide between girls in sororities and independent girls?
  3. About engaged living… What exactly is the point? Is it a volunteer thing, or just an interest specific thing? I am not too interested in any of the engaged living programs, but I thought to apply anyway. Is it worth it? The only one I am at all interested in is the “finding your life purpose” program, and even that doesn’t thrill me. To be honest, I initially looked into it because Townes seemed to be the best housing- especially with the renovations this summer.
  4. Woody, you said earlier that it is not hard to find parties and things, despite the dry campus policy. On the other hand, is it also easy to find things to do if you don’t drink? I don’t want to arrive on campus only to be excluded because I am not a drinker.
    Thanks for helping!!</p>
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<p>forgetmenot16
1.u will be find at FU. the lean is conservative but its not a religiuos deominated school. they have been trying to change this image for years.
2. you dont have to be in a sorority and theres no tension
3. not sure aby this one
4. this is not a problem.</p>

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<p>Hey caliprincess thanks so much for the fashion advice!! I must say that I absolutely can’t BELIEVE that those croakies and sperrys are so popular as they look very, very strange to me. And I’m surprised people wear heels to class! Oh, and I’m definitely a jeans and t shirt girl and I’m not going to change because I want to “fit in” … but part of the fun of moving to the South is absorbing the culture a little bit :)</p>

<p>I have a couple more clothing related questions if you have time:

  1. Does anyone wear these vans? They’re super popular here … [Vans</a> Authentic® Core Classics at Zappos.com](<a href=“Vans authentic core classics black1vans + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com”>Vans authentic core classics black1 + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com)
  2. Did you buy snowboots? I don’t like the look of Uggs but I don’t know any other type to buy. If people don’t really need them/wear them, then I won’t bother buying.
  3. Where did you buy your rainboots? I’m scared to buy them online incase I get the wrong size or get super tacky ones.</p>

<p>Oh, and do you know if the Furman bookstore sells planners? (Like academic planners, where you write down your homework) If they do, are they any good? Barnes and Noble sells a nice planner but I don’t want to buy it if FU is selling a better one!</p>

<p>Thanks :)</p>

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<p>whew! It’s good that somebody has come on to help out with fashion advice. </p>

<p>To answer the questions from forgemenot:

  1. I’ve posted about this a few times in other topics, so I’d recommend checking those out for a fuller answer, but the concise one is this: no. It won’t be stifling, but if you are completely opposed to religion and are an outspoken and close-minded athiest, you might not exactly fit right in. If you aren’t particularly religious, you won’t have any problems fitting in. About a third to half of the student population (rough guess) goes to church every Sunday. Furman is much more religious than most schools. I would say that it definitely is the Bible Belt, but that from my experience, everyone has been great and warmly accepting. I grew up going to a very liberal mainline protestant church, and so my positions on a lot of religious matters are VERY different than some of the more literalist and evangelical students on campus. In short, Furman is not an athiestic breeding ground like the New England LACs are, but it’s also not a Southern Baptist seminary. You’ll be fine as long as you don’t have some sort of hatred for the religious.</p>

<p>2) The short answer above, I don’t think, really fully answers the question. Yes, there is a social divide between the sororities and the independents. Sororities have functions, they hold mixers with fraternities, and they tend to be collections of relatively similar girls. So on the whole, yes, there absolutely is a divide. It’s just like in any situation, there is a divide between one group and another. HOWEVER, the real questions are: do the sororities actively try to segregate themselves from the independent population? Are independent girls friends with lots of girls in sororities? Is it possible to fit in without being in a sorority?</p>

<p>The answers to those questions are: No; It depends; Yes. If you are the type of person who would fit in in a sorority, but choose not to join one, you will still fit in with those girls, and be friends with a lot of them, even if you don’t join. If you’re not, you won’t be best of friends with the girls. The sororities at Furman are all very different, and there are different kinds of girls in each (although, sadly, Furman’s already ethnically homogeneous campus becomes moreso in the Greek system). I know tons of girls who are independent and have many Greek friends, and vice versa. </p>

<p>3) I went into this in a bunch of detail on another post too. So I’ll keep it short here–Engaged Living is great if you find a class that you really want to take, and don’t want to chance the housing process. You’ll be in the best suite-style dorm on campus, you’ll become really close with the people in your EL class, and you’ll either love it–or you’ll hate it. My biggest beef with the girls in EL last year was that out of probably 40, only 8-10 ever really came out and interacted with us guys in EL. I was happy with doing it because I had an incredible roommate, and I thought we had an awesome hall of guys. </p>

<p>NOTE: finding your life purpose is taught through the religion department, and I can personally guarantee you, will be filled with people who are VERY, VERY religious. I heard mixed things about it. Some loved it, the more secular people did not.</p>

<p>And yes, Townes will be the best housing next year. </p>

<p>4) Absolutely. Thanks to Furman’s CLP program there are insane numbers of lectures, films, discussions, etc going on on campus weekly. Additionally, Furman has a crazy number of clubs to join, and activities to become involved in.</p>

<p>Here are a few I recommend (grouped by personality type):</p>

<p>For those out to save the world:
-Environmental Action Group (EAG)
-Furman Students for Global Justice
-Amnesty International
-Heller Service Corps (sidenote: Heller is awesome. It’s an organization that puts together volunteer opportunities for Furman students, and is a great way to get involved in the community. Don’t have a car? That’s OK. You can borrow one from Heller to get to and from your volunteer spot.)</p>

<p>For future journalists:
-WPLS
-Furman Paladin Newspaper
-Yearbook
-FU2 TV</p>

<p>For future political science type people:
-College Democrats
-College Republicans
-Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow
-Student Government Association
-Mock Trial (one of the best teams in the country)</p>

<p>For outdoorsy types:
-Furman Outdoor Club (FUOC)</p>

<p>For people who want to get involved on campus:
-Furman Student Activities Board (FUSAB)
-Residential Life Council (RLC)</p>

<p>The list goes on and on. These are just some of the biggest ones, off the top of my head. Point being, even if you don’t drink you can get crazily involved on campus. There are always things to do, always people to hang out with, and almost always more school work to be done. If there isn’t, you can always go to the PAC (physical activities center) or the library. Both are incredible.</p>

<p>AND, you have the city of Greenville, which is always a great place to go get something to eat, or to explore.</p>

<p>Oh and to answer your question, bluishblackbird, Furman gives you a free planner when you come for O-Week. I don’t think I opened it once. I like using Google calendar better, but that’s a personal preference. The Furman planner is kind of meh, pretty similar to the ones I got all through HS.</p>

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<p>All good info.</p>

<p>Would anyone care to offer up a list of G’Ville’s finest restaurants?</p>

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<p>I have only had the opportunity to try a few of Greenvilles finest but there are two standouts:</p>

<p>Trio- A favorite of ours for great Italian food and wood fired oven pizza. It is lively, casual setting and great food. </p>

<p>Larkins on the River-This is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere, at least after our first visit. Great steaks and seafood, along with an extensive wine list and really good cocktails. The combination of setting, service, food and drinks make this a great place to celebrate. It is not cheap but great for a splurge. </p>

<p>We have tried a few others but Trio and Larkins were the only ones that stood out. Tommys Ham House was a great place for breakfast.</p>

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<p>Forgetmenot16-we have twins who are rising juniors at FU and had many of the same concerns you had as they started school two years ago. Furman is a rather conservative campus on some issues, but if the 2008 election is any bellwether, our kids said that most of the students were Obama supporters-that was a surprise to me. Most of the students are up fairly early on Sundays to attend church-our two have often said they feel like “the odd person out” because they do not attend church regularly. With time, everyone gets a feel for which students attend which churches who is open to being invited to religious groups, etc. </p>

<p>There are plenty of opportunities for students to attend parties regardless of the dry campus policy. Most of the greek organozations hold their events off campus and the school provides the infamous “drunk bus” to get students to and from these parties safely. Neither of our kids are drinkers and have gone to plenty of parties, though they say that the “vibe” to the fraternity parties is different. I always tell our kids and their friends to learn about S.C.'s Minor In Possession Law that addresses kids under 21 caught with alcohol. Well-meaning kids who WERE NOT drunk have ended up with records with the police because they were in the car with someone who had alcohol.</p>

<p>Woody is on the mark about Sorority life at FU and it’s impact on relationships among female students. There are a lot of different types of sororities-with at least 50 percent of women in sororities, I am beginning to think that pledging one’s freshman year might be a decent idea. BTW, the FU bookstore does have planners</p>

<p>BTW, EL, for the most part, is a great option and helps you to make friends quickly. FWIW, our son works as a TA to professor in the Religion department and the feel from many of the professors there is surprisingly laid back. So, I would not rule something out just because it’s affiliated with the religion department.</p>

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<p>Forgetmenot…</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Nah, the campus itself is more liberal than I thought it was going to be. There are A LOT of different religious and political groups on campus, but none are overwhelming. You can choose to partake in their activities or not. No one is going to pressure you into doing anything. It’s up to you to be involved or not as you want.</p></li>
<li><p>I admit, there is a divide in independents (indies) and sorority girls and that’s just because the sorority girls grow close between all of their activities, rituals, and such. The sorority girls are totally open to indies, it is just a little harder to include them and such because sometimes indies aren’t allowed at certain events and such. What usually happens is that all of a girl’s friends will all rush one sorority and then she will hang out with XYZ sorority because she is friends with them and will next year rush just so she can be more included. But no one will ignore you if you aren’t in a sorority. I HIGHLY suggest that you AT LEAST go through the rush process. You don’t have to pledge at the end, but you get to meet SOOOO many amazing girls and such!</p></li>
<li><p>There really is no point to Engaged Living. It is more of a common interest thing. The only plus is that you have a close group of friends from the start. You don’t get any extra academic bonus or advantage. I had a lot of friend who did it because I lived near the dorm that housed them and they hated it for the most part. The only thing they liked was the people in it. They became inseparable and the best of friends.</p></li>
<li><p>I know you asked this question to Woody, but if you don’t drink NO ONE will pressure you or exclude you from parties! It is totally okay! And there is plenty of other things to do on campus as well like hiking and such. But you can still go! No one will care (or probably notice because they will be drunk!)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Blueishblackbird…</p>

<p>1.NO ONE WEARS VANS!!! I found this extremely shocking since EVERYONE and their mother wears them out here. They are not to be found in the South! A lot of surf and skateboarding brands like Roxy, ONeill, Nollie, Vans, etc. are not popular and probably don’t even exist in the South!</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I didn’t buy snowboots because they are extremely unnecessary! I had 2 pairs of Uggs (which also another brand of shoe that NO ONE wears… BIZARRE I KNOW!) And I had a pair of nice dress leather Steve Madden boots as well. I highly suggest buying a pair of nice dress up boots. You dress up a lot and they are warmer and look better when you have to dress up when it’s cold! (They were JUST LIKE THIS, but a leather <a href=“http://www.ishoesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/steve-madden-tianna.jpg[/url]”>http://www.ishoesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/steve-madden-tianna.jpg&lt;/a&gt;)</p></li>
<li><p>I didn’t get rainboots and that was THE ONE THING I ACTUALLY NEEDED! I resisted on getting them because I am really into fashion and I think that they are INCREDIBLY tacky. BUT being at Furman, they are the most practical thing EVER. I need to suck it up and get a pair. I am on the hunt for a not-horribly-tacky pair. People at Furman wear all sorts of rainboots. I have seen rainbow colored ones, polka dotted ones, plaid ones, and A LOT of these hideous ones that have little dogs all over them (they must be some preppy designer brand like Ralph Lauren or something because they are too ugly to not cost a lot).</p></li>
</ol>

<p>And yes, Furman will give you a planner when you get there and I am pretty sure they sell other ones in the Bookstore.</p>

<p>Treeman2…</p>

<p>As for restaurants… I have been to a lot of different ranges of restaurants. The most expensive ones that I have liked the best are Sobys and High Cotton. It is incredibly pricey though! (I have only been to them for my birthday and for formal events where I didn’t pay. Lol.)</p>

<p>My ALL TIME favorite restaurant is Chicora Alley! It’s like this Tex-Mex kinda place! IT IS SOOOO GOOOD! And reasonably priced! </p>

<p>I went to Trio once and never went back. I went there before Homecoming and the food was al decent. Out of the 6 of us that went there, none of us loved our food. It was mediocre. But I don’t know. I am also lactose-intolerant so going to an Italian restaurant and not being able to eat cheese is a little difficult.</p>

<p>A FANTASTIC homestyle Italian restaurant is Bellacinos! It has pasta and pizza. Another good pizza place is MellowMushroom. (Or I have been told, since I can’t eat it.)</p>

<p>Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria is really good as well and also Liberty’s Tap Room.</p>

<p>And if you like chicken wings… WILD WINGS is legittttt. :)</p>

<p>My favorites out of ALL of these are High Cotton, Chicora Alley, and Wild Wings hands down.</p>

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<p>Over the holidays I took my 3 daughters to Trio and we all loved it.<br>
The atmosphere was warm, the hub bub just the right amount and plenty of options for vegetarians.
Really is there that much emphasis on clothes that is being discussed here? My oldest daughter never thinks twice about it at her university. My next one looking at Furman likes to wear vintage clothes and gets lost in the downtown vintage shop in Greenville (the best she’s ever seen). She likes that 50s-60s Mrs. Cleaver look complete with pearls. Oh and aprons are a fashion statement for her.</p>