Packing up & moving out
Just two short weeks ago I moved into a room in the hall known to have to smallest rooms on campus- Blackwell. I moved in early for a Pre-Orientation program, which, by the way, I would most definitely do again give the opportunity. Signing up for the backpacking POP trip was one of the smartest decisions I made this summer. To my surprise, all of my belongings fit nicely into my room in Blackwell Hall. Despite the bunked beds, old furniture, and the lack of wall space in Blackwell Hall, there is ample storage and shelving. My first dinner as a college student gave some great insight into Furman University and what it is all about. I joined four other freshmen students, one professor, and one upperclassman for dinner at a Furman professor's house. Not only did we get to meet his wife and children, play with his baby, and eat a delicious home cooked meal, but we also spent hours sitting around the kitchen table talking and getting to know each other. Dr. Cass made a point of remembering each of our names, and assured us that he is easy to contact if we ever need anything. On my first night at Furman I could already see what separates Furman University from other academic institutions.
My new room
Wednesday morning we departed for an overnight backpacking trip in the beautiful North Carolina (my home state) mountains. The next two days were filled with a plethora of wild blueberries, insightful conversations, delicious meals, and the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen. After the rest of the Furman freshmen moved in to the Residence Halls on Friday, I quickly discovered how lucky I was to have already formed the relationships that I did on the backpacking trip. Not only did I have the chance to meet the lovely ladies on my hall, but I also had the opportunity to introduce them to the friends I had already made, as well as get to know the roommates of my friends from the backpacking trip. The web of people I knew was quickly growing.
The backpacking crew!
The next three days were filled with information sessions, O-staff skits, a freshmen dance party, a tour of the President's house, an afternoon in downtown Greenville, O-lympic competitions, and hundreds of introductions. These past two weeks, I am certain that I have said my own name at least 500 times. I'm not going to lie, it hasn't been easy. Changing my room, my friends, my lifestyle, my routine, and just about everything else about my life so suddenly is difficult. Meeting people, introducing myself, and making an effort to get involved in all that I can is exhausting, but I know it will be worth it.
My new roommate, Arianna!
As classes begin and things are settling down on campus, it is becoming clear that Furman is the place for me. I am taking four classes this semester. My freshmen writing seminar is on Race, Crime, and Justice. I am also taking Philosophy, Chemistry, and Spanish. I was reluctant to take Philosophy and my freshmen writing seminar, but after attending the first week of classes, I can already tell that the professors are going to challenge me to think about the world in ways that I haven't before. This week began a new chapter of my life, a chapter of college life, college routines, and college classes. Everything that once was a part of my life is still a party of my life, but it is manifested in different ways. As the homework assignments, readings, and labs begin to pile in, I am looking forward to settling in a little more and creating a place for myself over this new horizon.
(Photo credit: my new friend, Haley Hughes)
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