Furman University

Date: Mar 20 2003
Major: Other (This Major's Salary over time)
Furman looks very good on paper. It is exactly what it claims to be: a beautiful, small, liberal arts school whose teachers take the time for students and whose programs encourage the student body to get involved. When I looked at Furman, I was having a very hard time picking a school. I weighed every pro and con I could think of. At the time of my acceptance, I thought that the pro's outweighed the con's. The only thing that Furman seemed to be lacking was the variable I considered most important in a school of my choice. The variable was diversity. Upon visiting Furman, I attended a Philosophy class which showed me a great deal of diverse opinions at Furman. It encouraged me to look past the lack of diversity mentioned in the college search books and the groups of people that I had met in my visit.

After being at Furman for 3 years, I am still disappointed with my decision to come here. I don't feel that it was or is the best place for me.

The reason is lack of diversity, and as little as it seemed to me at the time of accepting, it's a lot bigger deal to me now. The Furman bubble makes me feel confined. Being the norm, is the norm. Just today, someone mentioned to me that they like dressing up, not for the sake of dressing up, but because it's the thing to do at Furman. I feel like me being me is an incredibly statement on campus. People take notice. I would much rather be in an environment where diversity was expected.

I flourish on diversity, and take great joy in getting to know different kinds of people. My experience at Furman has challenged me to seek out diversity in people who I may have categorized as a representation of Furman's whole: the same interests and attitudes toward life. Being this far along in my education, I am doing my best to make the most of it and keep my eyes on the "pro's". As much as this is true, I do feel that if I had the opportunity to decide again, my choice would be far from Furman. I encourage you to really think about the reasons why you have chosen a certain school. Make sure that you make your decision based on your overall perception, and not just an hour Philosophy class.