Class of 2015, take it from someone who survived- you can come through your freshman year at Furman with a GPA still equivalent to the nation’s gas prices. And on top of that, some of the best memories you make during your college career will be during the O-Week activities that have been planned for your enjoyment.

O-week is a whirlwind of names you’ll have trouble remembering once classes start and trying to navigate the halls of Lakeside without getting lost. You will spend a ridiculous amount of money at the bookstore on a coveted”FU” t-shirt (along with other such items) and you will realize that everyone here talks in a code consisting entirely of acronyms (no worries though, you will soon learn all of them and become quite efficient in using them). But on top of all that, it is a time to make lifelong friends and jump outside of your box; a time to cultivate the person you want to be at this point in your life.

There is one thing that everyone must come to realize about O-Week though. Yes, the activities you do may seem somewhat beneath you at the time; after all, you are now Furman students. However, going all out and participating in everything will make the first week you spend here at Furman something to happily look back on for the rest of your college career.

Furman University: Off the Record quotes one student as saying, “Furman is an incredible place to explore your calling and to find enjoyable people to join you on your journey.” This journey starts the minute you step on campus and catch your first view of the picturesque landscape that our school is known for. Everything you do now will play a role in determining the path your life will take and who will be with you for the ride.

It may sound cliché, but these first weeks you spend at Furman really will have a huge impact on the rest of your undergraduate years. So, be prepared to step out of your comfort zone. Give your opinions in class, talk to people you see in the DH, and most importantly, do not take this first year of freedom for granted. Four years may sound like a long time to make memories, but it will fly by; before you know it, you will be receiving your diploma.

Freshmen class, you will receive advice from many people this year; sometimes solicited but more often not. Your RA’s and FRAD’s will be there to assist you through tough times and older classmates will give you tips on what professors to avoid. But most importantly, this year will give you the opportunity to find your own voice. This new found freedom comes with a price; yes, you are able to make decisions for yourselves now. Just remember that every action has a consequence, whether positive or negative.

There are two types of people in college: those who make the most of every minute of their four years and those who just coast along, content with simply being. Here at Furman, O-Week will play a large part in determining which category you will fall into. My advice for avoiding the latter group is simple: give 110% in everything Furman throws at you. Another cliché, I know, but it is actually applicable in this context.

So Class of 2015, relish these first few weeks at your new home, because they can provide a glimpse of how much you will enjoy these next few years of your lives. And one last tip- if you are not happy with how things look for you at the end of O-Week, don’t stress. I have complete confidence when I say that over the next few weeks, you will realize that you made a great choice by coming to Furman University.