Furman University

I’m not quite ready to turn that page to the next chapter of my college career. This year is over, and it went by so fast. Finals are over, graduation is over…I am a sophomore.

As I watched Gilmore Girls on TV the other day, I reminisced as Rory, the main character, moved in for her first day at college. Choosing a college is a huge decision, but after making my decision and living a year at Furman, I know I picked the right school. I will embrace the time off this summer from the stresses of school, but I want to go back.

I’m going to entertain myself this summer, in my time apart from Furman, by working at Camp Greystone. As far as I’ve heard, I’ll never want to leave camp either, but I think that is acceptable.

I hope you all have a wonderful summer. Catch some fireflies, eat some ice cream, wear your sunscreen.

You can still email me if you so please. I know the best places to purchase all things from coat hangers, alarm clocks, to command strips, so my knowledge is invaluable. Also, you may have more dire questions that I would be happy to answer!

katherine.boda@furman.edu

Brother Sister tricycle ride at Relay for Life

1 year down with these guys

I have been asked what advice I would give myself again if I could redo Freshmen year, so take it or leave it, but here are my wise words of wisdom. Here’s a shout out for this question from a new Paladin!

Freshmen coming into Furman have a very limited, if any, friend base when they arrive. That might actually be a positive because that just means everyone is looking for friends.

You could very possibly be someone’s friend crush. I will define friend crush for you if you are unsure of its meaning. Friend crush: someone you really want to be friends with. If you want to be someone’s friend, someone probably wants to be yours.

During this new student process, have some confidence. Talk to people. Don’t assume nobody wants to be your friend. Don’t narrow your options based on appearances or how cool or uncool someone appears to be. I have gotten to really know a lot of people I never thought I would be friends with. It turns out a lot of them are just as obscure and excited and weird as I am. In college, you live with these people 24-7, so don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. Be you, and this whole college thing will be so much fun.

Also, take advantage of random adventures and opportunities. These adventures are great ways to bond and to get to know people. These adventures are where a lot of my friendships began, and it is a lot of fun to look back and see where we began, less than a year ago, as complete strangers.

My last piece of advice is to sit and talk with people. You can spare 30 minutes, really. Heart to heart conversations are the best, and you really get to know people for who they are. Make an effort to form more than shallow relationships.

Some of the best friends I could ever ask for

Waterfalls, friends, and sunny days

I may have jumped onto a tree from a rock and gotten stuck.

I am pleased to announce that I have broken out the Chacos and shorts again. This is my kind of weather-75 and sunny. Running is much more pleasant, I tend to take random walks more often now, and I feel like icecream is always appropriate when it is beautiful outside. These are all great things.

This past weekend was also great weather for formals. Fraternities have weekend long formals off campus, and I got to go to Pi Kapp’s formal in Charleston, SC. It was a great time to be away from school and to forget about school work for a little bit. It was also just wonderful to hang out with friends and explore in a different city. We wandered the beaches and of course ate at some fun places. Charleston has quality food. I ate some of the best spaghetti ever at an Italian restaurant, and we also went to a restaurant called Poe’s, named for Edgar Allan Poe. The best part of that experience might have been the bathrooms with his book pages all over the walls-what creative people. There was a very long line to get a table, so clearly I was not the only one intrigued by the restaurant. Somehow we got through the line quickly though and beat off all 40,000 people in town for the Cooper River Bridge Run.

The other best part of the weekend was my hotel room. We may or may not have found a way to dislodge the screws in the bar stopping the window from opening more than 1 foot so that we could stand on the little fake roof patio. We also may or may not have also done a little happy dance at our discovery and then had a picnic on the roof with popcorn and rootbeer. It was the little things that made this weekend fun!

Formal

Casually skipping on the beach

Supporting Push America by “pie-ing” a Pi Kapp

I am officially going to be a member of hall staff next year, and I honestly couldn’t be more excited. I get to live and work together with one of my best friends, Christy. Also though, I get to be a part of this new college experience with lots and lots of freshmen. It is such a fun time, and I have really benefited from the connections with upperclassmen hall staff. Getting to know the staff this year has been such a source of community for me, so next year I am excited to be a part of that!

We had hall staff training this past Friday night and then all day Saturday. I can’t say I feel trained, but I learned all about what I should expect as a part of this team. We will have summer training too, so I guess I am looking forward to the bonding time with my fellow hall staff.

Christy will be the RA (Residence Assistant) next year, and I will be the FRAD (Freshmen Advisor.) Christy is the head honcho roommate. We will be on Poteat 300, and let me tell you, that is going to be a quality hall. We also were assigned our brother halls this weekend. Our brother hall has some of the greatest staff. They are some of Christy and my good friends, so getting to work with wonderful people will make this a very fun year! Clearly we wrote a convincing essay as to why our halls will work best together.

As always, please feel free to email me any questions you might have! I will try to answer anything!

katherine.boda@furman.edu

Throwback to dressing up as frat boys together for Halloween. The beards are pretty convincing.

We can’t wait to be YOUR hall staff!?

This is teamwork.

It’s the friends who see you wearing pajamas and your retainers- but

they go with you on late night bagel adventures anyways.

It’s the recurring stomach ache- but

it is only because you have laughed yourself to tears with friends.

It’s the exciting news you receive and want to tell someone- but

that person is just right down the stairs or down the hall.

It’s the access to the fun, the laughter, and the support- but

college is that community and access.

It’s the freedom. It’s the community. It’s the friends, the hope, the adventure-that makes college, college.

It takes time, and it takes a lot of work and courage to seek out a community where you belong, but the fun thing about this is that everyone starts anew in the adventure. College has been a place for me to share in conversation with people who support me and share my similar values. College is also though a place of differences- but that’s life. I am also learning to live in community with many people whom I share little in common. We are all here though, for some reason or another, and we all share Furman in common.

I just think a college community is a pretty cool and unique concept. It’s an experience.

Initiation!

Mail. Everyone loves it. Most people like it best in the form of a friendly letter, birthday invitation, care package, or any other uplifting message. Phone bills, taxes, or fliers don’t count as mail as far as I am concerned.

Furman mail is the same as real world mail, so this description will be brief. Each student has their own fancy mailbox. The box is a wonderful shade of silver, and you get your own key. I feel especially grown up having another key to add to my key chain, so I encourage you to look forward to this. The mailboxes are located in the one and only Trone Zone (by the bookstore and the Pden if you have visited). This is a very convenient location because we are in this building constantly. I personally just check a couple of times a week as I walk through.

School groups and students can send fliers or letters to the student body here as well, so this is how we get some of our information. Also, events are advertised in the form of fliers.

There is also a postal service counter on campus where you can send and receive packages. This is open from about 9-3 Mon-Fri. When something comes here, we receive an email. That is an exciting email to get. I usually get about 5 emails from Furman mail during the semester, and I would say 4 of them are from Amazon where I order my school books. Nonetheless, a package is a package. Also, who doesn’t love a brand new text book to spend the rest of the semester with?!

If you would like the opportunity to test out the Furman University Mail System, I will provide that opportunity. Send any questions/letters/cakes/whatever your heart desires to the following address:

I will let you know if you have successfully mastered the Mail System by writing you back. *Perks: Sometimes I tell jokes and other times I draw pictures. Now does that sound like a deal or what?

One time my mom sent me this giraffe noisemaker and these spongy expandable animals. My mom has mastered the mail system.

Several times recently I have been asked  the question “What is one thing that has surprised you the most since attending Furman?”

I believe I responded with-the opportunities and the people. That was somewhat of a spontaneous response  (the first thing that popped into my head,) but I do like that response.

College in general is a place to explore, but Furman has provided opportunities in my exploration. For example, along with Michael, I have been a part of the Furman Creative Collaborative which is hosting a TED Conference. As a freshman, I have been able to get involved to really get the inside look at how students can independently run an organization and make things happen. Not only do I get to be a part of this organization, but I get to work with students who are excited about something. They are all involved and invested in the success of the student body. The people in the many different groups in which I am involved really push me to succeed. I have blindly gone into some clubs unsure of my purpose, but the excitement of others makes me excited.

I cannot say that I have found my passion, but I have found people who make me passionate. They are there to provide opportunities for me, and that gives me hope.

Opportunities and people. There are many other things that have surprised me though.

1. The abundance of squirrels on campus is honestly a surprise. You just wouldn’t expect so many squirrels…

2. I am surprised to see that I adapted to living in a dorm so quickly. Everyone is in the same living space, so it was a quick adjustment.

3. I am surprised that my habits in high school, good and bad, have indeed followed me. This includes things such as eating breakfast, going to bed early….I thought I would lose some of these things when I came to college.

4. It is surprising to see some of the things I couldn’t live without now. These things include a sports watch, rain shoes, a backpack, a laptop, pictures on my walls…I never knew a watch would be so essential to my life.

5. It is especially surprising to see where people come from. I am always shocked to hear of the person who comes from a farm or of the person whose grandfather is actually royalty or something. In college, I only know of people what they tell me, so finding out about their home life is always a surprise.

Chi O “Superlative” Function
I was elected ‘Most Likely to be President.’
My date dressed as secret service and held my campaign posters. I added my face to my brother’s actual student body president campaign.

Superlatives
Most likely to be: President, (w)rapper, Miss America, Biker Chick, Miss America

To all of the prospective students: Senior year is probably dragging along one day at a time as you decide on a college and send in those last applications and acceptances. Enjoy the time you have now though. Do it. Appreciate the high school experience. I feel like I was just there applying and deciding on “the place for me.” I decided and found that place, and to my surprise, everything I have been so anxious for and excited about for so long has suddenly come and gone. This year is almost over. I just took a midterm in my second semester. I just became a FRAD, a freshman hall staff member for next year, so I can go through your freshman year with you! I just got into a sorority and got a wonderful “Big.” My brother was just elected student body president for next year in his last year at Furman. I have my first real Chi Omega function on Friday. I have a summer job at Camp Greystone. Those things were so distant just a few weeks ago, but they all came so quickly.

This semester I am fulfilling a general education requirement (GER) with the class Bible and Ultimate Meaning. I love my teacher. I love the class, but it is really giving me something to think about. It is really causing me to struggle through all of those “meanings”- all of those “questions.” Not just Biblical questions and meanings, but in terms of life….What am I doing with my life? What has meaning? Honestly, it boggles my mind. Sometimes I just need to think about this. I am here at school learning and being educated….but I don’t even think that is the purpose of college. Yes, of course that is a nice bonus, but I think I am learning who I am and what I am supposed to do. I went to what I would consider a “real meeting” with professionals yesterday, and it was just very great to think of the connections that are literally falling into my lap. I just have to figure out how to make something of those opportunities. Life is happening, and I just don’t feel old enough.

In conclusion, time flies.

Please contact me if you have any questions: katherine.boda@furman.edu

If you have philosophical life questions. I don’t have any answers, so you’re on your own for that one. I may need to ask you actually.

But really, I am just a freshman who went through the college application process recently, and I don’t bite. If you have questions I would love to attempt to answer them!

My “big” Sarah! I am so excited to be a part of this “family!”

More of the “Precious” fam!

I have gotten very caught up in Furman life. I go to Furman classes. I am part of Furman clubs. I have Furman friends. I honestly have very little need to leave this Furman bubble. Recently though, I have thought a lot about the “other” life I had in high school. Not everything I did was associated with my school, and I think that was for good reason. At home I had a church family, a soccer family, a music family- all separate from school. It is a good opportunity to work within Furman, but this semester I have found the benefits in stepping out of Furman to do more.

This semester a friend on my hall introduced me to an organization called Frazee Dream Center. I have started going to this every week, and it is so nice to be a part of something in a different community. Frazee is an after school program located in a church near downtown. We go for a few hours and read books and work on homework with lots and lots of kids. Then, we play! It isn’t often that I get to hang out with tons of children on campus, so I love this!

Tutoring is another opportunity I have had in getting off campus to immerse myself in the Greenville community. I can’t take credit for getting involved with this by myself either. As part of my education class, we go to a local middle school and tutor each week. I am excited to get to do this though! It is certainly a challenge, but I am learning a lot. Also, as a college student now, looking in on a middle school classroom, I am very thankful for what all of my teachers put up with. I understand now why it is so annoying to have fire drills in the middle of class. I understand now why checking homework for 30 min slows down the entire day. I understand now. And just to think, I used to get so excited to have class stalled for that short amount of time. But now, all I see is how hard that is on the teacher and ultimately on the education of the students.

I have a different perspective on life now that I am here at Furman, and it is great to see more than just the Furman community with that perspective.

Some of my new favorite chi omegas! (I have a lot of favorites.)

My brother is running for student body president. Here is one of his campaign posters. Boda for pres.

Last semester two of my classes (Public Speaking and Auto ethnography) were writing based, so we didn’t really have tests because we wrote a lot of papers. My other two classes (French and Math) had a lot of tests and quizzes because everything was cumulative. This semester, I will admit, I am really worried because I haven’t had any assessments. I read a lot every night, but I have not yet had one of “those” weeks where tests and papers overwhelm my life. That means the one or two tests I have in each class will cover everything. These are the kinds of classes that scared me when I was a high school student trying to imagine college. Well, my fears remain as I still have no experience with the assessments or lack of assessments that come with these classes.

On a positive note though, I love the subject matter and professors in all of my classes, so for now I am just going to enjoy!