<p>I just saw this thread in a different forum, and I though it'd be interesting to see. So yeah, what are things that you would change about freshman year, so that future classes can learn? Thank you! :)</p>
<p>Don’t take the C-2 unless you want a 15 minute ride back to East :p</p>
<p>I’m not sure whether or not to take math 103 for the fall of freshmen year. I hear its extremely difficult, but I plan to be a stat major so i guess i eventually have to take that and 104 eventually. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Be more social and outgoing. College is the place to reinvent yourself and your identity, and I did not feel I did enough of that. </p>
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<p>Take 104, it’s curved easier (or so I have heard). Also, the math sequence for math majors (not sure about stats majors) is completely different. They do not have to take 103, but rather take 105, which is more conceptual (i.e proof-oriented).</p>
<p>be careful which buses you take, because in a rush i took the Robertson instead of C-1 and cost myself over an hour. no joke…</p>
<p>use your credits at the marketplace at the beginning of the semseter. you run out of food points way to quickly as a freshman…</p>
<p>go out every thursday night possible…</p>
<p>get a leadership role or get seriously involved in a club. resume will be stronger and its just better for meeting people.</p>
<p>@andy_college09</p>
<p>What is so special about Thursday nights? (Sorry in advance if I am missing something obvious, which I kind of feel that I am)</p>
<p>A few things I regret: </p>
<p>1) Not taking advantage of academic resources: Don’t get me wrong, I worked very hard this year and actually did better than anticipated grade-wise. But Duke has SO MANY resources available, and I can only imagine how well I would have done if I had actually utilized them. Go to office hours, the math help room, the writing studio, get a tutor for a tough class (BEFORE the first midterm or else they’ll all be gone) when you need help or clarification.</p>
<p>2) Not doing a pre-orientation program: My roommate and a bunch of my good friends did a pre-orientation program and came into orientation week with a good group of friends already. Not that I had trouble making friends without doing one, but I think it would have made the first week of school that much more comfortable and the transition to college that much easier. It’s also a great way to meet upperclassmen. </p>
<p>3) Not really getting involved in anything until late in the year: The transition to college can be extremely overwhelming. None of my extracurriculars in high school really translated to activities at Duke, but that’s not really an excuse. Get involved in SOMETHING that interests you, even if you just join the ListServ and go to meetings. It’s a good way to meet other people and possibly discover a passion/hobby/interest you didn’t know you had.</p>
<p>And a few things that I absolutely DIDN’T regret at all!:</p>
<p>1) Tenting: I white-tented, and if I had to do it again, I probably would have blue-tented just to get better seats 
Regardless, I recommend that EVERY Duke student tent at least once. I’m a huge basketball fan but I imagine that even those of you who aren’t big basketball fans will a) learn to love it, b) love cheering on Duke and being part of the best, most dedicated fan base in the country, or c) at least appreciate the amazing atmosphere of Cameron during the UNC game and K-ville in general. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.</p>
<p>2) Going to every single one of my classes: Other than doing all of my homework and reading (relatively) on time, I can really only attribute my success this year to going to all my classes. This is only anecdotal, but I feel like going to class forces you to stay on top of your work, learn the material, and prevent cramming at the end of the semester. I know some people skipped tons of lectures and did fine, but I found that going to class really helped me out. </p>
<p>3) Rushing: Duke’s Greek scene is so drastically different from the typical Greek scene, which can at least be partially attributed to the fact that sororities and fraternities don’t have houses. I NEVER saw myself going Greek prior to Duke, but it turns out I love it. I’m not at all saying that I think everyone should go Greek - it’s definitely not for everyone. That being said, I do think everyone should at least keep an open mind about rushing, whether it is fraternity, sorority, or SLGs. If you go to a few events and hate it, fine. You don’t even need to continue rushing (many people are completely happy with their decision to remain independent). But I really think it’s one of those “don’t know until you try it” things.</p>
<p>Bluedevil13, that was an incredibly enlightening post. Thanks for sharing</p>