<p>I applied for the duke genome focus a while back, and was recently told that I was selected into my second choice focus, the exploring the mind cluster. I am planning on being a chemistry major and maybe a bio minor (or vice versa), possibly premed. The genome focus was perfect because some of those seminars counted towards my major (or even a certification program). I spoke with the focus director and was recently garaunteed the courses I preferred in the exploring the minds focus (puzzles of the mind, neurobiology), but I cannot decide if it is worth staying in focus if I truly only wanted to do the genome focus. Will this exploring the mind focus be a **** load of work? Will the classes be graded harshly? Is it worth it to drop focus altogether? Thanks for your help</p>
<p>Also, will taking focus screw me over later at duke when I can’t take as many fun classes later because I filled up my schedule with focus?</p>
<p>I think you should stay in FOCUS. It’s a good experience and you get to know other students/professors really well. It may or may not be a lot of work (varies greatly depending on the group, and I don’t know about that one), but typically in FOCUS classes the majority of people get A’s so if you do the work, you are rewarded. (And the vast majority of people do all the necessary work, there aren’t too many slackers…) There should be enough flexibility in your curriculum to still take “fun” classes later on in your career.</p>
<p>Thanks, anyone else have any other opinions?</p>
<p>Staying in Focus gives you the chance to get to know your profs better. (YOU WANT THIS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS)</p>
<p>While FOCUS is a great way to get recommendations early on, don’t do a FOCUS unless the subject matter is something that you’re really interested in. The Genome Focus was a ton of reading; other clusters are probably easier. But like other people have said, people who are in FOCUS are NOT slackers. Unlike large intro classes where you can just skip out/zone out if you’re not interested in the material, FOCUS requires your complete…focus, har har.</p>
<p>exploring the mind is a “classic” FOCUS program at Duke, offered year after year so it must be doing its job…boosting student access to interesting professors in a more personal setting, giving you a shot at some interdisciplinary courses that are all related for your first semester, giving you a view into two or three possible majors. Grades are challenging to make at Duke no matter what you sign up for…and you do have to get your writing credit for TReqs…many students find writing in a cluster of courses to be agreeable. Good luck in your decision. Neuro at Duke is very research based in keeping with Duke’s focus as a research institution with related graduate school programs and should be interesting. FOCUS programs have multiple agendas, including giving you a “small LAC” semester at a research institution (one of the great things about going to Duke, Vandy, Emory, Rice…is this mix of intimate and large), giving you an eye into majors, giving you access early on to professors who are well regarded or exceptional in some way, giving you discussion based opportunities, showing you instead of telling you that subjects are deeply inter-related, giving you a study group in your dorm that is not too stifling (no one in your FOCUS is your roommate…but Exploring the Mind lives in one building…instant study friendship circle), giving you some informal time with professors when they do joint lectures or have suppers with you.<br>
Forging relationships with professors does take initiative at a school like Duke. This is not a tiny college, so whether you opt for FOCUS or not, build in some intimate courses for yourself with wise planning so you don’t graduate without mentors. My son did FOCUS and remains friends with several people…none of them majored in a subject addressed in their FOCUS group, but they remain fond of their FOCUS professors and even attended the funeral of one of them together years later.<br>
Make Duke your home is my message, make your new family, stay open hearted. FOCUS is only one of scores of ways to do this. My son had about four or five subgroups at Duke unrelated to each other. He had a musical group and a mentor there, he was in Dukes and Duchesses as a trained guide and host for special events on campus, he was a loyal FOCUS grad, he had another group of professors in his foreign language section, he went abroad and made another group of friends, his major was a rather impersonal experience though–he had a few other social groups, not necessarily like each other…it is up to you to seek out subgroups at Duke…every student has a completely different take on how this works out for them.
FOCUS in my opinion is simply an invitation and a model of how you should be using all four years at Duke…getting to know your professors and their agendas and research subjects, getting to appreciate the incredible variety in your peers.<br>
you really can’t do this “wrong”…with FOCUS or without FOCUS if you have an intentional plan of hooking up with several aspects of Duke and contributing in your four years.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your input. The only issue with me doing Exploring the Mind is that I’m not THAT interested in the Puzzles of the Mind seminar (personally is seems very dry, and I’m not even in the course yet). Is it worth biting the bullet and taking FOCUS if I’m only really interested in one of my seminars?</p>
<p>why don’t you post a new thread with exploring the mind focus in the title…some graduate might reply.<br>
In general, I think the classes are all more interesting than you can guess now. Duke has a great faculty, and you may be underestimating the element of surprise ie my son had only fab things to say about all his teachers for four years, even in courses where he struggled. This particular FOCUS was offered as long ago as five years. I imagine it has been revamped till it is quite well reviewed and well done.
FOCUS is really a decision you make about how you want to spend one of your first semesters in college before you get locked into tighter quarters with your majors/minors and trips abroad. FOCUS is an experience as a whole.</p>
<p>Will not being in a FOCUS program detract from my first year experience?</p>
<p>I don’t think it detracts, but it certainly adds.
I didn’t do focus and I’m thankful for that. Essay writing isn’t my thing, and the mountains of reading they had to do didn’t look fun. But the people in FOCUS say that they’re really glad they did it.</p>
<p>Duke is a super social, fun community. You can make friends many other ways quickly but you should attempt to build “focus-like” communities into your Duke four years if you want to have a more personal experience with the faculty. No one who skipped FOCUS was full of regrets…on the contrary…they were busy with their own daily classes and new friends. If you don’t do FOCUS< participate early in something at Duke that interests you. Just get more in depth in projects or service activities or the arts or sciences at Duke early is my advice.</p>