Duke student(s) taking questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
61

<p>I have a few questions as well.
Here they go–How many substance-free dorms are there? Are there medical centers in east campus? Can you ride bikes on campus? If yes, where can I park the bikes? Are there rooms(hopefully sound-proof) for students to practice instruments? How time-consuming is clubs and intramural sports in general? Besides liberaries and dorms what are other places you can study in?
Besides using AP credits to opt out classes, is there any tests to take before you can actually qualify for waiving classes?
How many social science/humanities courses are students in Pratt required to take for freshman year? How difficult is double majoring in engineering? </p>

<p>Thank you for anyone wiling to take the time! =D</p>

62

<p>I notice that freshmen are required to take writing courses. Can I request for individual tutoring if I need extra help? Can I find a music instructor to tutor me as well?
How hard are the classes to learn a foreign language from 0?
Is it possible to work in reseach projects during vacations?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance. =)</p>

63

<p>My son was a string player with a moderately valuable instrument, which he kept locked up in a locker in Baldwin, where the Symphony performs. The Music Dep’t and a few other majors are housed on East so there are practice rooms in buildings very convenient to freshman campus…steps away. There are a lot of sports competitions freshman year between dorms on East…which are very light hearted and not time consuming. Can’t comment on actual intramurals re time. Some of the teams are associated with Frats, I know.
The Library on East is beautiful with a gorgeous upstairs and many places to study. Most dorms also have study rooms. Also, freshmen on West will use their facilities to study since many of you will be on West much of each day. The Library on West is amazing.
there is a nurse on East…if you have anything out of the ordinary going on you go to Student Health so you can be referred to see doctors. That is West Campus location and you make an apt online.
My son started a new language at Duke, and found that to be a happy experience because some language depts are small and he got to know the faculty well and did a foreign study related to it. If you like language, it is a good way to have a second home at Duke…to affiliate with more than one place on campus. Language classes are often five days a week so that is a commitment though. Easier to learn that way. My son liked the Symphony and his language profs, FOCUS and joining the group of students who go to tons of sporting events…so it is good to find a few places at Duke to make it cozy for you. If you are in Pratt, that is instant community although tough, because your curriculum is different from arts and sciences at Trinity.<br>
Everything you want to know is online. TReqs take some time to memorize re curriculum.<br>
I met lots of engineers with other majors…often Economics, which requires very good calculus skills.<br>
The writing requirement has a faculty on hand to use as resources for your papers. You make appointments with them, hopefully as you go along. Although it is sometimes harder for people heavily into quantitative courses, don’t worry too much. There are many bilingual people at Duke and they make it through although it can be difficult to make As in this course for most people. Our son took writing within the context of FOCUS which made it more fun…but lots of people did it the other way.</p>

<p>Go to Residential at Duke in the search engine…all the dorms are described although the purpose of each dorm shifts from year to year depending on how things are changing on campus. There are plenty of non drinkers in every dorm however. It is not rare to be a non drinker at Duke. All the students are serious about their work and although it might be hard to study in your room, everyone finds someplace to get to work daily.</p>

64

<p>@Val0718</p>

<p>Brown on east, part of Crowell on west are substance free dorms. I think ‘Students for Sustainable Living (SSL), a selective living group’ is more or less substance free?
There is a clinic on east campus, I believe
Yes, but it is impracticable to ride from east to west. Bikes do get stolen, quite a bit more on east than west. (East is pretty much more exposed to Durham). There are bike corrals in front of many buildings and most dorms.
I don’t know about music practice rooms on east, but there are practice rooms on west.
Soundproofness depends on dorm, but rooms are generally NOT soundproof.
Depends on how much you want to get involved.
You can study outside or inside academic buildings, computer labs. The engineering buildings have a lot of study space (lot of engineer study there, but Trinity students are certainly not prohibited)
Certain departments have placement exams
You are not required to take a set number of humanities social sciences classes freshmen year. You must take Writing 20, which does not count toward your HSS requirement. You need 5 HSS classes in total, two of which can be AP. So you need to take 3 HSS classes at Duke over 4 years if you have 2 HSS AP credits.
Double majoring requires quite a bit of overloading (5 classes instead of 4) or summer school. AP Credits and double majoring in math/engineering makes it considerably easier.
There is a writing studio on east campus; you can schedule appointments.
Not sure about music.
The language classes meet a lot every week; don’t know much about difficulty. I guess that depends on class and professor.
Yes, you can possibly find a research mentor during the summer.</p>

65

<p>Another question, is there a foreign language class required for everyone? If so, am I able to get out of it with an AP credit of 5, or do I have to take a test at Duke? If I wasn’t able to take AP tests but I think I can manage a class above it say in english or social sciences or science, is it possible to take a class to move up into another class? Thanks!</p>

66

<p>@noobcake & Faline2,
Thanks so much for your detailed answer!
To the latter, I hope my experience in Duke can be as colorful and rewarding as your son’s! =)</p>

67

<p>congratulations on your admission to Duke, and enjoy your path there…there are 1000 ways to be a Blue Devil 4ever.</p>

68

<p>I am wondering…when do freshmen need to arrive at Duke?
I know the move-in day is August 24th, but is there anything that needs to be done before we move in? (Like sign up for things…) Is it necessary to arrive at the campus earlier? If so, how long?
I am an international student so I need to start looking for plane tickets already.
Thanks in advance.</p>

69

<p>I didn’t see this message about your son or I would have responded sooner. My son was a ball player in high school and on travel teams during high school, and he was recruited by some Division III schools. He informs me that the kids at Duke playing intramurals are really good, and he’s having lots of fun at it. His team won the freshman league and then played in an all-school competition (their own March Madness) and came in second. They played their final games at Cameron, and he had a blast. This ballplaying is also good at the graduate level-as these teams also get to participate. They also have a frat league. He also told me that a walk on to the team actually played intramurals, making it that much more competitive. To answer your question, I think the quality of the intramurals is high.</p>

70

<p>Val0718, you should go ahead and book a hotel room now for the night before unless you can arrange a timed flight for early that morning. </p>

<p>I arrived with a full van of “stuff” the night before at 9pm and the hotel had overbooked by 8 Duke families…so we were put in a not good place about midnight elsewhere. </p>

<p>Try to arrange your flight for earlier in the day so you don’t show up at night like we did. Best to check in a hotel the afternoon before to get over jet lag and rest a little if you are with a parent. If you are solo, you should be directing these questions to the international students office as they have probably much experience in helping you get to your dorm room easily. </p>

<p>You will not be allowed near your East dorm till a time you are assigned to arrive in your rental car or car. As an international student, you may be coming solo with “less stuff” so you may want to email the person who handles international students to make sure you --perhaps things are different for you. For those arriving in cars or rental cars from the airport, you have an appointed time to pull up to a specific parking lot…all this arrives in the mail in great detail for you. If you arrive by taxi or shuttle from the airport, why not write your international student affairs Duke contact to think it through. other dukies on CC may know from experience and post.</p>

<p>Move in goes very smoothly as sophomore volunteer students are standing on the curbs waiting for you to help you unload everything and carry your things upstairs to your assigned room. You will be assigned a sophomore who will greet you and check in with you a few times freshman year. My son’s was an exceptional person who was very gracious to him.</p>

<p>After one wave of move-ins concludes, parents must move their cars out quickly and the next wave of appointed cars enters. Parents can park in general lots further away after unloading to return to East Campus by shuttle bus or by walking to help if they like. </p>

<p>Lofts are for sale on the grounds of East for those who needed to loft or prefer to loft their beds. You are not allowed to “make your own” loft for safety reasons.</p>

<p>Many parents or students will look over the room (the rooms vary a great deal by size, shape and closet space) and head out for stores like Bed Bath and Beyond or Target to buy a few little items. There are buses arranged for student shopping trips if you are without a parent or car. If you come from far away, you can even preorder things like linens, pillows, blankets, alarm clocks, power cords, plastic buckets to carry shampoo to shower rooms, small fans to hook to your bedpost at night (there is no a/c in most dorms), window fans (very useful in summer late afternoons and evenings) and closet organizers or hangers from a Bed Bath and Beyond and simply go to the Customer Service counter to get it in Durham.</p>

<p>Dorm rooms are very standard but I thought the closets spaces were better than most colleges in general…although our son had a room that was a bit smaller with 2 smallish closets.</p>

<p>You can also order these kind of things and have them shipped to your room or the post office. I was surprised that my son got packages left at his door from online catalogs at Duke. (At Vandy you get an email saying “you have a package” and you go to the Post office to get it…I think Duke allows both methods…dorm delivery and Post office delivery)</p>

<p>There is no reason to come early and in fact, it is best to arrive with your class. All is thought out and planned well. I recall that our son went early to get his room key and to get his picture made for his photo ID immediately.</p>

<p>Since you may already know your class assignments, I believe my Duke son also had already ordered his books, and that they were already at an East Campus location under a tent or something for pick up which meant he didn’t have to go to the West Campus bookstore that one time to get his books.</p>

<p>He also opted to by a laptop from Duke…Perhaps this is not done so much anymore…but he picked that up on Day One as well.</p>

<p>You will already know your roommate and may already be conversing with them on FACEBOOK by then. </p>

<p>Definitely find the International student coordinator and get all this thought out with their assists and may your path at Duke be full of joy and good friendships and mentors.</p>

71

<p>International students have a international orientation that has (in the years before) started earlier than the regular orientation. I think they start doing that the weekend before official move-in day but I’m not too sure. </p>

<p>Edit: here it is:</p>

<p>[Duke</a> University | Student Affairs | International Undergraduate Orientation](<a href=“Duke Student Affairs”>Duke Student Affairs)</p>

72

<p>You are fantastic! Every post you make is so helpful and insightful. Thank you!</p>

73

<p>@ Faline2,
Thanks…really. Wow even parents at Duke are amazing.(haha) Can’t wait to start my journey!!=)
@SBR, Thank you!</p>

74

<p>Thanks for helping fellow Dukies (and Dukie parents)! I’ve been so swamped lately…</p>

75

<p>Are internationals simply those from other countries? What about those coming from Puerto Rico, Guam, and etc? Do we simply ship it by airplane to Duke? Does anyone know if this is very expensive? Are pillows/ etc. usually bought in Durnham? ARe AP credits used in Duke and are language courses required if one has taken the AP test? If so what must one get to have credit for a class? A 5?</p>

76

<p>I heard from a friend that East Campus food is NOT as good as West Campus’s…is this qualitatively true?</p>

<p>Is it possible to eat in West Campus by any chance?</p>

77

<p>On my visit, that was the vibe I got. You can eat at West Campus I believe, but you have a set meal plan designed for the Marketplace on East Campus, so I think you can only go to west for lunches and on the weekends? And everything on west campus is better…</p>

78

<p>In my opinion, Marketplace has lower quality food than its west campus equivalent Great Hall. There are certainly other places to eat; I suggest Blue Express…</p>

<p>If you miss/skip breakfast or not eat breakfast, you can use a $6 credit at the Great Hall. You can also use your very limited number of food points on west anytime anywhere.</p>

<p>If you eat 21 square meals a day, 7 breakfast, dinner, and lunch, you will probably have to add food points.</p>

79

<p>@ cosabelle:</p>

<p>A foreign language is required for all Trinity student. Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but an AP credit (must have a 5) with only give you placement into a higher level course. The only students who do not have a foreign language requirement are Pratt students, who have to fulfill different graduation requirements. </p>

<p>I’ve met foreign students from everywhere. It’s pretty diverse, as far as the countries that everyone comes from. (I can think of people from Korea, Singapore, China, Kenya, England, and Brazil just off the top of my head, but there are undoubtedly many more.) As far as getting all of the things you need for your dorm, I bought most of it in Durham. My bed sheets, pillows, etc., I bought through Duke. They were a bit more expensive, but it was worth the convenience of just picking it up on move-in day instead of having to find a way to ship stuff over. Most people, by the looks of it, either just brought everything with them in suitcases or had a parents travel with them and rent a car, that way they could go shopping on their own time here. I did the latter.</p>

80

<p>About Food:</p>

<p>This depends on the person a lot. While Marketplace food is usually mediocre, it’s part of the board meal plan that you have to have. Their lunch is usually better than normal, but my biggest problem was that most of my classes are on West Campus and the travel back and forth was usually not worth it. I go through more foodpoints than most people because I’d rather spend more money on West than travel back to East campus. </p>

<p>I have met people who have quite a few leftover food points at the end of the semester. My roommate is just running out now, but I have refilled my Food Points twice so far, but I’m always left with an extra four or five board meals at the end of each week. It’s just more about where you decide to spend more time with or how much you splurge on food on West Campus. (However, the board meal plan does allow you dinner at the Freeman Center, which usually has very good food.)</p>