<p>Can anybody currently or has been in Focus Program give me an insider’s view concerning its pros and cons? According to the brochures and websites (focus.duke.edu) it does sound like it offers many wonderful opportunities to interact with distinguished professors and fellows as well as participating in exciting seminars. However, when I asked a friend of mine who is currently a Duke sophomore, he replied that the program is nothing really different from normal courses. Since he did not do Focus, I really want some opinions from somebody who has done it. Particularly:</p>
<li>If I choose to participate in Focus, do I have to do a wide range of course to fulfill the program, or just one seminar would do it? For example: For “Between Europe & Asia: Explorations in Culture, Law & Cognitive Science”, the courses offered are:</li>
</ol>
<p>Seminar: Linguistics 133S Neuroscience & Human Language
Seminar: Russian 119S The Empires Western Front: Russian & Polish Cultures
Seminar: Russian 118 Islam & Orthodoxy
Seminar: Public Policy 135S Law & Globalization in Emerging Markets
Focus 99 Special Topics in Focus: Culture, Law & Cognitive Sciences</p>
<p>Do I really have to take ALL of these courses to complete the program?</p>
<li><p>What is the benefit of sharing housing with students in the same cluster? Does it reduce your chance of interacting with other non-Focus students?</p></li>
<li><p>Does Focus issue a certificate? And does it makes your transcript look better if, say, you are planning to apply for graduate school?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you very much.</p>
<p>I believe you state your preferences for a few Focus programs, and from there, take two of the classes, and a .5 credit "dinner" seminar. You choose your first 2 or 3 choices, and hopefully get one or both. My D got her 1st choices, but some of her peers where there, because they didn't get theirs. No certificate for the focus that I know of, but some of the topics offer certificates (for example my daughter did the Genome Project one).</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You take two normal classes and two of the four Focus seminar courses, plus that fifth one (a one hour discussion that you have during dinner once a week).</p></li>
<li><p>It's just easier to develop the relationships with the people you're taking small, intimate classes with. Some of my best friends i met through Focus. To give you an idea, I lived in a freshman dorm with over 150 people and around 25-30 (I believe) were in my Focus, so meeting people outside of focus is easy.</p></li>
<li><p>No certificate</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My son LOVED Focus and it does make for great friendships right off the bat, but it does not interfere with making friends who didn't opt for it ie your roommate will NOT be a member of the FOCUS program if you are. It is a great way to be around professors published in their fields who are amazing while making friends. Son is a senior now but is still very close to his FOCUS classmates and calls on the profs with great fondness. You need to write a convincing essay if you have your heart set on one theme but it is best to pick two themes and be happy with either. My son had tons of non FOCUS friends in his freshman dorm..played a sport with them casually....still hanging out with friends from his building on East. Think of Duke as a big school with small school experiences to be had inside. FOCUS is like you chose to go to Amherst for a semester, while still enjoying your larger campus and stimulating world of Duke. FOCUS groups often include very cool trips. You have to dispense with the writing class somewhere..more fun when your essays are on the subject you are studying from many angles. The Dinner meetings are places where you meet up with FOCUS members who signed up for the "other" topics in your theme for discussions. FOCUS and the East Campus for freshman are two of the best things (of many) to be found at Duke.</p>
<p>"You have to dispense with the writing class somewhere"</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure you still have to take a writing class; I don't think it's included in FOCUS anymore.</p>