Honestly...how hard is Duke?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Duke University
1

<p>I'm starting to be a little worried...I'm willing to work hard, of course, especially for classes I'm going to enjoy, so this isn't an issue of wanting an easy school (of course, having some easy classes now and then would be great :-P) but I started wondering about this after some friends came back from Washington University for summer break after their first year. They're COMPLETELY dejected...you can tell. They're talking about how they rarely can even go out on weekends for fear of failing their classes, they never have any fun, they're studying all the time, etc.</p>

<p>I'm starting to feel nervous that this is what Duke's going to be like. That's not what I want out of a college experience...I want a nice, even balance between work and fun. To me (and I'm sure a lot of you as well) my free time on weekends is sacred :).</p>

2

<p>Depends on how much of your weekend is sacred. If it's ALL of it, then yes, you're probably in trouble... If you are willing to get the work done in the early afternoon, then you'll have plenty of time to hang out with friends and such. It's all about time management and about understanding that college requires anywhere between two and four times as much out of class time as in class time, depending on the semester.</p>

3

<p>Enteril: if you are like I was last year in high school and started all your weekend homework at 6pm on Sunday, then I'd advise you to lose that habit as soon as you get to Duke. That's just not possible if you want to pass and stay sane at the same time. On the other hand, if you manage your time wisely, you'll always have plenty of time to go out and have fun or hang out on weekends.</p>

4

<p>
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if you manage your time wisely, you'll always have plenty of time to go out and have fun or hang out on weekends.

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<p>If I had a nickel for every time I've heard that... :D</p>

<p>But it's also very true.</p>

5

<p>Enteril,</p>

<p>Students usually take 5 courses at WashU while Duke students normally take 4 courses.</p>

6

<p>Yeah, I'll probably try to lose that habit...even though it's extraordinarily hammered into my head :-P.</p>

7

<p>Even though 4 courses might sound light, they can be time consuming, especially for science/engineer majors. A chemistry course for example, can have 2.5hrs of lecture + 1 hr of recitation + up to 4 hrs of lab a week. Plus all that time you spend writing up labs, doing problem sets, etc. 4 courses can still be a lot particularly if you have a couple of labs to go with them.</p>