Negatives of Duke University?

<p>EXACTLY Indy-- that's something I forgot about: cost.</p>

<p>Big-city life is great if you're not swamped with schoolwork. Sure, maybe if you're something like a theatre major or an art major a city school makes a lot of sense in terms of the opportunities. But I forgot about the cost of things. Going out all the time in NYC and Chicago gets really expensive-- eating, public transportation (or CABS!), entry fees... even if you have the money to go out all the time, it doesn't mean your friends will.</p>

<p>Yeah one of my favorite things about Durham is how cheap it is!! You can spend a LOT less money than you would in a big city without compromising quality. For example I love taking my girlfriend to places like Another Thyme - a meal there is top notch, what we would consider a "special" night out - and costs maybe 35 bucks for both of us. It's great - we can do that once a week or every other week, without spending an entire work study paycheck or something. I just love Durham. When I was a freshman and sophomore I wasn't a fan, but I love it now. I had even thought of staying around next year but prolly wouldn't be able to find as good of a job as I have lined up back home.</p>

<p>That's so funny, I was JUST talking to a pfrosh about that the other day. I'm from Long Island and, until I came to Duke, I'd go into NYC every Saturday. It's been such a huge part of my life, I'm absolutely IN LOVE with the city, and it's my dream to eventually live there one day. That's why my ultimate dream school was always Columbia. But when I was actually making my college decision and I had to think about Duke vs. Columbia, my overnight visit made me think about something. While I was here, we went to a restaurant (on food points) and a jazz concert (for free). Then I realized...we could get the same food and the same quality of a concert in NYC for a WHOLE LOT more money...especially when you bring in subway fare, cab fare, etc. So the money thing definitely is something to consider. Speakers, concerts, performances, etc. here are ALL FREE (except for the occasional $1-2 charge or the ticket price when a tour such as Death Cab/Franz comes through) - and these include really famous speakers, dance festivals, broadway shows, student-run shows, a cappella concerts, orchestra concerts, etc. Drinking at frat parties is totally free (anyone can go, you don't get charged for alcohol, you just show up and drink to your heart's content). All of that in a city is quite expensive, plus drinking mostly happens in bars....where you have to pay. And that's not even adding the fact that if your college party scene is a bar scene, you probably need to invest in a fake ID...which is quite expensive.</p>

<p>Moral of the story is...big city life is awesome. But maybe it's not so awesome for a broke college student when that student can get the same things for sooooooooo much less money...</p>

<p>ah, that was great help you guys! I'm actually visiting on the 10th, and will definitely be trying to get a feel for the campus etc.. so for current students, how much do you actually venture off to durham/raleigh/chapel hill area for.. well.. entertainment? would a student coming from the bay area (I venture off to SF once or twice a month) be okay with that? I do see your point in the considerations in price.. though. definitely something for me to consider.</p>

<p>oh and bluedevilmike, I'm a senior in high school, and I've taught in various areas of East Palo Alto (even though I live in Los Altos, so I definitely experienced that kind of socio/economic dynamics from city to city basically everyday) as a middle school music teacher. do maybe durham could be an extension of what i've been doing for the past few years.. hm.</p>

<p>Hey soulfood,</p>

<p>If you're coming for BlueDevilDays, I will be giving the 2:45 tour on the 10th.</p>

<p>Let me know.</p>

<pre><code> -Mike
</code></pre>

<p>cool, I'll definitely be there for the bluedevilday. are you talking about the east campus tour?</p>

<p>
[quote]
so for current students, how much do you actually venture off to durham/raleigh/chapel hill area for.. well.. entertainment? would a student coming from the bay area (I venture off to SF once or twice a month) be okay with that?

[/quote]

I haven't been to Raleigh since I've been here, but it's definitely possible (some of my friends at NC State have visited Duke & UNC). I've spent a good amount of time in Chapel Hill, mostly because I have friends over there. It's a great little town, and easy to get to with the Robertson bus. I haven't ventured into Durham proper very much, but there's lots to do around East Campus and 9th St. They do book-readings in the basement of the Regulator Bookstore, for example (yes, that's fun). :)</p>

<p>yeah Franklin St. in Chapel Hill is pretty cool - its awesome just walking around there with a few friends, a lot of quirky shops and good restaurants</p>

<p>soul,</p>

<p>I'll actually be doing the west campus tour, starting (I believe) from the chapel on west. Hope to see you there!</p>

<p>Must do: see show at Cat's Cradle in CH.<br>
Eat at Parker's near downtown.
Road Trip to at least one ACC football game outside Triangle. Don't watch the scoreboard :)</p>

<p>I was reallyconcerned about self-segregation as well (I'm Indian) so I called up some of my college friends who were minorities at other schools (MIT, UCLA, Stanford, etc.)... The consensus?</p>

<p>Self-segregation is everywhere.</p>

<p>It's a minority thing, I guess.</p>

<p>pri, I encourage you to not be resigned to the status quo. It is sooooooo possible to break out of self-segregation - it's way easier than most people think it is! Most people don't want to hang out with people of only their own race - they just think everyone else does so they go with the flow. Someone like you who is concerned about it in the first place is way more likely to succeed at having close friends from all races.</p>

<p>Thanks, Alex. :) I really hope you're right! I'm going to the Blue Devil day on the 17th so I hope to see what you're talking about.</p>

<p>Negative about Duke - $46,000 per year.</p>

<p>pri430 - I wouldn't worry about segregation - two of my son's very best friends at Duke are Indian, and he isn't! :) Doesn't seem to be a factor unless YOU make it one as far as I can see.</p>

<p>i hear durham is a dangerous town..... is this true?</p>

<p>it depends on how smart you are . . . durham feels pretty safe if you exercise common sense. It is true that more than a few students are robbed every semester . . . but they are 99% of the time off campus . . . and usually the student is walking alone in a poorly lit area.</p>

<p>I just got back from jogging on the trail around East Campus, next to stuckinlimbo's "30 foot" wall. It was actually a lot more well-lit than I expected, and I saw more than a few police on bicycles patrolling the area. Going off alone into Durham might not be the smartest thing to do, but safety in numbers, and you should be all right on Duke's campus. It's certainly a lot safer than Penn or JHU, where students have been shot/murdered/etc.</p>

<p>Durham....like Alex said, don't be stupid. It's not that hard, but so many people make silly, cocky decisions that put them in danger. Don't be overconfident. It's easy to be on the safe side, but it's also easy to think, "Oh, I can walk over to Ninth Street at 3:00 in the morning. I'll be fine just this once. The chances are low that I'll get robbed." Those kinds of people are really in for it.</p>

<p>I just got back from Durham (on Saturday around 3 in the morning) after overnighting at Duke on Thursday night in a dorm and touring on Friday. I feel like a got a complete view of the school, because I talked to so many students, went to so many buildings, talked to professors, and even an advisor for students in Pratt. I participated in most of the Blue Devil Day activities and even went to downtown Durham for dinner. So while talking to a graduate student in the main student center (Bryan? Bryant?), I wrote a pro/con list about Duke, as follows.</p>

<p>Pros:
- school spirit is huge on campus
- all of the people i met were very friendly
- the weather was fantastic, hot and humid during summer, moderate winter
- beautiful campus, nice buildings
- music program is flexible and the orch. is decent
- a decent trumpet teacher from what i was told
- a very diverse campus, not just white elite ppl
- the LGBT center was nice, and supposedly the school is not as intolerant and homophobic as perceived
- the civil engineering program (and mechanical) were very small, around 40 students total
- lots of research opps. for non bme / premed ppl
- there was an architectural acoustics expert on staff
- the public policy program has a good rep
- balanced political environment b/w liberal and conservative
- heavy workload, there is some academic rigor
- sports are huge on campus
- prestige factor, ppl will recognize duke immediately
- the school newspaper was decent
- the preprofessional advising is fantastic</p>

<p>Cons:
- not as "intellectual" as other schools, academic discussions out of class are not that common
- a non-air conditioned dorm is likely freshman year, so many ppl fake allergies to get window ac units
- living on east campus involves the bus to the other side of campus
- the campus was physically divided by roads
- the food plan was bad this year (but is changing next year for the better)
- Durham and surroundings are shady, very reminiscent of shady parts of baltimore, but baltimore is technically far worse
- LOTS of BME and premed ppl, kind of gross really to have that many bio ppl and activities on campus, it was a little suffocating
- it was a little self-segregating, and there was some white elitism
- there was A VERY ACTIVE drinking scene on campus (i.e. tailgate, and frat parties, and clubs in area)
- lack of things to do besides drink and study, and occasional student group events, otherwise a commute to chapel hill or raleigh is necessary
- very fratlike (maybe a misconception about greek life on campus)
- lingering ties to religion were there, but it wasn't that bad, simply noticeable
- the heavy workload can apparently cause ppl to crack
- study abroad is not paid for by school</p>

<p>On the whole, Duke was a very nice university. I could see myself learning there and doing quite well. There were many students who did not partake in the heavy drinking lifestyle and stayed in the dorms to work. The Fitzpatrick (FCIEMAS) building was gorgeous, but alas as a CivE major most of my classes would be in Hudson; Hudson was nice though. There is a huge emphasis on bio and med and bme, but the admin wants more ppl to do other eng. branches so it is more diverse. A lot of my original views of Duke were negated, but some still linger. I am from Maryland after all, where ppl chant F*^k Duke at bball games.</p>

<p>Edit: And there was no "30-ft. wall." But there was a small stone wall around East Campus, which is more symbolic of the Duke student body's isolation from Durham's general public than literal. And the students are supposedly very open to helping each other on hw and do not sabotage like at other places. It was very laid back - I guess it was the Southern lifestyle without the stereotypical negatives of the South, but maybe they just were not out in the open. The Duke bubble seems to sweep things under the rug, and that's why the lacrosse thing is big because ppl are now confronting larger issues like race and class and women's rights and elitism that were previously ignored.</p>