<p>Besides A/C, how are the dorms at Duke? Pretty? Gross? T_T;; haha
Ohh, and do different dorms have reputations?</p>
<p>yea,in the three air conditioned dorms there isnt as much interaction because they are designed in such a way that people don't interact as much. the dorms are average i guess, not great not bad, unless you get belltower. its the newest dorm and its really really nice, but its kind of alienated from everywhere and everyone gets jealous that they have such nice amenities.</p>
<p>How do they decide who will get which dorm?</p>
<p>there are a couple of dorms (Pegram dorm as performing arts community, Brown for wellness, others i think for focus programs) that if you select that community, you will be placed in that dorm but besides those its completely random</p>
<p>This a Mom speaking, so please consider the source. Our sons were freshman in August 2007 -- we moved them in on the hottest day in Raleigh/Durham history (according to the local weathercaster!!!!!!). It did not cool of until just before Thanksgiving. They did not have AC and all the fans in the world could not cool off those rooms. IMO -- if there is a way to get AC, do it!!!!!</p>
<p>With that being said, each of them enjoyed East campus and their dorms (they were not together). AC would have made it more bearable. Fast forward this year, they have airconditioning, and the rooms are freezing! They were using blankets/comforters from the very first night there.</p>
<p>Yeahhhh it's hard to predict NC weather. Fall 2007 was ridiculous. It was blistering hot for so long, and I studied for my fall finals outside in shorts and a light jacket. This fall I had to have my parents send me my winter coats, and legitimately wear one every single day. That's never happened before, since I've been a student. Really, you never know what the weather will be like! </p>
<p>That being said, the coldest temperature we've had so far this year has been around the mid to upper 30s during the day. Alot of 40s, and a lot of lower 50s. Whether it "snows" depends on where you're from. On my tours, I tell families from the north that, according to their definitions of snow, it indeed does not really snow. It'll be like, a quarter inch and some ice. If you've never seen snow in your life before, you may not see it EVERY year in Durham, but you'll probably see it at one point and it will probably be a really exciting moment...but it's not too much snow...mostly a lot of ice.</p>
<p>AC really isn't at all necessary:
1) its only hot for a few weeks, so its not that bad really. You aren't in your dorm all day either.
2) the dorms that do have ac are generally the ones that were designed in such a way that its hard to interact with other people. The dorms on the main quad without ac are better in this regard, they are also much closer.
3) its only necessary if you have a medical condition which in that case you can get ac regardless of where u live.</p>
<p>Do students in Pratt Engineering have a life? Is it uncommon to see a Pratt student at basketball games being a Crazy or to rush a fraternity or sorority or basically have a social life whatsoever?</p>
<p>Many Pratt students attend basketball games and/or rush fraternities/sororities. </p>
<p>Whether a person rushes a fraternity/sorority has more so to do with how much Greek life appeals to a person rather than his/her course-load.</p>
<p>Trust me, no matter what you do, you will find time to have fun at Duke!</p>
<p>I just finished my first semester at Duke and so far the only complaint I have is with the scheduling system. I'll only be taking 2 of 4 classes I wanted next semester, but as was mentioned before, this problem isn't a fixture. I doubt I'll have any trouble for the rest of my time here.</p>
<p>Other than that, I love Duke!</p>
<p>The Duke website says that single rooms are sometimes available for freshmen. Are they hard to get? Are they tiny?</p>
<p>a lot of students decide to save $1000ish by staying in a double so most who want a single get a single. room sizes also vary. one of my dormmates is in a single and his room is bigger than mine, and i have a roommate. its pretty much luck of the draw</p>
<p>I had a double freshman year and I currently live in a single.
I personally like being in a single because I feel I have more personal space AND I can still be very social.
I don't need a roommate to make friends.</p>
<p>I knew two people freshman year who got a single and hadn't requested it, so it shouldn't be too difficult.</p>
<p>It's good to have a roommate though, at least for freshman year...I think it's really part of the college experience.</p>
<p>The size of the single really depends on which dorm you get and sometimes even where in the dorm you are assigned. </p>
<p>One of my friends who lived across the hall from me got an unrequested single and it's literally just slightly bigger than a walk in closet. Another one who lived in a single down the hall actually got an AC single that used to be a double. Apparently it was too small for 2 people. Needless to say, the second one got a much better deal.</p>
<p>Rooms may vary considerably.. I was about to say that it sometimes seems unfair but actually, besides a few exceptions, most rooms have tradeoffs. For example, I got a large single room on the main quad, but no AC. On the other hand, the newest dorms have AC but they are kind of secluded (it's still OK but you're not centrally located..) I personally like the dorms on the main quad because of this quaint, cosy atmosphere, but that's my own personal opinion...</p>
<p>My S attends and is a Freshman. The rooms with A/C are smaller than the typical dorm. The weather cools down quickly after summer there are a lot ot fans. I am not sure its worth the loss of space. We had the same debate and it has not been an issue.</p>
<p>although i visited i wasnt able to see much of the rooms...are most of the dorms nice (compared to other schools)..and are upperclassmen dorms nicer than the freshmen ones?</p>
<p>Upperclassmen dorms vary in terms of comfort but are generally very nice.</p>
<p>Are Duke students generally more "outfitty" due to the Southern location? The Fiske Guide to colleges comments that Duke students tend to dress more formally, even in casual occasions. Hm, anyone can answer me if this is true? Thank you!</p>