q for current duke students

Colleges & Universities A-Z Duke University
1

<p>While I know there are a million and one things to do at Duke and a billion and one organizations to join, I'd like to hear from you guys.</p>

<p>What's a typical week or weekend look like for you in terms of activites? (as in such and such club meeting on tues, movie night thurs, blabla sat night, etc) What is there to do off campus and furthermore, how often do you leave campus? and how do you balance all those activities w/ your classes? (since I've heard it's hard not to get involved in a million and one things)</p>

2

<p>Personally, the activities I chose to get involved in were TAing a lab, tutoring, and tour guiding. I know a lot of people who were vastly more involved than me, and others who weren’t. Here was a typical week for me last year, my senior year. Occasionally, once a month or so, I’d have a tour guide meeting.</p>

<p>Monday: Usually 3 classes or so, and then a night in the library doing homework/job things. Some of my friends would have club meetings, but I always had busy days of class and focused on my work.</p>

<p>Tuesday: Usually 1 class and I tried to schedule the lab I taught on a Tuesday/Thursday so I’d go to class then clock a few hours of work in the lab. In addition, I’d generally schedule students I tutored on Tuesday/Thursday as well because I was always less busy on these days. I think one semester I had a 2 1/2 hour seminar on a Tuesday…it sucked…but it was a one day a week class so that was nice. </p>

<p>Wednesday: Same as Monday. 3 classes usually, then homework. I’d usually find time to go to Pint Night with my friends by the time senior year rolled around as well.</p>

<p>Thursday: Thursday was always my work day. My major (Art History) tended to have a lot of MW classes, so I’d usually have one class Thursday then hang out in the library all day. I always tried to keep my weekends pretty light (with the exception of midterm/paper times), and you’ll find your motivation to do work on Thursday/Friday/Saturday evenings is at 0 so having a day like this was always IMMENSELY nice. Thursday nights I usually went out. It’s generally Shooters night until senior year when it’s Sati’s night (or Devines for some). Most people who go out on Thursdays go off campus. Pretty much the weekend begins.</p>

<p>Friday: If I was lucky I had no classes, but I usually ended up with one plus a TA meeting. Was always done early, and would try and make myself do homework but always failed. SO my friends and I usually ended up at the mall or just bumming around on campus, going over to Chapel Hill to get Yogurt Pump, something like that. If I went off campus during the day, it was usually on a Friday afternoon. Sometimes I’d also go out to dinner…just depended on the day. Friday nights there are sometimes parties on campus, sometimes movies in the Bryan Center (midnight singalongs are the best!), university-sponsored events, etc etc. Just depends on the weekend but always something to do no matter what you’re looking for. Or sometimes my friends and I would just get bin candy and rent a movie from Lilly Library.</p>

<p>Saturday: Always got a little work done. This is also when I gave campus tours so that was 2 hours out of my day. Usually tried to do my grading for my lab, but ended up going to the gym, bumming around doing nothing, etc. Always went out Saturdays, whether to a friends apartment, a frat function, etc etc.</p>

<p>Sunday: Work, all day. Mainly because everyone else is working so you have nothing else to do…lol.</p>

<p>Of course, this varies based on the time of year. During the fall there’s Tailgate and football games on Saturday, so many students go to one or both. During the Spring semester basketball heats up so you’ll likely make time on many weekdays/weekends to go to games. When midterm season hits/finals season hits you’ll spend more time working. For me, when Blue Devil Days hit in the spring I’d spend some more time doing things with the Admissions Office. </p>

<p>In terms of leaving campus…depends on the week. On average maybe twice a week when I lived on campus. Walking to your car in the blue zone is a major de-motivator, and everything you need is on campus.</p>

<p>In terms of balance, you’ll learn. Some people bit off more than they could chew, their classes suffered, and they had to get rid of some activities. For me, I started out not getting involved in much, but gradually adding things once I got my footing. With a social life, some people also start out crazy and then realize they can’t go out quite as much, but others, like me, get their academic footing first. My advice is to take on one or two activities your freshman year, and then once you get adjusted with your classes and learn to manage your time like a college student, see what happens and what you want to do:)</p>

3

<p>thanks for that detailed response! it was really helpful. the comment about everyone else working sundays was hilarious haha. [mostly b/c i can think of many times… as recent as today… when i’ve had to study b/c everyone else was busy haha]</p>

<p>a few more questions if you don’t mind…</p>

<p>i’m not sure whether I should visit campus or not. I was accepted ED and well no matter what, I’m showing up august 24th. I’ve googled my question and have read some responses on CC about this but they were either vague or brought me to more questions. I read that Blue Devil Days aren’t worth it & that you don’t get much out of it. [which is the contrary of what I usually hear-- that Blue Devil Days are awesome]. I also read that if $ is an issue then the trip isn’t really worth it & a pre-orientation program might be the way to go. However, upon visiting the pre-orientation link I saw that the program fees are about what I’d be paying for a round-trip flight for Blue Devil Days or any other visit. (url on bottom of post-- forgive me but i’m a tad bit html illiterate lol). They did talk about grants but I’m pretty sure the grant is only to cover the cost of the program and won’t include the flight, which makes this route obsolete. Do you know anything about this? I would like to visit but perhaps a visit is not as important as I might think. I just don’t want to be any more lost on my first day than I have to be. I mean, I don’t know how a person like me (my 1st day of concurrent enrollment at a local univerisity my friends had to walk me to my classes until I learned my way around b/c I was so disoriented… lol… well, maybe that’s pathetic and I shouldn’t be laughing… haha) would do without ever having visited.</p>

<p>And if I do visit-- are these visits usually done alone or would bringing a parent along be a good idea? </p>

<p>Also, cell phone reception— how does Sprint do? (if you know… sorry, I guess I’m just assuming you at least know someone with Sprint haha)</p>

<p>Also, I was reading descriptions of different dorms & some mention having laundry & kitchen facilities while others dont. Do all dorms have these?</p>

<p>And how common is it for people to go into town for church Sunday mornings? I’m asking b/c I think that may be a big factor that plays into whether or not I take my car. I’m just wondering if it’ll be easy to find someone who’s heading into town on a Sunday morning as well. </p>

<p>And I think this is the last question that came to mind-- I read that Duke was working on getting dorms hooked up w/ wireless internet. Do you know if that’s already been done or coming very soon?</p>

<p>Thanks so much & sorry for all the questions but they just keep pouring out onto the keyboard lol.</p>

<p>[New</a> Student & Family Programs: :: New Students :: Registration & Payment Information](<a href=“http://nsfp.studentaffairs.duke.edu/students/pre-orientation/registration.html]New”>http://nsfp.studentaffairs.duke.edu/students/pre-orientation/registration.html)</p>

<p>well what do you know… CC does the html for you…</p>

4

<p>i didn’t go to blue devil days or do a pre-orientation program. everyone said that blue devil days were fun though, although if money meant you could only do one i’d definitely recommend the pre-orientation program (i know seniors who are still friends with their pwaves buddies)
blue devil days as far as i understand is basically just a chance to meet people and party. definitely fun but you aren’t going to miss anything important. pre-orientation programs are nice because you’ll have a group of people to hang out with first semester and a little bit of a head start when it comes to making friends. you’ll do fine even without the headstart though.</p>

<p>visiting - don’t bring your parents. your parents can come during orientation to buy you stuff, or visit during parent’s weekend. you want to be independent. trust me. </p>

<p>i have at&t and it’s pretty bad. i don’t know anyone with sprint. verizon is probably the best option, at&t isn’t bad but it doesn’t do great in some of the backyard dorms on east. it’s getting better allegedly.</p>

<p>i believe all east campus dorms have kitchens, although they aren’t stocked at all. all dorms have washers & driers.</p>

<p>i don’t know about people going into town to go to church, but i believe that there are on-campus groups that have services. if you think you are going to go i might not plan on carpooling but i unfortunately don’t really know about this.</p>

<p>duke has wireless in all the dorms. i believe they actually de-activated the ethernet ports in the walls because no one uses them, and if you want to use a cable you actually have to call oit and have them reactivate the ethernet port. wireless works pretty well here and there’s coverage pretty much everywhere.</p>

5

<p>^^ second the above post</p>

<p>1) Sprint is really bad in NC. I had a friend who used Sprint. It was a bad idea. AT&T is getting better, Verizon is still best. </p>

<p>2) All east campus dorms should have kitchens and laundry facilities. When you get to west, that’s not always true and you’ll miss having the washer/dryer in the basement. I know I did. </p>

<p>3) There are definitely people who go to church on Sundays. Usually the campus fellowship groups (InterVarsity, Campus Crusade, etc) organize carpools. I don’t know if they’ll be amenable if you just want to tag along to go to the mall though. I’m also a big proponent of bringing a car if you can. You’ll be able to get out of the Duke bubble more, have more freedom, and parking is cheap and great on east. </p>

<p>4) Duke has wireless everywhere nuff said. </p>

<p>5) Don’t worry about getting lost, you’ll get a guide (FAC) to show you around during orientation before classes start.</p>

6

<p>Honestly, I wouldn’t worry about visiting at this point. You’re definitely going to Duke, so save your money, focus on the rest of your senior year, and get excited about August! That said, if a pre-orientation program is really interesting to you, consider it! I hear they’re great ways to meet other people (a lot of my friends were having PWILD and PBUILD reunions up through their senior year!). Of course, I’m perfectly happy not having done one. Orientation is a lot longer than it sounds, and you have A TON of free time. You’ll also have a FAC who can show you around campus, let you know where your classes are, and ease some of that anxiety about not knowing where to go!</p>

<p>I had Sprint for 3 years, and contrary to what everyone was saying it was fine for me. I got service in all of the freshman dorms. When I got to West things were a bit spottier…I never got good service in Edens (although I would get texts, things like that), and things were here and there inside most of the other West dorms and Perkins/Bostock (which worked out well for productivity reasons!). I didn’t get service in the Bryan Center either really, except at Alpine Atrium. That said, I got service outside, in all classrooms, and near doors/windows of other buildings so I made it work. Plus I had roaming included in my plan so I’d just put it on roaming in the BC and pick up service from other carriers. That said, if you’re in the market for a new plan go with Verizon or AT&T (which I had for my senior year and was 100% satisfied with). If you have another year or so on your Sprint plan it should be fine.</p>

<p>In terms of West, all “dorms” have washers and dryers, but the dorms are divided into “houses,” and occasionally you’ll have to walk outside to get from, say, Crowell BB to Crowell H (where the laundry was when I lived there). I think they should have maps up on the Res Life website…so sometimes you may have to lug your laundry a ways as an upperclassmen, but its not too big of a deal.</p>

<p>You’ll DEFINITELY be able to find someone going somewhere. Personally, I went to Immaculate Conception which is a Catholic Church close to campus. While many of my friends stayed on campus because they do offer masses through Duke’s Catholic Center, I always had a few in my car going to mass. I had friends who also carpooled to a few of the local Baptist churches. There are plenty of religious groups for every religion, so visit their booth during the activities fair and see what they do to get students to church on sunday! Keep in mind there are Catholic Masses on campus as well as the Non-Denominational Mass in the Chapel…not sure about other denominations.</p>

<p>Already answered, but yes, wireless!</p>

<p>We’re here to answer questions, so don’t worry about it! Allows my recently-graduated self to reminisce while being useful and not just sulk-y.</p>

7

<p>thanks for all the answers, they’re very helpful. I prob will not visit duke- a pre-orientation program does sound great but it’s prob one of those things where you won’t really know what you’re missing unless you go, so I’ll be fine haha. and I love this forum cuz I get to do this…</p>

<p>More questions… lol…</p>

<p>loveduke22, as for the Sprint thing, how exactly did roaming work for you? I have the Simply Everything plan so I don’t get charged for roaming. But is roaming as simple as-- I don’t have signal but Verizon gets signal here, so my phone works just as well as it would if it were a Verizon phone–?</p>

<p>My car… I am definitely on the fence about bringing mine. I change my mind every other day it seems. One concern that was brought to my attention is the fact that I won’t know how to maintain it in the winter. This is very true. I know nothing about maintaining my car as it is. All I know is to get my oil changed when I’m supposed to and to go to a mechanic shop in my town every once in a while to ask the guys there to check the tire pressure for me. I live in the (extreme) south where it never snows, hails, or gets much colder than perhaps 30 degrees in the winter (if it gets that cold at all). So I am clueless as to whether this is an issue or not & whether there will be many new things I will have to learn to do so that my car doesn’t freeze or something (and so that I don’t crash trying to drive in the snow).</p>

<p>The beach… Is the beach nice? [I personally have known South Padre as my beach my whole life. I go there often since the drive is very short & I hear it’s a big deal. so, I have most likely been spoiled without even knowing it having that beach as a common place of travel on a lazy summer day]. How long is the drive to the beach & how often do people take trips out there? </p>

<p>The cost of living… Where I’m from, people visit & are thrilled at how cheap everything is. So how are things in durham? I’m curious mostly b/c if things are generally a lot more expensive over there, I’d rather buy as much as I can in terms of winter clothes, (if I can find any way down here in the summer! ha!) a fridge for my room perhaps, and etc</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

8

<p>my son just graduated. Few have cars and I don’t think you will miss it especially first year. Our son never had a car on campus till senior year…when he moved off campus. Doesn’t Duke have zip cars for Must Drive needs? It is not really cold in Durham but compared to south Texas, …it is a four season college town. Winters are not so much harsh…as they are things you should think ahead for re clothing. Most Dukies wear layers…this isn’t New England so it is not a huge deal to see people in shorts in winter with fleece jackets and flip flops but Dukies have a wide variety in dress style…this is not a campus where everyone looks alike or dresses alike. My son wore fleece jacket with windbreak built in it in harsher winter days to keep the chill out in his upper body…never needed more than that. He had a Gortex layer to throw on in rains because you will be carrying books and walking distances and catching the bus and waiting for the bus. Shoes…well, the lovely West campus can be slippery when wet, best to have some shoes for rainy days with some grip. Cost of living is not bad at all, Verizon is best for phone service and in my opinion, Blue Devil Days is not a good use of time if you are not on the fence. It is fun if you can afford it but it doesn’t have any social impact on your future. Our son made up his mind April 30 so his Blue Devil Day included attending class and trying to picture himself there. I wandered into parent only offerings. Many of the parents and students we met didn’t end up picking Duke and none of the ones we met became my son’s new BFF if they did pick Duke.<br>
My son forgot to apply to Project Wild etc till it was full. I think that is a great place…and the other options…to make friends with your fellow classmates if you can spare the money to come early.<br>
However NOT attending didn’t make one difference in how my son’s social life turned out. Like many Dukies, he bonded with his freshman hall and his freshman dorm which was of course the BEST dorm on East…according to him. East is very fun and cozy and homey. Our son did FOCUS and remains close to many students from FOCUS and traveled abroad with some of them twice. Not everyone found FOCUS to be a great memory but he did.<br>
Beach is a few hours away. Weekends there are not uncommon in spring but it is not a spontaneous thing at all…usually planned and taken in with a small group of friends. </p>

<p>Congrats on your admission to Duke</p>

9

<p>Ditto much of the above. </p>

<p>Our son did not take his car until senior year (this year). Many reasons, but a big one was the cost of insurance. A few friends had cars, and some actually preferred to have son --a very good driver–do the driving. </p>

<p>I suppose he missed out on some spontaneity, but was able to get where he wanted to go. Most social activities and forays into the greater world were in groups anyway. 9th street is adjacent to east campus, an easy walk, and has restaurants, coffee shops, etc. </p>

<p>BDD: helpful if you are trying to come to a decision. You already know (congratulations), so I don’t think you’d be missing much, except that campus is really pretty in the spring!</p>

<p>Fridge, etc: just keep in mind that there are several universities in the area that all start at about the same time. Target, BB&B, and Walmart are hit from all sides by incoming freshmen. Which is not to say you cannot shop there, just plan accordingly. Also try to coordinate with your roommate about the bigger items (fridge, microwave, TV for example). The size of dorm rooms varies considerably, so don’t take a ton of stuff. You can scope out the situation and then decide.</p>

10

<p>As to the Sprint…I just decided to switch my phone to “Roaming Only” one day, since I talked to my mom and she was like “Well, we shouldn’t ever incur roaming charges…” Turns out I got perfect service. I was a little freaked out to get the bill at the end of the month, but my mom said everything was normal and I literally kept my phone on roaming only 24/7. Sounds crazy, but it worked and didn’t cost a dime extra. Of course, I’d test out this theory by maybe doing it for one day on your plan, and seeing what happens bill-wise, but for me it was the perfect remedy. Got service just about everywhere except the library basement, and, like I said, who needs service there anyway.</p>

<p>I didn’t bring a car my freshman year, but did my sophomore, junior, and senior years. For me, it was perfect. Freshman year I had friends with cars, so if I ever went off campus (to the mall, out to dinner, etc etc) it was with other people…which, in essence, encouraged me to have a social life and whatnot. If I did have a car, I would have probably gone off campus/to UNC (I’m from NC so I had many high school friends there) more often, and not found such a great group of friends on campus. You’ll find everything you need on campus and 9th Street/Shooters are within walking distance. And if you ever need to go to Target for some reason, it’s as simple as running down the hall and asking someone “Hey, let me know when you make a Target run.”</p>

<p>When I did bring a car, it was fine. I had my footing at Duke, so if I went off campus it wasn’t to avoid “adjusting to college life” by sticking to what I knew. I could easily drive all my friends out to dinner/we had a car to drive out to parties if someone wanted to DD/I could get home for breaks MUCH easier (my parents LOVED this). I also learned the ins and outs of illegal parking at Duke (3 years, no ticket:) I am so proud) A few disadvantages. The Blue Zone can tend to be a hike, depending on where you live/get a spot. Find the times when it’s empty and plan to arrive home from outings then (Sunday around church time, weekend evenings/nights). You also have to move your car on home football game weekends to Central Campus (or East Campus…). And finally, when break time rolls around you’ll be driving friends without a car to the airport at horrible hours of the morning.</p>

<p>Senior year I’d say most of my friends had cars because we all lived off campus. Pretty much a necessity when you have groceries to get/have to get to campus, although I did know some people who went without.</p>

<p>In terms of winter taking its toll on your car…the winters are certainly not intense enough to require worrying. I do have to take my car to the tire place once it gets colder to get my tires filled with air because the pressure goes down, and when I drove to class every morning senior year I always had an ice scraper. But other than that don’t worry about it. If it snows, don’t go out. My senior year was the first year we had “snow” and it was a few inches. My roommates (from Florida and the NC beaches) were freaked out, and didn’t drive. Me, being originally from the north, had to haul them around as did most of my northern friends to their southern roommates…:slight_smile: But generally speaking, you won’t have to worry about this until senior year if you go off campus. Other than that, you can just not go out if you’re concerned, and busses will get you to and from class. If bad weather hits in NC, it’s usually ice, and usually doesn’t stick around for more than a day or two.</p>

<p>Err…the beach is much further than you think. Virginia Beach is around 4 hours I believe? The Outer Banks are quite the haul…into 5 hours…but absolutely beautiful! Quiet, so not many students head here. Wilmington is a great little town, and Wrightsville Beach is a popular destination for many students…it’s around 3 hours…straight shot down I-40. It’s quite, Wilmington is a small, adorable town, and the beaches are clean. Most students will hit North Myrtle Beach at the end of the year for Beach Week, and it’s about 3 1/2. It’s basically Duke at the Beach, and you’ll find the Spanish Galleon is pretty much Shooters at the beach. Find North Carolinian friends because a lot of families have condos there so I’ve never paid for a hotel at beach week/other weekends trips there:) But yeah, Myrtle Beach is immensely trashy, but it suffices as a good celebration spot for classes being over. I would definitely not classify it as a “nice” beach, but it’s a beach, and the water/sand is clean. Personally, my friends and I always stayed in Cherry Grove which is about 10 minutes north of North Myrtle, so close to all the Duke action, but quieter and less commercial. I’ve taken a few weekend trips to the beach as a Duke student, but have mainly just stuck to beach week at the end of the year. The drives tend to be a lot longer than you would think. Close to campus, however, is Jordan Lake, which is kind of nice and relaxing. Has small lake-like beaches…and while it’s not South Padre, it’s certainly cured a craving or two for me when spring hits.</p>

<p>Cost of living-wise, most things are probably going to be the same. Our mall has all the typical east coast stores like JCrew, Banana Republic, Nordstrom (and the other big departments), Urban Outfitters, Sephora, Anthropologie, Charlotte Russe…look up Streets at Southpoint. That’s where most students do their extracurricular shopping. In Raleigh there’s a Forever 21, and soon enough an H&M. There are a few small boutiques/vintage places in Chapel Hill, and a TJMaxx near campus, as well as a Target. The usual suspects where prices are going to be pretty standard across the country. Of course, since it sounds like you’re from TX, you may have to hold off on that winter coat…you’ll find plenty in Durham once winter hits:) Fridge, all those sorts of things they’ll run on sale when the college students get back…Target always carries things in bulk and prices are also similar to what you’ll find anywhere.</p>

<p>In terms of the big “cost of living” things, gas in NC has been hovering in the 2.69-2.89 range lately. I drive a Honda Civic and it costs between 25 and 30 to fill my tank. Rent is going to, of course, vary on your roommates. A 1BR apt will go for between 600-1000, but you can probably find a room to rent off east for 300-500. With 2 roommates last year, we lived Partners Place (3BR, 3BA condos with a sunroom/dining room/living room) and each paid $584. If you have a roommate thats probably around where you’re looking, give or take $100. Cable is around $35 a month on campus, if I remember correctly, but off campus my roommates and I split a cable and internet bill of $100. It SUCKED. Our electric bill usually hovered between $80-$100 (I…um…watched a lot of TV). Of course, these are all expenses you won’t have to worry about quite yet but it gives you an idea.</p>