<p>This is my situation:</p>
<p>Focus appeals to me because of its small classes (This is really important to me).
However, none of the clusters really fit me since I'm undecided on my major. </p>
<p>Assuming that I know about most of the +'s and -'s of FOCUS, should
I just do FOCUS for the sake of its transition and not worry about the fact that what I choose might not fulfill any of my major's requirements? Should I do FOCUS for the sake of making my fufifllment of matrix requirements easier?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>I'm just doing FOCUS because it seems really enriching/interesting. I still don't know what I'm going to major in, but I'm not worried about that.</p>
<p>Don't worry about major requirements... most don't require more than 10 or so classes, which is very easy to do over the course of 7 semesters, or even 6. I am majoring in Econ and didn't start until my sophomore year for example.</p>
<p>FOCUS does a wonderful job of helping you meet trinity requirements though, so it is definately worth it for that. Later on at Duke people in your class will be taking classes for the sole purpose of getting an EI or a CZ credit, so you will just be doing it earlier than them. It shouldn't set you back at all.</p>
<p>I did a focus cluster because it interested me.</p>
<p>(later i realized the cluster in practice was nothing what i had anticipated, and i wish i had done another one).</p>
<p>as for the transition - i couldn't have asked for a better/easier transition. the small classes all had familiar faces, so i was comfortable contributing in class discussions. having my classmates in my dorm made studying for tests (i still remember an amazing study group session from a zillion years ago) easier and more fun, there was always someone's book to borrow, a fresh set of eyes for a paper. it makes fulfilling t-reqs a lot easier. </p>
<p>honestly, i got nothing outside of a transitional experience, matrix fulfillments, and friends out of focus. i also wound up not taking a course in my major until fall semester of sophomore year and i'm going to graduate with more courses in my major than i need. so i feel if you're interested in it, don't worry, just go for it.</p>
<p>Plenty of small classes at Duke. A non-unique quality of FOCUS, although FOCUS may admittedly be somewhat better for that. Just seek out courses with S labeled after them (as in, Chemistry 26S, Environment 49S, Literature 20S) and just go after those.</p>
<p>language courses are also always small..so consider starting off your first year with a language to get the requirement out of the way.</p>
<p>eh.... FOCUS. Hm.
Provides you with a group of intellectual people you live with and have classes with; highschool-esque in the sense that you have classes with the same people. it's nice, I guess. I didn't do it and wasn't worse for it.</p>