<p>My friend wants to know what the there is to do around Duke. We know that Durham isn't too exciting, but if you guys could give us any inside information it would be greatly appreciated :)</p>
<p>Durham's lame (this is coming from a Raleigh kid. Raleigh's pretty lame, too.)</p>
<p>I hear that a lot of kids at Duke are the ones who worked ridiculously hard in high school, and then just drink all the time once they're there. I guess that's some of what there is to do. But there's the project wild thing (my mom did it when she was there), if you're a fan of outdoors. Dunno what else.</p>
<p>What do you do when you put thousands of kids who did some of the most excited things ever during high school...you get a pretty exciting campus, atleast in terms of extracurriculars</p>
<p>I hear that a lot of kids at Duke are the ones who worked ridiculously hard in high school, and then just drink all the time once they're there.</p>
<p>hahahahahah i hear it too.</p>
<p>Duke students get drunk all the time and yet still get into the very best professional and graduate schools? Please, get real. :rolleyes: Students are here because they worked hard in high school, and they work equally hard (sometimes harder) here.
For social life:</p>
<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=167154%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=167154</a> (Especially read bandcampgirl's comparison of NYC and Durham)</p>
<p>duke has a really nice balance in terms of social life and academics. usually, since like a bunch of people have said, there is not much to do in durham, and everything mostly happens on campus or very nearby. it pretty much just depends on what you really like to do...if you want to party, duke has an excellent party scene and it is not difficult to access at all. if you're looking for like, community involvement, i know there are tons of programs like this one thing where you can sign up to go to durham residents' houses and they've signed up to cook you a nice home-cooked meal and get to really know you...also tons of volunteer activities...clubs and organizations can really take up your time (that can be both a good thing and a bad thing), but trust me when i say that you don't have to worry about not being able to find anything to do at duke. if anything, there's TOO much to do all the time. there's always something going on if you're bored and have free time on your hands, or if you're just looking for an excuse to procrastinate =]</p>
<p>lilpixytiff, I totally agree -- I've always said that I could easily fill my schedule without factoring in any classes whatsoever -- and still not find time to do everything I wanted. ECs take up enough time and there are so many amazing opportunities that it's incredibly difficult to choose what involvements are most important to you. I know that I've personally struggled with having to give up things I enjoyed in high school in order to keep up with my schoolwork and be able to pursue other things I've always enjoyed or just discovered upon coming here. It's tough, but the plus side is that you'll never be bored if you don't want to be.</p>
<p>I find myself wishing I had MORE time because of all the things I want to do here at Duke. There are only so many hours in the day... sigh.</p>
<p>Example of One Night:
Work out at Wilson Gym (excellent btw)
Dinner for Indian food twice a week catered at the Great Hall
Pre-law mock admissions panel with panelists from law schools like UPenn and UChicago
Meeting to put together project teams for global community service projects like building an HIV clinic in Kenya and ELS in Vietnam
Choreograph dance with a friend for the Indian cultural show in November</p>
<p>I wish I had more time!</p>
<p>i think much of the duke social life is either centered in sports or in the ECs/organizations that a student chooses to get involved in.</p>
<p>for instance, i'm very involved in my sorority-- so i go to meetings several times a week, send time with the girls, and then go to a social event a weekend. because of this, i've also become close with fraternities, so most of my "going out" aspect of social life does involve other greek organizations and a drunken good time.</p>
<p>but i'm also involved in the film department on campus and i try to go to as many film screenings (essentially all but new-ish [not in theaters, but not on dvd] releases are free, and those are $1 on weekends) as i can, plus i'm doing independent work producing a student film. </p>
<p>there's free gym classes which i try to use. </p>
<p>basically, i've holed myself in the library all the time recently (its midterm week and i'm swamped with papers) but have surfaced primarily to spend time with my friends.</p>
<p>duke's social life isf cosmpletely awesoem</p>
<p>fore xample: i am hafl tipsy right now and i just got back from shooters . . .</p>
<p>not to mention i'm a 1st ssemester fsreshmen with a decent scheduale who is also premed and has mditerm gradse of 2 A's an A- and a B. soo yes, its queite easty.</p>
<p>"fore xample: i am hafl tipsy right now and i just got back from shooters . . ."</p>
<p>Good for you.</p>
<p>Very impressive.</p>
<p>I love Durham. And I hate Durham haters. If you are bored in Durham, then you must be a really lame person.</p>
<p>I miss Durham sooooo much.</p>
<p>lol... thats so funny "half tipsy"</p>
<p>Who comes home at 2am "half tipsy" and thinks "lemme go see what posts I can make on College Confidential?"</p>
<p>There are parties at duke but you dont have to go. Theres a place for everyone. You dont have to have a social life off campus.</p>