<p>Ok, i know i stole the idea from the MIT posts...but, who cares.</p>
<p>I wanna hear from current students or even alumni...how does ur normal Duke day go? How many breaks do u have? Do u actually have time to fool around at all?</p>
<p>Is the workload unbearingly difficult at all? Give me ur schedule..with as much details as possible. What is a A in Duke? and what is the failing grade?</p>
<p>Thanks alot!</p>
<p>My schedule this semester is actually really chill. Every morning I have a 10:20-11:10 class and my next class isn't until around 3 (TTh it's 2:50-4:05 and MWF it's 3:05-3:55). Friday's I have a discussion section from 11:55-12:45. I'm not taking any class that involves a lab, and my friends who are seem to always be in the classroom. (Also- if you're taking a 1 or 2 level language, you have class every single day). Last semester when my first classes were 11:55 or 1:15, I'd wake up early to get some breakfast and some work done. Now I wake up with enough time to get ready and eat. Usually I'll meet some friends for lunch sometime after my morning class gets out, and then I'll return to the dorm or to a library to get some work done. My schedule is very reading and writing intensive, and I tend to read in between classes and write in the evenings. Sometimes if I don't have much reading to do, or if I'm just feeling like wasting time, I'll just hang around the dorm w/ friends who have similar schedules and/or take a nap. Usually after my second class I rest a bit until dinner-- I reserve that time for running errands like taking out books from the library or e-printing large articles for my classes. Then is dinner and after dinner I work straight until I either have no more work left or I can't take working anymore. I think because I do have that large chunk of time between my classes which I devote to work that I tend to finish my schoolwork earlier in the night, in which case I then fool around with my friends. I mean, if I stay in the dorm to do work at night I will end up being distracted so sometimes an assignment that could normally take an hour or two will take upwards of three hours, so I usually go to a library or study lounge at night (unless I'm working on a paper... I seem to like doing that best in my room). </p>
<p>The workload isn't unbearingly difficult. That said, I'm taking a non-lab science class that fulfills science requirements for non-science majors. My pre-med friends who enjoy science and are taking legitimate science classes w/ labs do have difficult schedules. Also, my schedule is VERY reading heavy. Each of my classes (except for the Biological Anthropology one) require upwards of 250 pgs of reading a week, one has a weekly quiz on the readings, and the others have frequent short papers about the readings. That doesn't really consider the projects that they assign or my objective tests in BAA. Then again, I've realized that if I take pretty much any class in a field I'm interested in here, I'll have tons of reading. (Very much a liberal arts education).</p>
<p>To continue what bluestar7 said about science labs, they're long. Especially chemistry. Organic chem is 4 hours long (most don't last the whole time though) I can't speak for engineering labs. It's annoying cause most labs don't count as any credit whatsoever but have to be taken with the course. As a science major I find that I am in class more and spend more time studying than non-science/engineering majors. It sucks but I wouldn't be happy being a non-science major. If you're thinking about being a science major here it is essential that you like what you're doing. Grading also seems to be tougher for science classes than other classes. But I guess you have to earn your grade in every class here at Duke. I would think that there are not too many schools in the country where getting an A is tougher than here. The Ivies have that whole grade inflation thing going for them supposedly. I don't want to sound like I'm grumpy or anything, cause I definitely am not. Just giving fair warning to anyone thinking of doing the science/engineering thing here.</p>
<p>I'm really interested in doing interdisciplinary engineering and finance with pre-med. I really want to go to med school, but I worry about what I'll have to fall back on if I were to major in science. Since engineering/business seem more secure and I have interests in both disciplines, I'm wondering how difficult the workload would be as a eng/finance/premed vs. science/premed? I'm considering minoring in finance as opposed to double majoring if a double major would mean overload. I'd also like to know how hard it'd be to maintain a 3.6+ gpa and still have a life?</p>
<p>I'm in the same situation, but I'll start another thread for responses so that Bahamain_Dukeapp09 can get his question answered...</p>
<p>Um , sorry...but Duke doesnt have a degree in Finance, as a matter of fact, they dont have any business degress...only a certificate in Markets & Management Systems and there is Economics.</p>
<p>oops, sorry Bahamain, I didn't mean to take your thread off on a tangent and leave your question unanswered. I was just interested in understanding a science major course load vs. non-science major. Thanks for explaining duke doesn't offer a degree in finance btw. I was considering either economics or finance.</p>
<p>NO PROBLEM!....i dont mind u compltely altering the basis of my thread :)...thats cool.</p>
<p>And, yeh, im also considering economics, but i also want to do Biology to keep my options open to both Med School and Business School. So, ive made up my mind to double major in Economics and Biology.</p>
<p>I get up too early and go to sleep too late.</p>
<p>Um...o-k-a-y.</p>
<p>Those are about the only two things that are typical in a college day. There is little time for lots of sleep (except weekend mornings but you'll probably be catching up on homework). Besides waking up early and going to sleep late nothing else is typical. I found that theres no set routine like high school.</p>
<p>the only routine that will develop is when you do certain homework for certain classes (i.e. for classes with regular work such as languages, math courses).</p>
<p>weekdays for me are a combination of orchestra rehearsals, pt sessions/working out on my own in the gym (navy rotc), class time, reading and doing work, various meetings for organizations, getting to club lacrosse practice when I can, and then wasting whatever time is left in some productive de-stressing sort of way (i.e. watching the ncaa tourney in the commons room with people).</p>
<p>fridays and saturdays mainly consist of unwinding, getting your life back in order, doing laundry, attempting to get started on work, and going out (be it partying, chilling with people, going to concerts - whatever suits you). sundays are the crunch time when you'll grind it out in the library.</p>
<p>Thanks alot all of u guys who answered my questions, they really gave me some much needed insight. :)</p>