Welcome class of 2015

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
1

<p>Hello everyone! Congrats to everyone who received letters of admissions. To those waitlisted, don't give up, three of my best friends here were waitlisted before they ultimately got it. For those rejected, get angry, let it out, do whatever you need to. Unlike a lot of Dukies, Duke was not my first choice, but that doesn't mean that I deserve to be here less than someone else or that I enjoy it less than they do. Love the schools you did get into and eventually they will become your home just as Duke has become mine. I still feel kind of a bitter towards my #1 choice, but whatever, you've just got to accept that the decisions process is semi-random and totally subjective. It's a lot like life. Honestly after a year at duke I see how pointless it is to compare the top 30/50. My education would not change at all if I went to USC or Vandy or wherever, the only differences are people, tradition, and clubs/connections/opportunities (not better or worse, just different). A lot of Duke professors suck. A lot will change your life. A University is so heterogeneous that comparisons between students are useless, let alone comparisons with other schools. Love where you end up, forget what came before.</p>

<p>"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."
-Buddha</p>

<p>Now for those accepted, I will be a Blue Devil Days Tour Guide and if you have ANY questions ask away. I entreat any other Dukies to join in as I cannot promise that I'll be able to be on here everyday (midterms here never end haha).</p>

<p>I guess just some basic FAQ-esque comments:</p>

<p>-Yes the weather is blazing hot when you arrive, glorious after those first few weeks of scorching sun, and quite cold from Dec-Feb
-Yes you will question your major, most pre-meds will drop because they don't love medicine they just love the idea of being a doctor
-Yes East rocks, and no what dorm you are in does not matter. I am in the Backyard (RANDOLPH!) but the main quad dorms have just as much fun
-The marketplace will be wonderful for the first month, decent for the rest of 1st semester, and terrible 2nd semester. But don't worry about it. Commiserating with everyone else about your marketplace woes makes for hilarious odes and conversations
-Yes Duke rocks, I don't know a single person who tried to transfer
-The Blue Book will come. It will tell you all. Skim my class's blue book to get the idea (everything will probably be the same except for dates and fees)
-Campus Opportunities are beyond amazing and you will find your niche, don't stress about making friends, networking, finding your perfect place, or whatever else you are agonizing over. It always works out and you discover who truly are in the presence of the some of the world's greatest people.
-If you're on the fence about Duke don't be. I got off the Harvard waitlist and I just couldn't accept it. I've never regretted sticking with Duke.</p>

<p>**For reference:
I am male, a freshman, from MO, secretary of the freshman class/VP of my dorm, an Econ & International Comparative Studies double major, in NROTC, involved with: the chronicle, american grand strategy program, la table francaise, and Sig Pi.</p>

<p>I will be giving 6 BDD tours (4/12 11:30 & 12:15, 4/15 11:30 & 12:15, and 4/18 11:45 & 12:45) & 2 student info sessions (4/11 & 4/14) . If you think you'll be coming to BDD and you want to speak before or after one of my tours/sessions just message me! I remember how many questions I had, so I'm here to help y'all as much as I can.</p>

2

<p>The definition of “quite cold” will vary from person to person. The lowest temperature I recall is around the mid-20’s in the middle of the night, maybe the high 10’s.</p>

<p>I’m a senior ME/BME major and would be happy to answer your questions, if you have any.</p>

3

<p>USNAgolden2014 is a great guy and what he says is definitely true, so please take note!</p>

<p>Coming here was the best decision of my life so far (yes, that’s quite a bold statement), and I have absolutely no regrets. I’ve met some of the best people in my life here, and I can’t wait for the next three years to unfold. </p>

<p>Likewise with Ouroboros313, feel free to message me any questions about life at Duke (especially as a freshman)!</p>

4

<p>same here - i’m also in randolph (woot backyard woot!) and i hail from FL and you are welcome to message me for any reason :slight_smile:
oh and i’m a FAC so if you end up in randolph i will likely be in an obnoxiously bright shirt, moving you into your room!</p>

5

<p>I was wondering if any of you know people in the wellness dorm and how they like it and stuff. I personally dont really drink but a lot of my friends drink and im not against drinking I was just kind of wondering what my options are.</p>

<p>Also are duke engage programs difficult to get into?</p>

<p>Is it difficult to double major in engineering and another subject that is not math science heavy?</p>

<p>Have you ever met any of the basketball players or had any classes with them?</p>

<p>ok thats all for now. Thanks!</p>

6

<p>oh also did you do any of the pre orientation programs?</p>

7

<p>HAHA woww I also happen to know the above poster, and she’s one of the sweetest/most incredible people I’ve ever met. </p>

<p>I’m also in Randolph, a FAC, but am “international” for all you internationals out there :P</p>

8

<p>I was wondering if any of you know people in the wellness dorm and how they like it and stuff. I personally dont really drink but a lot of my friends drink and im not against drinking I was just kind of wondering what my options are.

  • i don’t know anyone from that dorm very well but i can tell you that many of my friends don’t drink and we aren’t in a wellness dorm, and it doesn’t change your social life at all.</p>

<p>Also are duke engage programs difficult to get into?

  • don’t know yet, i’m a freshman</p>

<p>Is it difficult to double major in engineering and another subject that is not math science heavy?
-okay engineering is pretty hard warning you now. its doable to double major in something humanities-related, but its hard. your 4 years are pretty much mapped out if you’re in pratt, so you’d probably have to take extra courses to accomplish that. i can tell you that because i was in civil engineering trying to double major in english (which was a fail - now i’m just straight up english major)</p>

<p>Have you ever met any of the basketball players or had any classes with them?
-i’ve met one, and you see them across campus. i mean they’re students too haha so you’ll probably see them around. oh if you end up in bassett then yes, you probably will</p>

9

<p>@ash411
A lot of people double major in engineering and a non-science major, economics being the most popular. It’s not impossible at all. It will require, however, some foresight and planning to get the right classes at the right time so you can graduate on time. Of course, the more AP credits you bring, the more flexibility you will have.</p>

<p>You can take a look at the curriculum here <a href=“http://www.pratt.duke.edu/our-departments[/url]”>http://www.pratt.duke.edu/our-departments&lt;/a&gt; . If you come with absolutely no AP credits, then you most likely will have to overload to 5 courses a few times, or take summer courses, to get everything done. Speaking from experience, taking 5 classes is no problem so long as they’re not all HW intensive.</p>

10

<p>Hahhaha I love Lwalk5 & Augustagurrl, we live in the same dorm (small world ahaha)</p>

<p>I was wondering if any of you know people in the wellness dorm and how they like it and stuff. I personally dont really drink but a lot of my friends drink and im not against drinking I was just kind of wondering what my options are.

  • Unless you are truly against drinking don’t do wellness. If you come back to the dorm drunk you get in sooo much trouble. Essentially you can’t ever really experiment (& return home, you could always crash somewhere else I guess). Wellness is not for the faint of heart, you’ve got to be pretty committed to being straight-edge. It also has a tendency to be dominated by asians and girls (just fyi), just another factor in the equation. I would not recommend it unless you feel strongly about it.</p>

<p>Also are duke engage programs difficult to get into?

  • yes and no. It all depends on what (if any) languages you speak, your passion for the project, and the number of applicants. I know a lot of freshman going on DukeEngage trips abroad (Kenya, Vietnam, South Africa), but I also know a lot who were rejected. Hope for it but don’t count on it kind of thing.</p>

<p>Is it difficult to double major in engineering and another subject that is not math science heavy?
-IMO no, unless you don’t study abroad, take summer school, and have a crap load of APs (all of the chem/bio/physics/calc ones for sure). You can definitely try it of course! I just don’t see it being worth it (enjoy your time here, don’t get so caught up in your degree that you forget about why you’re really in college [to become something great- the true you]. If you really want to though, go for it. Dukies do the impossible on the daily.</p>

<p>Have you ever met any of the basketball players or had any classes with them?
-Occasionally but they’re so busy that it’s always a random thing. Some people see Nolan every week whereas I’ve never seen him. They generally don’t count for much in terms of the average Dukie’s life</p>

11

<p>Heeeyyy…so unless you specify that you want to be in one of the “specialized dorms (wellness, etc)”, are the dorm assignments random?</p>

<p>Also, do you know anyone in Bell Tower? If so how do they like it?</p>

<p>Thanks ^_^</p>

12

<p>Assignments are random unless you do FOCUS in which case you’ll live with the other students in your FOCUS. You can make a preference between single/double/triple (and I think AC/no AC, but I’m not 100% sure on that).</p>

<p>I stayed in Bell Tower for a few weeks. It’s very nice: common rooms with large flat screens on every floor, AC, study rooms, elevator, and a lounge with massage chairs on the first floor. The rooms are a tad on the small side, however, and some people have said that it feels more like a hotel than a dorm, whatever that means.</p>

13

<p>Bell Tower is nicknamed “Hotel Bell.”
It is quite obviously the nicest (amenities wise) dorm. However, pretty much everywhere you live on east will be great. Don’t worry too much about which individual dorm you get.
And while the FOCUS programs do have specific dorms as Ouroboros said, you can’t plan around that because they switch dorms from year to year.
Randolph, Blackwell, and Bell Tower are all AC, but the other dorms are about 1/2 AC due to medical reasons (it’s very easy to get a window unit for X medical ailment)</p>

14

<p>As of right now, I’m deciding between Duke and a whole bunch of liberal arts colleges. Duke is one of the largest schools I applied to, and I was wondering what your experience has been with class sizes/professor accessibility?</p>

<p>How large is the campus (ie how long does it take you to get across campus by foot)?</p>

<p>What is the benefit of doing a Focus program and how difficult is it to get into one?</p>

<p>Thanks you!</p>

15

<ol>
<li><p>I’m also curious about the Focus programs. Will it make the university seem smaller at all? Will I have more interactions with professors? </p></li>
<li><p>I’m a strict vegetarian. I don’t eat any type of seafood as well. Will I have trouble selecting food? </p></li>
<li><p>Why do most people drop out of pre-med? Is it because they finally realize how tough it is/lose interest? I really do NOT want that to happen to me, but I’m afraid that because I didn’t take AP Physics, and didn’t score well on my AP Chem test, I will have to double my efforts to succeed. I will place out of AP Bio, but because I did not do well on the other tests, will I have to try a lot harder than other people who DID do well on those tests and placed out?</p></li>
<li><p>Does Duke do placement tests? Even after I scored a 5 for AP Bio, do I have to take another test before I can actually place out of Intro Bio?</p></li>
<li><p>Is it worth it to go to Duke if my financial aid package isn’t so great (I’m still waiting on it, but I’m just curious). Is it better to rack up 60,000 dollars in loans for undergrad at Duke than to stay with a state college, and not end up with any undergrad loans?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I will have more questions to come!</p>

16

<p>As of right now, I’m deciding between Duke and a whole bunch of liberal arts colleges. Duke is one of the largest schools I applied to, and I was wondering what your experience has been with class sizes/professor accessibility?</p>

<p>Class size is generally quite small unless you are in a large intro class. However, I do feel that LACs connect you closer with your profs than Duke does (I want to be honest here, it would be wrong to misrepresent Duke since it could be your home for the next 4 years). Of course that doesn’t mean that you don’t get close to professors, out of 8 classes I’ve had 3 meet with me and offer to write me letters of recommendation. I love my professors (in general, some suck obviously). I just think (but don’t really know I guess) that LACs have more prof-student relations.</p>

<p>How large is the campus (ie how long does it take you to get across campus by foot)?</p>

<p>With buses you can get anywhere on campus in under 10 minutes, on foot it takes 10 minutes to go from one end of west to the other. The problem is when you want to walk from one campus to another (especially east) because they are little bit spaced out from each other. It’s ~40 minute walk from East to West, but it’s such a nice walk in the fall and spring. Idk no one ever complains about the distance. The variety of architecture and facilities on each campus also makes Duke feel more rich/vibrant.</p>

<p>What is the benefit of doing a Focus program and how difficult is it to get into one?
-they aren’t hard to get into (though you definitely can get unlikely). based on my friends’ experiences I don’t recommend FOCUS. It is nice that you all live in the same dorm and that you get an interdisciplinary introduction to Duke with small seminars; however, you are a little bit behind everyone else in terms of knocking out pre-reqs and FOCUS classes are not mind-blowing, they’re just like any other class you can take at Duke. I LOVE my dorm and everyone in it, and my classes first semester were awesome. If one FOCUS program looks especially perfect for you, do it! But if you don’t feel very strong about anyone definitely opt-out. Only ~15-20% of the freshman class is in FOCUS.</p>

<ol>
<li>I’m also curious about the Focus programs. Will it make the university seem smaller at all? Will I have more interactions with professors? </li>
</ol>

<p>No to the first, yes to the second. However you might not like the prof and you’re stuck with them for dinners & trips (and whatever else your FOCUS might do). I don’t think the FOCUS really shrinks Duke down to a LAC-esque environment like it is supposed to. I would recommend picking your own classes from Duke’s AMAZING course offerings and going your own way. You will find great profs without doing FOCUS. A perfect example of this is our FLUNCH program. You get 2 Faculty Lunches (FLUNCH) each semester, which means you have 2 $25 meals on your DukeCard that allow you to have lunch with a prof of your choice one on one. It’s an amazing program.</p>

<ol>
<li>I’m a strict vegetarian. I don’t eat any type of seafood as well. Will I have trouble selecting food? </li>
</ol>

<p>I would go to the Duke Dining Service as soon as you get here and have your plan switched to points only (ie the upperclassmen plan, not the freshman plan that requires you to eat at the Marketplace). The MP is fine at first, but especially for vegetarians it gets monotonous quickly, whereas West has some great (and varied) vege-specific eateries.</p>

<ol>
<li>Why do most people drop out of pre-med? Is it because they finally realize how tough it is/lose interest? I really do NOT want that to happen to me, but I’m afraid that because I didn’t take AP Physics, and didn’t score well on my AP Chem test, I will have to double my efforts to succeed. I will place out of AP Bio, but because I did not do well on the other tests, will I have to try a lot harder than other people who DID do well on those tests and placed out?</li>
</ol>

<p>-Fret not, most do not place out of Chem or Physics so you will not be behind. Most quit pre-med because they are not dedicated to it/stop enjoying their science classes. Don’t worry about it. Either you’ll love it and you’ll be fine or you’ll find something else you love here. I’m sure you’ll do great :slight_smile:
4. Does Duke do placement tests? Even after I scored a 5 for AP Bio, do I have to take another test before I can actually place out of Intro Bio?</p>

<p>idk, i’m pretty sure you can just skip out of whatever bio you get credit for and take whichever comes next. placement tests at duke aren’t used very often.</p>

<ol>
<li>Is it worth it to go to Duke if my financial aid package isn’t so great (I’m still waiting on it, but I’m just curious). Is it better to rack up 60,000 dollars in loans for undergrad at Duke than to stay with a state college, and not end up with any undergrad loans?</li>
</ol>

<p>Nope. Stay in-state. An education is what you make of it. I went to a ****ty public high school, and because of that I was able to win everything and shine, which allowed me to get into Duke. The same idea applies to life in general, as long as you work hard and shine you’ll have a great success record afterwards. Debt is the worst thing for a college grad, for a med school student it ruins your life. Avoid debt like the plague. Duke is great, but so is flagship StateU. Duke just has better opportunities, facilities, smarter students, and more prestige, but the profs themselves are all top caliber (research wise, who teaches well is so random that honestly NCSU could have better “teachers” than Duke does, that’s something most don’t realize. Profs are here for research, not to teach, therefore some suck). Essentially Duke is obviously way better, but if it means that you’ll be stressed and burdened with debt for the next 20 years it is not worth it.</p>

<p>I LOVE DUKE! But I want to be fair :slight_smile: Hopefully I’ve helped</p>

17

<p>Wow. Thank you for all the information! I’ll have to mull the financial situation over, but I appreciate your descriptive insight!</p>

<p>Also, would you recommend doing Blue Devil Days even if I’ve already visited/toured Duke’s campus? It will cost about 1000 dollars for the whole trip, so I’m not sure if it’s worth it.</p>

18

<p>I have one question:</p>

<p>Do you think Duke is a diverse place in terms of personalities and exchange of ideals and culture? I’ve heard that Duke doesn’t “value” individuality or intellectuality as much as other schools do, and am curious as to how actual students would respond to this. Regardless, I know I’d still love Duke and am almost sold on attending.</p>

19

<p>dustin2015, I definitely think that Duke has a very diverse range of personalities here, but meeting them really depends on whether you stick with a small group of friends the whole time, or if you go out there and actively meet a bunch of people (tip: join student organizations!). </p>

<p>In terms of culture, there are a TON of cultural events here that are a lot of fun and some are extremely impressive in terms of presentation, student involvement and getting a lot of the school to come out and see them (i.e. Awaaz, Lunar New Year etc). Sure, there is SOME self-segregation here, but that’s because people find it easier to become friends with people they a lot in common with (culturally/ethnically etc). It’s pretty easy just to walk up to someone, strike up a conversation and become friends with them regardless of your differences (especially first semester freshman year when everyone’s trying to meet everyone). It’s just easier for people on the whole to stick with people who are similar to themselves (hey, it’s human nature). The thing is, you just have to go out there and make the effort. That said, there are a lot of people here who are interested in learning about other cultures and will ask you about yours etc. </p>

<p>Duke is filled with very smart people, but because of that a lot of people don’t feel the pressure to prove themselves to each other too. As a result, most conversations you’ll have with people casually, will most likely be everyday talk etc, but if you actually start up a controversial topic or ask someone their opinion, they will most likely be able to hold their own ground and have an intellectual discussion with you. One time after a discussion class last semester, a whole group of us kept an active class discussion going from out of the classroom, to the bus stop, and on the bus all the way back to East Campus. </p>

<p>Duke is what you make out of it. You need to make the effort, but if you do, it all pays off.</p>

20

<p>@USNAgolden2014: (If I remember correctly from one of your other posts, you are an econ major so I hope you can answer this question) Are a lot of econ major at Duke very pre-business/ pre-professional? To put it more bluntly, are they all aspiring for an ibanking/ consulting career? I know Duke is a feeder school for WS, and my friend at Duke (history major) told me so. Now I have no objection to ibanking as a career (I may even become one), but since I’m leaning right now towards an econ/ public policy researcher/ policy maker type, I’m just wondering if I would feel “fit in” in Duke econ department, and if not, if there is any major/ program that is suitable for me.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for your answer.</p>