<p>I've been reading this type of thread on other college discussion boards, and I've found them to be very helpful. For example, some Cornell students don't like having to pay for so many little things (Cable TV, Internet usage, being locked out) or the publishing of median grade reports on transcripts. </p>
<p>So, I was wondering what the internet is like at Duke (Are students charged a premium of any kind? and does the wi-fi span the whole campus?) and what kind of perquisites are available to Duke students? </p>
<p>Overall, what do you dislike most strongly about this school? </p>
<p>If you feel uncomfortable bashing Duke, please feel free to post what you love about Duke as well. </p>
<p>The two campuses. Although it builds freshman cohesion to have them all on the smaller East Campus, most of their classes (and all upperclassman who don't live in Central or off) are on West. Buses are pretty good, but it's still a hassle, especially in the mornings.</p>
<p>I dislike the lack of political activism on campus. Sometimes, I feel like students are isolated from real world events and are kind of locked in a bubble where their life revolves around their classes, activities and social lives.</p>
<p>I'd say internet in your dorm room is really annoying. I live right above a common room so you'd think I'd get a great wireless signal but there are times when it just goes on and off every 10 seconds. And my ethernet doesn't work. And OIT doesn't feel the need to ever take care of it. The GOOD news is that Duke is soon going to be laying out wi-fi for the entire campus (as opposed to classrooms, other buildings, etc)! </p>
<p>Parking on West Campus is also REALLY irritating...it's pretty far from some buildings. PLUS if you're coming from the store and have a bunch of stuff there are some firelanes which are virtually impossible to park in half the time because there are never any spots...SO you have to get really creative because you can't lug mass amounts of stuff all the way from the blue zone parking lot. BUT there's good news here in that you get used to it and do what you have to do!</p>
<p>Well, there's the administration selling out the lacrosse team, cancelling the season and firing the coach before they even had the facts .... Sorry to bring up old news and old wounds, but that was a "stunning" reaction from the administration (and some of the faculty, for that matter). Doesn't exactly give a parent a warm and fuzzy feeling.</p>
<p>A certain recent freshman in a certain dorm who was tired of using the ethernet cable intstalled a wirelss router in the hall ceiling (above the ceiling tiles) for many students to enjoy.</p>
<p>yeah, the two campus-system can get reallyyy annoying early in the morning or late at night when you have to wait like 20 mins to get a C1. i really love having east by itself, though, and think the good outweighs the bad in this case.</p>
<p>I'm concerned about the fact that Duke seems like a place that seems to attract people interested in fraternities. Are there any current students that are not a part of fraternities that can attest to the type of social life available for non-Greeks? Also, is the abundance of frat parties and such intrusive to those that don't want a part of it?</p>
<p>What exactly is your definition of a "social life"? Anyhow, there are many social outlets besides partying. You can always get together with a group of friends on campus and watch movies, oder in/eat out at restaurants, go to a concert, attend a cultural event, listen to a guest speaker, etc. etc.</p>
<p>I would advise against negatively stereotyping the Greek life here before even giving it a chance. Joining a fraternity/sorority is a great way to form close friendships, develop social skills, get involved in the campus/surrounding community through philantrophic work, learn to balance your time, create for yourself a cohesive social life and have a good time. </p>
<p>Stop thinking about Animal House everytime you hear the word "fraternity". This isn't Dartmouth.;)</p>
<p>Well, I do apologize for implying derogatory remarks about Greek life. I honestly have very little knowledge of what it is, and my opinion of it is based on the stereotypes of the people that typically join, whom I don't like to associate myself with. </p>
<p>Perhaps someone could share some personal stories about Duke's fraternities/sororities. I'd really like a more balanced view of what Greek life really is.</p>
<p>a more balanced view from a former duke sorority rush chair -- greek life here is diverse enough that you can find a niche at a lot of great organizations (guys or girls). i mean, there are fraternity chapters which might as well be the deltas from animal house, but it's not always the case. and hey, it's duke so while these guys might be boozing hard several nights a week, you ALWAYS see them in the library during the day. </p>
<p>as post 13 spells out, greek affiliation is a great way to meet a ton of new people, form some of your closest friendships, but it's also a really easy springboard to get involved in other aspects of campus life and in durham. my chapter requires we do several hours of community service per semester (and completing these hours is a prerequisite for attending formal) -- and we advertise tons of ways to get involved. girls are always sending emails about clubs and organizations they're in. upperclassmen are always mentoring the younger girls about classes, majors, internships, study abroad opportunities, etc. most of the things on my resume now i might not have known about had it not been for my sorority. rushing is hands down one of the best ways to develop social skills and meet a ton of new people. i've learned such good time management skills. and a great part of going greek is the national/international network it opens for you -- i've gotten job interviews because of my chapter affiliation. alums are always willing to help out anyway they can, and being greek (and sticking with it after you graduate) is a great networking tool. </p>
<p>do we party? absolutely. but i'm sure the heaviest drinker in my sorority would never look down on a sister if she chose not to drink.</p>
<p>I'm a fraternity which drinks a ton and is a lot like Animal House...our fraternity causes tons of damage, some of my brothers are facing legal trouble for underage drinking/being boisterous, and lots of kids have terrible grades. We are, in general, not a high achieving organization. In fact, I served as its head for a year and wasn't able to turn it around. However, its a ton of FUN and thats what Greek life is all about. </p>
<p>I'm involved with a lot of stuff outside of Greek life, and spend a lot of time with friends in other fraternities and people who aren't in fraternities at all. I'm active in the Duke Student Government, volunteering, a political group, and a ton of other stuff. I go to basketball games, movies, improv shows, and chill with random people often. </p>
<p>Fraternity life is just one small aspect of what you can experience at Duke.</p>
<p>I think the worst part about duke is that there are some "stuck up rich white kids"... but you're going to find them at any elite school, so you'll have to deal with them</p>
<p>also registering for classes can be kind of a pain, so are t-reqs. also i wish duke had more grade inflation</p>