Duke University Top Questions

Regardless of the little things I would change, I love Duke and most people I know do!!

Duke is awesome, but you have to be ready to study your ass off if you come here.

Someone once said, "you have to make your own Duke experience, it won't make you," and that is very true. But if you take the leap, the opportunities-academically, socially, extracurricularly- here are endless. You really do get what you pay for with the $48,000 a year education.

Don't go to Duke unless you really are there to focus on your studies. Though a party scene does exist at Duke, it is very exclusive and primarily remains in the top frat/soroities. If you were the one who went home everyday in highschool to study and always got straight A's then Duke is for you. If you take pride in not being the nerd steriotype, than you will feel out of place.

You'll love it if you come.

Duke's campus is one humongous plus. The gothic architecture blends and works with nature like nobody's business. The staff always keeps nice flowerbeds and the trees are just magnificent whether they have leaves or not. It really helps to be in a place surrounded by beauty. Although you probably wouldn't notice the pretty sites much or care, if you lived in a horribly ugly place, it would probably take it's toll.

I love Duke. I loved my freshman year. I think with enough effort people can love Duke. Often it is left out of the conversation when top schools are discussed, but it is undoubtedly in the top five to ten schools in the country when all is accounted for.

Great things about Duke: the climate (not too much snow, really wonderful spring weather), the fact that we have had artists like The Roots, Ludacris and Knaye West perform at my school, and the Gothic layout of our campus. The cafeteria food here is unbearable, but luckily we have a "food points" plan and upperclassmen have the choice to eat at the McDonald's, Subway and Armadillo Grill (a Mexican restaurant). There is also a 24-hour diner on campus so students can get something to eat at any time of the day or night. We can also use our "food points" to order food from outside vendors like Domino's. Housing at Duke sucks - freshman are basically forced to live on West campus their sophomore year, and their freshman dorm is linked to a particular quad on West campus.

I like Duke. You can easily get sucked into the main stream stereotypes (think Gucci bags popped collars), and that's fine. But you can also choose to stick out, and you will be respected for it. I would say, if you plan on coming to Duke, be strong, independent, and willing to be you at all costs. I promise you that you will find your group, get drunk, have massive amounts of fun, and learn a lot.

the race relations can be pretty horrible. a lot of self-segregation. students who do not fit the mainstream of white, upper-middle class privilege are marginalized in the social scene. "freaks" are by and far not welcome.