Duke University Top Questions

Adjust your perspective. College is all about discovery and adaptation and you will need to open your eyes and your mind to get everything you can out of it. Never resist an opportunity to meet someone new or have a conversation because someone that seems relatively insignificant to you might change the way you look at the world or could give you the opportunity of a lifetime. Do not be discouraged by your mistakes but use them as a guiding tool for the future. Take advantage of faculty and their knowledge and resources. They are invaluable and also real people. Treat them as people and get to know them individually. They are incredible mentors and give you the best advice. Do not be afraid of upperclassmen but rather seek their advice and friendship. They know the ropes and can help make your transition a lot easier. Do not forget about your family and check in. College is a whirlwind so it is important to take time and make sure you stay grounded in your beliefs and ideals. Family will help you and support you no matter what. Take it all in, you only have 4 years. Enjoy it now.

Don't apply anywhere else, save the application fees and apply to Duke only! (Also, don't apply to Pratt...you will be a theater major, don't fight it! Engineering just isn't for you!)

The most important piece of advice I would give myself is to not worry so much about the future. As a senior, I was extremely excited to go to college, but at the same time I was worried that it might not be as great an experience as people say it is. I worried that I would not make friends quickly, since I was and still am rather shy. I worried about picking a major and, ultimately, a career, since I was and still am undecided about my future. I worried about the smaller things as well, like the bus system, my future roommate, my classes and professors, and the workload. In the end, though, my freshman year turned out to be the best school year of my life, and I greatly enjoyed my time at Duke. Even though I am still not sure about a career, I know now that everything will work itself out in the end. I wish I had gotten this advice during my senior year.

Girl, you need to focus! Get your mind off that fine, 21 year old, motorcycle riding marine. I'm telling you, he's no good for you and will only distract you. Dump him, and focus on college and your future. Dang, now I sound like my mother. You're too young to get married, and you're going to lose focus. There I go again. All I'm trying to say is if you don't take the opportunity now to enjoy college and all the new experiences that go along with it, you never will. Sure, eventually you'll squeeze in night classes and online classes while you're working a full-time job in your mid-thirties because you finally realize that your salary is maxed out while the cost of living continues to rise. What should be one of the best experiences of your life, will turn into one of the most difficult if you're not careful. So, get your head out of the clouds and back in the books. In the end, you know he's not the one. So, why waste time, go NOW...it will make your life a lot more enjoyable!

Eat your fruits and vegetables, floss, and take your vitamins daily. When you shower and shave, be thorough. Mom will not be there to tell you that. You want to be a doctor, right? As a prospective doctor, learn to take care of yourself in addition to taking care of others. When you get there you will have to find new friends. Therefore, seek out the select few friends with whom you can share your heart and incorporate them into your everyday life. Read your Bible and pray daily. Remember to perceive your daily homework assignments as an opportunity to invest in yourself and to better equip yourself to help other people in the future. In college, you can form good habits or bad habits. These habits are formed primarily by the things that you do daily, therefore do not undermine their importance. Think about adapting to college life such that you form good habits and break bad habits. And if you realize along the way that you gained insight about life and your character by what you do daily, write it down so that you can read it later.

Explore. Never again will you have the same degree of widespread academic, athletic, and cultural engagement opportunities at your fingertips. What’s more, the level of energy and diversity among college students makes it easy to find other people who share in your interest. Now is the time to find and develop your passions. And if you’re activity of interest isn’t available on campus, then that’s you’re opportunity to start something new. At least here at Duke, the University is incredibly supportive, both with funding and otherwise, of student’s ideas and initiatives to bring new forms of student engagement to the campus. Dream big. When they say that this is the time to start changing the world, they weren’t kidding.

If I could go back in time and speak to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to study, study, and study. I wish I knew it would be as easy as reviewing notes and reading the textbook; my first few semesters of adjusting to college would have been much easier. After six semesters in college, I have found the key to success which is knowing the material, but my young narrow-minded brain that was fresh out of high school and so used to being babied all my life did not comprehend what exactly studying was. I would advise myself to attend class on a daily basis even if the teacher did not take attendance, my first couple of semesters of college I thought that since the teacher did not know whether I was in class or not it was not fully necessary for me to attend, of course I was very wrong because I missed vital material. Last of all, I would tell myself to enjoy every precious moment, relax, and do not stress because in the end I will be successful no matter what it takes.

As a high school senior, I would tell myself to have fun, to take in the time you have with your family and friends because once you leave, you will miss them a lot. I would tell myself to prepare ahead of time and to take the classes I want, without feeling pressure to fufill requirements right away. I would tell myself to be dependable, make new friends, and put myself out there and see what happens. Don't get behind in work, ask for help, and get to know my professors. Try out for posisitons, participate in clubs, and do what feels right. Drop a class I don't see myself doing well in or that I realize doesn't interest me. Don't have any expectations going in, and learn from the mistakes. Reward yourself when good things happen. Exercise so that you can feel better. Do everything you want if you get the chance. Go to the shows and the plays, because you never know who will be the next big thing. Don't hold grudges, and don't limit yourself to what you did in high school. Lastly, be yourself.

I would give myself the following advice: 1. Stay ahead of schoolwork - you may be able to fake it by studying "the night before" a test in high school, but this won't work in college. Keep a planner and stick to the plan by making study dates 2, 4, 6 and 8 days before a test. In the same way, plan paper writing by planning days for an outline, first draft and final drafts. 2. Take advantage of teachers who are willing to preview your papers before you turn them in. You will become a better writer and your papers will receive higher grades. 3. Take part in community service from the time you are very young. Not only will you impress colleges with continuous community service throughout your junior high and high school years, but you will be paid back in spades with the good you can do in your community. 4. Learn to keep your room organized and decluttered. It's a hard lesson to learn in a tiny college dorm room. 5. Learn about every technology (like your cell phone, computer, printer and programs like Skype) before you go to college and lose your support system.

Education is the skeleton key for countless doors of opportunities. In an increasingly global and competitive world, only those who have successfully pursued higher education will have a chance to participate. Those who lack education will simply be left behind. College is not for everyone. But it is for anyone who searches for success, pursues self-improvement, and desires to be integrated with our interconnected world. With a time commitment of four years and costs sometimes exceeding $200,000, there is no question that college is a significant investment of both time and money. However, it is an investment that will pay for itself over the long term, professionally and personally. I found this to be true during my time at Duke University, which opened my eyes to a world that I did not know existed. I met lifelong friends, traveled to previously unknown places, broadened my educational horizons, discovered my passions, and helped me to discover myself. My Duke experience changed my life and I cannot imagine what kind of person I would be without that experience. I am happy and proud of the person I am today and my college experience played no small role in that.