Duke University Top Questions

Senior year of high school was an amazing experience. From prom to the football championship, you are going to make a multitude of memories that I would never spoil for you. That being said, I want you to remember this: as you get ready to leave high school to venture through this unchartered territory, you must hit the ground running. It is easy to get lost in the unfamiliar college atmosphere. Throughout your life you were used to being an "above average" student, or at least that's what you were told. College is one the most humbling experiences you will ever have. You are special, but what makes you special doesn't make you "above" anyone else. Nobody knows you or your accomplishments where you're going, and so you are going to have to continue to strive to maximize your potential. Never allow yourself to become complacent, whether it be academically, in your extracurricualr endeavors, or even playing a game of pickup basketball. Your best effort is the only effort that counts from here on out, since you are beginning to form the habits that will stick with you throughout your life. Good luck, and have fun!

Dear Ale, More than anything, relax. It may take a year to get used to the swing of things, but everything will be fine. Better, in fact. You’re going to grow in ways you never imagined, meet people from around the world (literally), and look back on these years with fond memories of a time when you learned about yourself enormously. Hold off on taking both calculus and Chinese the first semester. You’ll be trying to adjust to living with 200 other people in a dorm, and your immune system won’t be a fan of shared living spaces coupled with too few sleep hours as a result of your tough course load. Follow your gut! Deep down, you know you have a passion for French but think pursuing a more “business-savvy” language will look better on a resume, helping you get ahead after graduation. You will go to Paris your junior year and have more fun than you can imagine, becoming practically fluent in the language of love in the process and making lifelong friends. Stay true to yourself, but don’t be afraid to push beyond your comfort zone. And study hard, always! Love, Ale

Attending college has opened my eyes in more ways that I could ever imagine! The key lesson I have taken away thus far is that it is imperative to do more than memorize information; it must be completely understood on an application level. In high school, one could "get away" by merely spending hours memorizing vocabulary, processes, and historical happenings. Now, I know that I must apply this knowledge to be successful. That being said, I would advise my high school self to focus on memorization in amalgamation with full comprehension. It would save myself a huge percentage of my study time, and I would be able to place additional emphasis on furthering my knowledge in other subjects.

You are about to have more freedom than you know what to do with. Don't feel pressured to make decisions about the rest of your life too quickly. Do your best work, exercise your best judgement, but have a light heart. Have fun and get to know yourself. Try everything that interests you. Enjoy the college experience. There is plenty of time later for serious things like love and career. When you get stressed, take a coffee break with friends. You'll come back with a fresh mind. When you fail, don't worry. Just learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward openness to learning. College and adult life can be full of challenges. They are all opportunities to grow into the amazing adult you are becomming. Also, find a way to study abroad!

After I was accepted to college, I started making plans in my head as to exactly what I would be doing in six months, nine months, and one year. Almost none of what I planned for actually happened. The biggest piece of advice I would give to my past self is that college is a time of natural change. Everything is changing: your ideas, your body, your environment and there is little you can do to change this inevitable change. However, this does not mean we should accept everything as it comes. We have the chance to direct this change and one of the most important things to keep in mind is to expose yourself to the things that will help you grow the most as a student and as a person. Everyone knows that college is a time for new experiences, but it’s important to exercise some judgement as to what these experiences might be. Once we find the experiences that satisfy our ephemeral desires it’s important to be efficient when delving into them, find out which practices work best and move you closer to your goals and then make them habit.

The advice I would give myself is that college is a lot easier then high school the teachers actually work with you and would like you to succede rather then fail. I would also tell myself that even with a learning disability I can still succede with the help of the learning disability center and that I should have stepped into this path sooner.

I would never advise attending college while parenting to anyone who is not already a parent. I would definitely explain that to my 17 year old self and go into detail. Attending college while having a child is extremely draining. It also adds plenty of unnecessary stress on you. I would tell myself to wait to have children, make sure you have an education and can provide for yourself and your children first. I would tell myself how important it is to start college right away. You don't want to waste any time when it comes to college. Days, turn into months, months into years. You do not want to be 30 years old working in a retail store without a bachelor’s degree. Be smart and choose a major that would enable you to provide the things that you like in life. Just because you have a degree, does not mean you have a guaranteed job. Get ready to find yourself and figure out who you are as an individual. College provides that experience and many more. Never lose sight of your dreams and who you want to be as a person. You can make it happen.

There is so much that I have learned over the years that I would want to let my highschool self know, but three big pieces of advice come to mind. It would have changed my life. Number one, never take anything for granted. When you are in highschool, everything just is what it is and you never see the importance in what you have until something horrible happens in your life. Number two would be to think about the consequences of your actions. Never do anything in the spur of the moment because in the end it may cost you everything you have and it is not worth it. Look for opportunities that help your future and save all of your money. Finally, number three is the most important one, stay true to yourself and your morals. It is important to let other guys or friends know where your limits are and let everyone know them. Keeping your limits shows class and respect for yourself. It may not mean much in highschool, but in the future it is everything. Keep your head up and make sure that you see the value in life and all it has to offer you.

There are three things I would tell high-school-senior self if I could go back in time, and that I would tell any high school senior who wanted advise on college. These pieces of advice are: 1) When you get to college, be willing to take risks. Freshman year of college is a chance to remake yourself. Seize the opportunity to join Quidditch or start a try out for an accapella group. Now's the time! 2) You are not as smart and life is not as easy as you think it is. And that's ok. Just be prepared to roll with the punches and handle whatever is thrown your way as calmly as you can. 3) Don't procrastinate! The number one thing that leads to stress and missed opportunities is procrastination. Just get off your butt and do it already! You'll feel much more accomplished and be better positioned for greatness if you do.

I would tell myself not to worry so much about making friends right away. During orientation week, a lot of people rushed to find companions, and that was followed by multiple weekends of socializing and partying. I'm more of a shy person, so I took my time feeling my way around the social scene... and decided it wasn't for me. There was a lot of loneliness because of that, because I avoided getting too deeply involved right away. But I've found it to be beneficial in the long run. So far, I still don't consider myself to have very many friends, but I'm close with the ones I do have and it's been nice to take time to get to know each other. Could I go back and speak to myself as a high school senior, I would assure myself that it's okay to go at a slower pace- it's okay not to do what everyone else is doing, especially if it's not what I'm comfortable with. Doing what I felt was right for me has turned out to be best for my life.

Take the classes more serious. Do not skip or follow what your friends are doing because in College its just you not your friends. The same thing your doing in college is what your learning in high school. So when the teachers actually say your going to need to know the material for college BELIEVE THEM! Stay focus and motivate yourself also dual enrollment is a plus. I really regret not taking the opprtunity to do dual enrollment. It would of help me out tremendously by taking out all the prep classes now so when I began College I wouldnt have to worry about them

Discuss your college choices with your parents as a team, and determine which make the most sense and why. Consider taking a year off before going on to college in order to figure out who and what you want to be. Once in college, seek balance in the academic and social life, and remember the tools that got you where you are. Discuss successes and issues with your family, and don't be afraid to express doubts and concerns. Make friends and push yourself to explore outside your comfort zone. Take advantage of all the facilities and opportunities available to you on campus. Study hard, play hard, find joy in accomplishing your goals.

Reach Out!...reach out to your professors and to upperclassmen as soon as you get to campus, because they are Dying to give you the inside scoop. Save yourself the trouble of learning things the hard way; having a mentor will not only help you grow, but it can also open up amazing opportunities for you. Enjoy the journey ahead. And remember, it's Not a journey if you end up the same place you began at.

If I were to go back in time as a high school senior, I would tell myself to budget my time and money. It would make my current financial situation a whole lot easier.

I had a lot of people tell me to 'take it easy' going into college, and I did. I didn't join many activities, I didn't make much effort socially, and I didn't have a very good start to freshman year. If I could talk to my high school senior self I would tell him to keep doing exactly what he had been doing his whole life: work hard, engage in as much as you can--as deeply as you can, branch out socially, and push the boundaries of your comfort zone. Don't listen to anyone's advice if it leads you to spend time in a way that you wouldn't want to spend it. College isn't like how it's portrayed on television: academics are hard, and there are just as many serious students as there are partiers. I think what people meant when they told me to take it easy referred to academics but I interpreted it as social advice because that's something I struggle with more. Social connection and academics are equally important in college and you need to devote equal time to both if you want the best experience.

In the most simple of words I would say to my younger self, “Read ahead”. For me high school was incredibly boring and was never a challenge. Never had I actually felt happy or proud that I had scored over 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} on a test. That would feel as hollow of a victory as successfully navigating the roads to work while avoiding any collisions. When the teacher would congratulate me it felt condescending. Recently I decided to acquire certifications outside of the classroom while I grew my savings before finishing my degree. I bought a text book and read it cover to cover in 3 weeks and then I repeated the process 3 more times and gained two professional certifications over the course of 4 months. Never had I imagined that reading a text book could be thrilling. Nothing beats the shear excitement of learning about topics that your average person outside of academia could even begin to comprehend. If only I could impart on my younger self how exciting reading ahead could be who knows where I could be today. Knowing what I do now, I see myself going great places in the very near future.

Love others. Love them until your heart aches and you can’t love them anymore. Then love them a little bit more. People are far more important than anything you will ever achieve or possess. Be kind to the earth and its myriad of beautiful creatures. Let your gentle heart always define you. Don’t waste your time trying to blend in. Instead, try to figure out what it is you are doing here. Don’t be afraid to wear hot pink in a sea of people dressed in all black. Take risks. Do things that terrify you. Do things without always knowing how they’ll turn out. Console yourself with the knowledge that you can survive any outcome with a positive attitude. You’re smarter than you think. You are capable of anything you feel compelled toward, as long as your heart is sufficiently in it. Be true to yourself, and never apologize to anyone for who you are. It may take two to tango, but you can dance alone and put on a breathtaking flamenco.

I would tell myself that there is so much pressure from outside sources. Putting personal pressure on myself was not a good idea and it did not help. Everyone is just as nervous and awkward as you are, so do not worry too much. Try to ask questions in class and get to know the professor. Never be afraid to ask for help!

The most important part of college also happens to be the most elusive. No, it’s not a perfect GPA or a perfect boyfriend. It’s sleep. Please don’t forget to sleep. Always aim for at least five hours a night and don’t be afraid to nap during the day. Public places like the library are the best; the couches are quite comfortable there. No matter how much work you have to do or who else might be gossiping in the hallways at 3AM, it’s much more important to rest your body and your brain for the next day. Not only will sleep help you relax and focus in class, it’ll help improve your mood. You’ll feel happier and more energized to try out random activities on campus like zumba or cardio kickboxing. At the most, it’ll give you something to brag about to your friends who pulled all-nighters and can barely lift their cereal spoons in the morning. At the very least, it’ll prevent you from falling sick when the virus starts spreading through the dorm. If you sleep the rest of college will be a breeze. I promise.

Get involved! Don't be afraid to take a leap and do things that are out of your comfort zone. I didn't get involved in a lot freshman year, and it made things difficult sophomore year as I found myself over-involved and having to learn how to master schoolwork and extracurriculars in my second year. Also, introduce yourself to EVERYONE. Duke is a friendly campus, and even if it doesn't seem like it when people are tired and going to and from classes on the C-1 bus, almost every Duke student would be happy to get to know you.