Duke University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Majors: Global Health and Public Policy double major
Minor: none
Student Self Identifies as: Half-Asian and Half-Caucasian Heterosexual Female
Summary
I play Club Volleyball, I’m part of the Global Health Major’s Union and WISER International, which is an organization that supports women’s education in a rural village in Kenya. I’m also in a sorority.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Half-Asian and Half-Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Private school in Durham, NC with about 100 people per grade. There was a culture of going to elite colleges.
First Generation College Student: No
Majors: Global Health and Public Policy double major
Minor: none
Extracurricular Activities: I play Club Volleyball, I’m part of the Global Health Major’s Union and WISER International, which is an organization that supports women’s education in a rural village in Kenya. I’m also in a sorority.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your majors?
Last semester I had a fairly even dispersal of readings and problem sets. In general, my classes are more reading-heavy. My major graded assignments are essays, tests, and presentations.
Is there anything you feel your majors’ departments do especially well or poorly?
I have had more experience with the Global Health department as of now, so I can talk more about that. I’ve only taken one solely Public Policy class as of now. I like that the global health department allows you to be fairly flexible in the classes that count towards your major because it is a required double major. However, to get the major, you have to do an experiential learning component, and I don’t think that they provide enough options for achieving this.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
In general, my environment is more collaborative, especially because many Global Health classes and Public Policy classes require group projects.
What has been your favorite class you’ve taken for your majors?
I have two: Global Health Evidence to Policy and Global Reproductive Health.
What was your least favorite class you’ve taken so far?
Statistics. I’ve mostly liked all of my Global Health classes.
Do you feel people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
Yes. Because of the nature of the major, many of the classes are geared towards understanding or learning how to understand multiple schools of thought.
How accessible are your professors?
Most of the professors in the Global Health department are passionate about their work and the classes they are teaching and are open to FLUNCHes or holding office hours.
Why did you choose your majors? Are you happy with your choice?
Yes, I am happy. I became interested in global health, and specifically women’s reproductive health, in high school through a club that was started at Duke called WISER. I want to be able to help people but also operate through a global perspective. Public Policy seemed like a good medium through which to do this.
Reasons to Attend
1) The food, both at and around Duke
2) The resources offered to students
3) The study abroad and travel opportunities
4) The architecture
5) The people
Reasons Not to Attend
1) The effortless perfection
2) The sense of entitlement of some, not all, students
3) The price
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Brown Hall with one roommate.
Sophomore: In my sorority’s section with one roommate, but we had our own bedrooms.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I generally feel safe during the day. I have felt a little unsafe walking through the gardens to get home late at night, but that’s also on me because I probably shouldn’t be doing that – there are usually busses, they just run less frequently at night.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
Nearby, I like Gonza Taco, Dashi, M Kokko, and Pompieri. It’s hard for me to pick just one, but I also have more extensive knowledge of the restaurants in Durham than most students because I am from Durham.
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
My house [laughs].
Social Opportunities
What kind of nightlife do you like to participate in?
Mostly bars that most Duke students go to, frat parties, or staying in with friends. I tend to go out Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, although not always all of those nights every week.
Are there regular places you go on certain nights?
Shooters’ on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Devine’s on Thursdays. Normally during the week my sorority will have one or two mixers with a frat, and there are usually at least one or two frat parties a week.
Can you describe a typical night going out freshman year?
I went out more sophomore year than freshman year, but if I were to go out, I would usually hang out with friends in my dorm then go to a frat party of some sort, depending on if I had an invite/wristband or if invites/wristbands were required.
What have been your favorite times at Duke?
I like Thursday night Devine’s a lot, and there are some frats I like mixing with more than others because I have more friends in some. There are also some parties that I look forward to every year. However, I also enjoy staying in with friends, maybe playing drinking games or just hanging out and eating good food. Devine’s is nice because you can get in under 21 and just [have to pay a slightly more expensive cover].
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
I once went to a concert in Raleigh at the end of freshman year, and I know some other people go to more (I personally am not a big fan of concerts). I went to a gay bar in Raleigh for a friend’s birthday last semester, which was very fun.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
I think Greek life has an impact on nightlife, especially if you are a guy. It may be harder to go to parties if you are not in a frat, although Devine’s and Shooters’ are open to everyone. It also helps to be a part of Greek life because your schedule for going out is planned out for you with mixers, and many frats will blanket invite a sorority or pledge class to a party. Many SLGs [Selective Living Groups] also have mixers and parties as well.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I met my closest friends in my dorm freshman year or through my sorority.
To what extent do you feel that people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
Yes, but often it takes effort to make this happen. It seems like many students, especially international students, feel more comfortable when they spend time with each other, and there is definitely a lack of diversity within Greek life. I found that most of the people I’ve made friends with that are of different races or sexual orientations were in my dorm freshman year, and I’m not sure if we would be friends if we were not in the same dorm.
What is the impact of Greek life on social life?
I think Greek life creates networks among those who are involved in it, simultaneously allowing one to know more people who are in a frat or sorority while also cutting those people off from the rest of the student population. I think that those who are involved in Greek life have a larger network of friends – although some of these relationships might be shallow or artificial – than people who are not a part of it. For me, it’s possible that I would be pretty lonely if I hadn’t joined a sorority, and I believe this could be the case for many people who don’t find a community in the dorm or apartment building they live in.
How would you describe the social scene at Duke?
It can sometimes feel like it’s hard to make new friends at Duke. Although it’s easy to meet many people through classes, it can be hard to become close with people that way. I’ve found that my friendships often depend on where I live, while most of the friendships that I make through classes or clubs are not quite as deep. That being said, I do feel as though I have a few different circles of friends that I feel comfortable with, and I am friendly with quite a few people through those friendships.
How would you describe the student body?
The student body is diverse and talented. Most people are involved in at least one extracurricular, and many are involved in a lot more. There is an aspect of ‘effortless perfection’ that seems pervasive at Duke. This is the perception that someone can be perfect physically, academically, and socially without trying at all, but they are struggling underneath. It is easy to feel inadequate at Duke because there are so many amazing people doing amazing things, while many of those people probably feel the same way. Overall, image seems to be very important. However, in my opinion, students are also supportive of each other, and this sense of competition seems less geared towards tearing others down and more gear towards pushing oneself to do more or be better.
Do you think people leave Duke happy with their choice? Do you think people leave loving Duke?
Yes and no. There are definitely flaws in many aspects of life at Duke, from issues with housing to the social scene to the workload. There have been times where I have felt like it was impossible for me to take care of my health and do well in school at the same time, and there have been times when I’ve felt extremely lonely or disconnected from the people around me. However, I’ve also made some friends who genuinely care about me and want what’s best for me, and I’ve taken classes that I thought were extremely interesting or useful and done assignments that I think will benefit me in the future. I think that while there are a lot of moments or issues that can make students unhappy, this all comes on a backdrop of happiness and contentment with all that Duke has to offer.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Not yet, but I also have not tried to utilize it.
How helpful has the career office been?
Someone helped me edit my resume and that was pretty helpful.
Have you learned any computer programs that will be helpful to you professionally?
I learned Python in Computer Science 101. It helped me frame how I think about Excel.