Duke University Top Questions

Academics at Duke are pretty ridiculous. It may be because I'm doing Biomedical Engineering, but classes are quite difficult and require a lot of work to do well in. Good thing most students are quite studious here at Duke and work hard. Some of my professors have been much better than others, and because of this I think there should be a better standard for hiring professors, especially in math classes, because the difference between some of my professors has been so huge that it definitely affects my final grade in the class.

rigorous, lots of work outside of class

hard

It is definitely hard as there isn't any grade inflation. Professors expect a ton out of their students which can definitely suck from time to time but in the end provides for a better academic experience.

Academics at Duke are amazing. I've gotten to personally know several professors. I feel like I'm really being prepared for life.

I been readin' books and they's hard

There is a brilliant mix between large lectures and small lectures. Even in the large classes, there is an opportunity for one on one attention so that you never feel like a number defines you. You are defined by your name and not anything else.

I loved my writing 20 this year it was on detective fiction and even though iw asn't able to do all of the reading I ACTUALLY enjoyed the class and the assignments. Physics is so fuckign boring and that class pists me so much because before coming into school I had a huge love for physics but this class has just taken that away from me.

Very challenging, but it should be.

Professors almost always know your name, particularly in Trinity You study a lot intellectual conversations - yes though not as much as I think many would like

Depending on what kind of major you are, you're going to have different sorts of experiences. As a liberal arts major, I can say that most of my classes are small, many consist of 8-12 people sitting around a table, and even in the bigger ones (still not talking auditorium-sized lectures here) the professors tend to know your name. Even in most of my larger classes...even in HUGE intro ones, my professors have always attempted to incorporate as much discussion as possible, making them feel smaller. One big thing I noticed coming here from a public high school (not always the norm here) is how smart everyone is. No matter who you meet people tend to get into deeper discussions about things way more often than I was ever used to before. I don't mean to make us sound nerdy, because that's definitely not what it is. I just think a great dynamic at this school is that you may have the stereotypes but in reality you can have an intellectual conversation with pretty much anyone you meet. This semester I'm taking a class about the history of magic and witchcraft. Thought I'd share. Also, classes here are challenging. They're not hard for the sake of being hard, but there's a good amount of work involved, and a great deal of thinking. I think you find it's not too hard to get into a routine you're comfortable with, though.

As a biomedical engineering major, I can tell you the academics are top notch in the field. Performing research is extremely common, and if you have enough initiative, you can start freshman year (although most people begin their junior years). Students are generally very bright, but not cut-throat and everybody works together to do problem sets and study for exams. Other departments vary in excellence and difficulty. Sciences are usually very good (especially biology) and more difficult, and there have been several new buildings erected in the last couple years. Economics is common and known as good, but it's a huge department that you will not get as much personal attention. Psychology and neuroscience has some experts in the field in the faculty, and the courses aren't too hard either. Sociology and cultural anthropology are perceived as being very easy. English and literature requires a decent amount of work, but it's fairly easy to get good grads, and is also known for a very liberal faculty. Art History is also fairly popular and known as pretty good. I can't really speak about most of the other humanities. Job placement is excellent, especially if you want to go into consulting or investment banking. The top firms who only recruit at 10-15 schools nationwide (Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, etc.) all come to Duke. Although it's competitive, if you are a decent student, you will get a good offer. Non-profits such as Teach for America are also incredibly popular. Governmental jobs and engineering companies also recruit heavily. Grad school placement, likewise, is excellent (especially med school - seems like 1/3 of the freshman class is pre-med).

Not only do people know how to have a good time here, but they also know how to buckle down and hit the books. I've met some of the most brilliant people here, but unlike many places, brilliance isn't flaunted. There isn't that "pseudo-intellectualism" so often maligned at universities, and I've found that the coupling of smarts and fun is one of Duke's main characteristics.

For a medium sized research university, Duke manages to keep the class sizes relatively small. I went to a very small private high school with a max of 15 or 20 kids in a class, so I expected the transition to huge lecture classes to be a rough transition. Fortunately, I was completely wrong. This semester (2nd semester freshman year), my biggest class is my 30 person math class. All of my teachers know my name, encourage class participation, and welcome students to visit them during office hours. A few courses like intro psych or economics, as well as some of the popular science classes (biology, chemistry, and physics) tend to be larger (around 100 students), but most break into smaller sections for labs or recitations. Because so many classes are offered, it can be hard to choose what to take. You can take the more standard Multivariable Calculus, or try something new with a class like Primate Sexuality. The core requirements (called T-Reqs for Trinity students) are not very difficult to fulfill as long as you take a relatively broad range of classes. Things are a little different in Pratt, where there are many more requirements. Engineers certainly do have a very heavy workload, but events like E-Socials and the E-Ball help create a sense of community among Pratt students. Like most top-tier schools, Duke pushes students to work hard. That being said, I wouldn't say students here are too competitive. We want to do well and are willing to work hard to get our work done, but we know when to put down the books and have fun. Sometimes I get used to going to a school full of so many smart people, but then someone in my history class or a friend from the dorm will wow me with one of their many accomplishments, and I'll remember how lucky I am to be here.

Duke has enough small classes that many professors get to know you by name, but there a still a large number of intro classes where students are just a face in the crowd. My favorit class has been my chemistry independent study because I find the workload challenging and interesting and can schedule it to fit my needs. Because I'm pre-med, I don't get to know a lot of my professors and have only gotten to know a few outside of class. Duke has some of the most stringent academic requirements in the nation, and students have to be competitive to succeed in many classes. However, Duke is unique in that our students still know how to have fun and go out on the weekends.

The first floor of Bostock (Duke's library) is a complete social scene. I actually enjoy it. Everyone need's a little bit of entertainment while they try to study. Most unique class- Horror Films & Monsters... Amazing!

Students study routinely. The library is a social scene. most

Professors will know your name if you're in a small class or speak a lot during class. My favorite class thus far has been Aids and Emerging Diseases, which I took to get rid of a science requirement, but ended up absolutely loving. My least favorite classes have been two computer science classes I took to get through math requirements and they have been incredibly painful and way way way more work than they are worth. Students study a lot, but tend to cram the night before. Class participation is relatively common, but more often comes from boys than girls. I don't really spend time with professors outside of class, and I think that the academic requirements should be loosened. Education at Duke is definitely geared toward learning for its own sake rather than getting a job. I feel that nothing I have learned at Duke, at least in the classroom, has really prepared me for any job.

Academics are Duke's true selling point, with most departments improving constantly and many boasting some of the world's top scholars in their field. The school sees itself as a "peer" of the Ivies, and its reputation and brain power are certainly moving in that direction. I chose Duke because I was looking for a liberal arts education, yet didn't want to give up the resources and opportunities of a major university. After three years, my academic experience has been phenomenal, thanks to some inspiring professors and genuinely interesting classes in which discussion and participation is emphasized. Though classes can be huge, most professors care about teaching, regardless of their research, and individual attention is not hard to come by: the professor of my 100-person lecture took me out to lunch today, and I did most of the talking. Duke is not known for having a strong Art History department, but with its distinguished scholars and the recently- opened art museum's impressive programming, it has really become a destination for the arts. As an art history major, it's great to be able to take advantage of on-campus resources like the gothic chapel or an exhibit in the museum. It's also an exciting privilege to be learning from faculty that make you want to go to class. One of my favorite professors told stories of performing with Yoko Ono; I've seen another featured on the National Geographic Channel. The "textbook" I have most enjoyed was a Duke grad student's account of her field work as a stripper. So there is nothing dull or predictable about academics at Duke, and for many students, learning is a lifestyle, quite literally: an engineer I met today lives in a high-tech, green home he helped build. That said, it is widely understood that a Duke degree means a job, and a high-paying one. The focus on making 100 grand the year after graduation seems to dictate the academic choices of many students and intensify the pressure we put on ourselves, with too many smart kids dreaming of futures as Wall Street clones.