A taste of Duke

When I got here on Tuesday, I thought to myself.."why am I here?...I don't belong here...I'm so uncomfortable here.." No air conditioning.

It seemed like nothing would go right. It was beyond hectic. As soon as we moved in, orientation week began. I hardly had the chance to unravel. I didn't know where anything was. I didn't know how to catch a bus or rent a bike. I didn't know where East Campus connected to West Campus. I found myself accidently wandering upon Central Campus.

Last night I took the bus to West Campus to use the gym/pool. That may have been the first time I stepped out of the safety of my dorm room all alone. It took forever to find the bus back to my residential campus. As soon as I got back though, I was invited to the Christian Crusaders Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Party. I stopped by, went to the post office, and went to my dorm to find someone waiting outside for his cookies that I was carrying for him. The noise outside the dorm room bothered me for a little while, but I walked inside and opened the fan I bought and placed it beside my bed.

This morning I woke up to get to a meeting on West Campus for Friday not realizing it was Thursday. When I checked my schedule, I realized I would have to find a bus back to be able to eat breakfast before the next meeting in the lecture hall on East Campus.

I went into the Market Place for breakfast, unsure where to sit with my plate of oatmeal, watermelon, strawberries, half a muffin, and cup of coffee. I sat next to a group of five, who were deep in conversation.

I listened as I nibbled on my strawberries to overhear this conversation about "Dons" and other things unfamiliar to me.
The girl next to me explained that she was telling them about Jamaica.

She taught us about the community system and the Dons that do some bad things in order to be protective of their communities. She described the food vendors that cook and sell fish from the sea right in front of you. She shared her taste of Hannah Montana and Grey's Anatomy on USA television in Jamaica. She told us about the music..even Sean Paul.

I loved it. This is why I'm here. I have learned something new every second on this campus...I met a boy from Puerto Rico, a girl from Egypt, a boy from London, someone from Rhode Island...It's so different, yet so amazing.

My lecture this morning was by a professor who specialized in Behavioral Finance. She taught us how we are biased to make decisions. She exposed us to the topic by showing us visuals of two lines and how our eyes and brain deceive us. She showed us a man's face in a picture of a lion and how once you see something, you can't NOT see it...and the importance of being patient with those that it takes a little longer to see or understand something in any subject. She taught us Risk Aversion and Planning Fallacy. She explained that in our classes of 300, there would be some that would ask questions that we may not understand, and hear answers that go over our heads, the questions would only come from about 15-20 of the 300 students. every time...some just showing off, some just who had intensive Econ course experience. But the vast majority would be just like me, lost, scared. It would take courage to ask a question that I thought stupid, but it would help the 280 or so others as well as me to ask it.

She told us standards of our grades would have to change. Everyone here represents the top of his or here class. In a giant unit of bright minds, A's may not be common, A-'s, even B's may not be attainable. Expectations will have to change. C's may be inevitable..She told us that does not mean we should transfer out..it's common..

I loved the lecture, and although it wasn't a class, I cannot wait until classes start on Monday to experience professors that speak with so much passion and are able to convey so well what they are explaining.

I'm about to go meet with my advisor for schedule check.