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Table of Contents

African and African American Studies…………………………………3

Biology………………………………………………………………....4

Biological Anthropology……………………………………………….5

Biomedical Engineering………………………………………………..6

Chemistry……………………………………………………………....7

English…………………………………………………………………9

Evolutionary Anthropology……………………………………………11

History…………………………………………………………………12

International Comparative Studies……………………………………...13

Linguistics……………………………………………………………....15

Neuroscience…………………………………………………………...16

Psychology……………………………………………………………...18

Public Policy Studies……………………………………………………21

Sociology………………………………………………………………..23

Useful Academic Resources……………………………………………..25

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African and African American Studies

Name: Alex Alston, 2012 AAAS major English minor Email: baa14@duke.edu

Best classes within my major that you should take: Spike Lee or MLK (Wallace)

Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: Intros (you have to take them though)

Best professors within my major that you should take: Maurice Wallace or Mark Anthony Neal (All of them are great)

Professors within my major that you should avoid: Stephen Smith

One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: Its not just about Africans/African Americans

My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Grad School. Masters in AAAS.

My general advice to you is: Do what you love - it will be easy

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Biology

Name: Ariel Spigel, 2012 Biology Major, Global Health Certificate Email: ahs23@duke.edu Best classes within my major that you should take: Sensory Biology - BIO 227S Indigenous Medicine and Global Health - Dr. Boyd Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: Don't exist anymore, thank goodness! Best professors within my major that you should take: Sonke Johnsen Professors within my major that you should avoid: Koelle, Mitchell-Olds One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: I wish I had looked at all of the classes that were offered in the major so I would have a better idea of whether or not it truly suited my interests. My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Nursing My general advice to you is: Don't ignore if a professor is rated poorly. Bad professors can severely affect your attitude towards and performance in a class.

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Biological Anthropology

Name: Lade Jibowu, 2012 Major: Biological Anthropology and Anatomy Minor: Cultural Anthropology Certificate: Global Health Email: funlade.jibowu@duke.edu

Best classes within my major that you should take: Anatomy of the lower extremities because our instructors were great and we got to dissect an actual human leg. Primate adaptation was also really nice (though at 8:30) our classes and grades were based on discussions of short readings and 2 class presentations given with partners.

Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: Ecology and Evolution because I had a hard time grasping the information from the lectures of Mark Rausher and his office hours didnt help me either.

Best professors within my major that you should take: Christine Wall and Gregory Wray because both were concerned about whether or not you do well in the class. Professors within my major that you should avoid: Rausher. Even though he is in the bio department, I took a class with him and I really did not like his lecture, they way he gave his assignments online, or the "help" he offered during his office hour sessions. Also, Kathryn Whetten is not in my major, but I took the Intro to global health with her for my certificate and I felt she didnt really teach the class. We had guest lecturers a good portion of the semester and she also relegated many tasks to her TAs too. It was hard to connect with her and get feedback about your performance in the class.

One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: I wish I knew more about how to maximize my course and major/minor options by taking more cross-listed courses. I did not quite understand how this system worked, but in retrospect, if I had managed to take more cross-listed courses, I probably would not have to take so many of my major requirement classes all at once.

My career aspirations once I leave Duke: I plan on pursuing an MPH and possibly an MD or PhD.

My general advice to you is: Be strong, be focused and try your best. Balance your course-load as much as possible, and give yourself ample time to do your work. Also, when you are able, take courses you really like because you are more likely to fare better in the class (and even if you don't do as well as you would liked, you would still have learned something of interest to you)

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Biomedical Engineering

Name: Noelle Kelly, 2012 Biomedical Engineering Major Markets and Management Studies Certificate Email: noellekelly89@gmail.com Best classes within my major that you should take: BME 202 - Interesting class that combines material from lots of other classes; not too hard! BME 120 - Great class to take if you are interested in entrepreneurship! Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: BME 233 - Just the worst class i can imagine; problem sets were impossible; don't feel like I learned anything; only take this class if you are really interested in medical imaging or medical devices

Best professors within my major that you should take: Kathy Nightingale (BME 153) - Great professor! Very clear with her notes she presents during lecture; helpful during office hours; she wants you to do well! Professor William Reichert (BME 202, 215) - Interesting classes but not too hard; tries to get to know students

Professors within my major that you should avoid: Professor Joseph Izatt (BME 233) - Nice guy, but not in touch with students' lives as Duke students.

One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: It is possible to study abroad! You just have to do some planning!

My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Not sure exactly, but I will be working Deloitte in their Strategy and Operations Consulting practice for at least two years. Law school and/or Business school may also be in the future, but my goals are to always be learning new things and to have a positive impact on my community.

My general advice to you is: Try your hardest not to stress out! I know it's much easier said than done, but try not to let your classes and work take over your life. Have at least one thing outside of Duke that you can do to just forget about all of the things that may stress you out.

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Chemistry

Name: Folafunmi Omofoye, 2012 Chemistry (Biochemistry concentration) Pre-Med Email: fola.omofoye@duke.edu

Best classes within my major that you should take: We don't get much leeway with classes, so most of the classes you have to take but Chem 109 (Chemistry Outreach) with Ken lyle is one you won't see in the chemistry major handbook but it does count as a chemistry class. It's a great non-traditional chemistry class. I won't say its an easy A but your grade is more so likely to directly correlate with you effort... unlike most chem classes. Also a good solidifying of basic chemistry concepts cause you have to use them and explain them in whatever demonstrations you do, and its FUN. For all the bio major - chem minors out there, THIS will also count as that extra chemistry class that most people need (at least that's what i've heard) Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: Can't avoid it but Physical Chemistry. It's just challenging academically, material's up there in terms on "intellectual stimulation"... ITS HARD, but not impossible. The book actually helps, read ya books, but more so go to office hours. I had Ann Motten who isn't that great in class but a lot better in office hours / in person. Go in with confidence that you can learn this stuff, and if you not getting it, know you're probably not alone, and don't be discouraged. **Do Check if you can get away with taking the 1 semester version (Chem 161 & 163L). There's also the two semester version (Chem 165, 166 & its labs 167L, 168L). I've heard advantages to both, talk to folks Best professors within my major that you should take: Steven Baldwin (Organic Chemistry) - Very chill, seasoned professor, knows his stuff, great to talk to in person too, very willing to help. (Go visit his office, its far, but it will help) James Bonk - He doesn't really teach much more. Had him & Roy for Chem 197 (Intro to Research Independent Study). I like him cause he encouraged me at a point when I was getting tired with chemistry, and he probably didn't realize it at the moment. He's a legend here, done a lot for Duke Chemistry, like a lot. Great person to meet / know before you leave or he leaves Duke. Richard MacPhail - haven't had him for an actual class, but heard he's good in class. Now usually teaches the two semester P.Chem. Tough grader in my mind, but that's only coming from P.Chem lab which he was in charge of alongside Woerner.

One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: Wish i had realized that Chemistry field is very diverse, and thus same with Chemistry Major. Each class you take are pretty different. General Chem, Organic, Physical, Inorganic, Biochem, Analytical etc. Depending on why you think you like chemistry, think critically about whether its worth doing a chemistry major and going through all the other types of chemistry, cause you'll get a taste for all the chemistry out there, but you'll also get a grade. So if think you really only like Biochem or really only like Gen. Chem, it might just be better do take THAT class than be a Chemistry major.

My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Medical School is eventual plan. Year off before that. Nobel Prize would be nice (that's more of a dream tho)...wherever the Lord leads

My general advice to you is: If you're pre-med or think about Chemistry Major, Go into your science / math classes with confidence that you are capable of learning the material - cause you are. - Read your textbooks with the intention of learning - Get to know your teachers & TA's, if anything, it will make you want to work harder / do well cause now they know who you are. - Study with people that are studying: test each other as you study without looking at your notes. - Take practice tests as though you're taking the test. - Don't be afraid to ask for help from peers, even those that aren't black, Duke is not as cut-throat as some people make it to be, some are just afraid to ask for help. Yea, those selfish nerds exist, but a lot of people just like to learn, and are willing to help others. - OOH, and get tutors as many times as you can or go be a tutor, it can be very very helpful

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Chemistry

Name: Imara-Safi Hoyte, 2012 Chemistry Email: ioh@duke.edu Best classes within my major that you should take: mmm.....Probably Chem 151 (1st semester organic chem) Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: Chem 165 (p. chem). The Chem department offers two types of Physical Chems, Chem 161 and Chem 165...Chem 165 is INFINITELY harder!

Best professors within my major that you should take: James Parise, Organic Chem Professor. Very thorough and gives GREAT notes. Teachers who give good notes are hard to come by. Professors within my major that you should avoid: McCafferty (Orgo prof), notes are random, scattered in class.. notes are really really hard to understand. MacPhail (Gen Cem), unapproachable and not very friendly to gen chem students but he's OK with p.chem students for some reason.

One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: That Bio 25 would not count toward my major...but that class is gone now so it doesn't apply to you guys! One thing you should know is that Bio 101L counts towards the Chem major but Bio 102L doesn't (as of now).

My career aspirations once I leave Duke: To become a Dermatologist and specialize in ethnic skin care.

My general advice to you is: Pick a major that you will be PASSIONATE about. Really pick something that you like learning about and something that you'll find value in being knowledgeable about when you leave Duke.

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English

Name: Symone Snowden-Wright, 2013 English Major Markets & Management Studies Certificate Email: ass16@duke.edu

Best classes within my major that you should take: English90AS Readings in the Genre: Racial Passings with Maurice Wallace

Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: Try to avoid large lecture classes (there are a few) if you're a fan of the seminar. Otherwise, most classes are amazing.

Best professors within my major that you should take: Maurice Wallace, Victor Strandberg, Nathaniel Mackey (Visiting Professor), Christina Askounis

Professors within my major that you should avoid: None

One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: Explore your options at Duke but be certain to listen to yourself and trust that you know what your passions are. The worst scenario would be to leave Duke having spent four years studying something you don't love.

My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Pursue a career in Marketing, get my MBA and open businesses in Chicago and New York City. My general advice to you is: Follow your heart, don't doubt yourself yet don't be afraid to take classes outside of your comfort zone.

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English

Name: Lauren Myers, 2012 Major: English Minor: Education, African & African-American Studies Candidate for NC Elementary School Teaching Licensure Email: lauren.myers@duke.edu

Best classes within my major that you should take: English 165: Special Topics in African-American Authors - Martin Luther King with Professor Maurice Wallace The class is slightly disorganized, but Professor Wallace is a pretty cool professor. It culminates in a 3-day research trip, last year we went to Morehouse to visit the King Archives and this year they're going to D.C. and New York, I believe. The final project is a 15 to 20 page research paper, but you spend the entire semester working on it and at the trip is free and pretty fun. English 189: America Dreams, American Movies This is a pretty interesting course in which you basically watch classic movies every week. You have to watch the movies outside of class, but other than that, it's a pretty low workload. It's also a pretty interesting course and the final project is to create a movie from which you can receive an Oscar-like award at an end-of-semester gala which is pretty cool.

Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: English 103S: Introduction to Writing Short Stories with Professor Melissa Malouf The class is not as easy as one might think and Professor Malouf is not very clear with her requirements of the class. She doesn't give actual grades, but rather checks and stars that don't actually mean anything. I had no idea what my grade would be at the end of the semester. Some of the readings were pretty strange and although there were some really great stories that students produced, if you're not of the abstractly creative mindset, you probably won't do as well in the course.

Best professors within my major that you should take: Professor Maurice Wallace: He's a very interesting and knowledgeable professor, and although slightly intimidating at first, he's a pretty cool guy. His classes tend to be interesting and he's clearly very passionate about his interests. Professor Leonard Tennenhouse: He is the Chair of the English Department and he truly cares about his students. He's willing to listen and work with students who show that they care about his class and really wants to see his students succeed which is refreshing to see in a college setting. Professor Karla Holloway: She is a very sweet professor and the class I took with her was really interesting. She also seems to care a lot about her students and takes them to tea at the Wa Duke during the semester. She's great to talk to and is very understanding of her students' needs. Professors within my major that you should avoid: Professor Melissa Malouf: She is quite disorganized and unclear with her course requirements which makes it hard to know what to expect from her course or how to do well.

One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: Professors are willing to help you out if you go to them. It's really important to be able to build relationships with your professors so that they understand the way you work and can help you succeed, especially with papers. Some professors reach out to you more than others, but if you really want to do well, talking to your professors is the best bet. My career aspirations once I leave Duke: I'd like to teach elementary school for a few years before attending law school. My general advice to you is: Have fun, take a lot of classes about a lot of different things. Don't get bogged down in your major, if something seems interesting or appealing to you, take it. It'll be harder after you declare your major to find time or space in your schedule for random classes. Duke has a lot of interesting classes to choose from so do your research and don't get caught up in what you think you know you want to do--that will probably change. Keep an open mind and try something new while you have the time.

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Evolutionary Anthropology

Name: Michelle Anumba, 2013 Evolutionary anthropology Email: mca27@duke.edu

Best classes within my major that you should take: Evanth 93D... It's an intro to all the major has to offer and it will give you an idea of where your interests lie. Also you have to take it to get into any of the really cool classes like The Humsn Body (evanth 133l)

Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: I haven't really ran into any yet

Best professors within my major that you should take: Daniel Schmitt and Steven Churchill both have very interesting and unique areas of interest in evolutionary anthropology.

Professors within my major that you should avoid: Lelise Digby. She is a great professor but her intro class exams are harder than the professor (kenneth land) in the fall which I heard can be a little boring but the tests are easier.

One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: When to start taking classes for my major and how to fulfill all the graduation requirements.

My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Physical therapy, nursing, or coaching

My general advice to you is: Take classes you are interested. There's no need to stress yourself out. This is your only opportunity to have fun, explore classes, and experience all that Duke has to offer.

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History

Name: Mea Warren, 2013 History and African and African-American Studies double major Information Science and Information Studies Certificate Email: mew43@duke.edu Best classes within my major that you should take: Black Pop Culture because it shows where a lot of the things black people are interested in came from and it gives you new ways to look at entertainment.

Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: The intro classes are always the worst but if you want the major or minor you have to take them. Also, if you decide to do History, be sure to take a subject you like for your gateway seminar because it's a lot of work.

Best professors within my major that you should take: Raymond Gavins because he will help you in any way possible. Mark Anthony Neal because he's full of information. If you're interested in Africa, Karin Shapiro is great with South African history.

Professors within my major that you should avoid: Wahneema Lubiano can go over your head a little bit.

One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: I wish I would have known what the intro classes were like. They're boring but can give a good amount of general information and I'm glad I got them done early on My career aspirations once I leave Duke: To go to grad school and get a degree in Library Science so I can be a librarian for the Library of Congress.

My general advice to you is: Take the things that interest you most and let it become a major or a minor. Don't feel pressured to take something just because everyone else is taking it. Don't think you future job depends on your major. Do the research about your classes before you pick them: ask upperclassmen, use CourseRank and RateMyProfessor, and use your drop/add period wisely.

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International Comparative Studies

Name: Uche Anigbogu, 2013 International Comparative Studies Chemistry Pre-Medicine Email: ua3@duke.edu Best classes within my major that you should take: Hollywood and Africa. Very fun class that allows you the opportunity to be taught by one of the most controversial professors.

Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: You cannot avoid it because it is required to be a major, but be mentally prepared for the torture that is ICS 125.

Best professors within my major that you should take: Stephen Smith, Charles Piot, Bayo Holsey

Professors within my major that you should avoid: None. One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: It affords you the opportunity to do any work/travel internationally and use it in your major. My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Medicine (surgery) and Global Health work My general advice to you is: You have probably heard this a billion times, but it is really important that you do what YOU like, whether it means that you have some particularly challenging semesters, or you are off schedule with your peers. You do not want to graduate Duke, with ANY regrets. You paid too much for that.

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International Comparative Studies

Name: Asia Brice, 2012 ICS Major (Western Europe) Chemistry/Spanish Minor Email: abrice2012@gmail.com

Best classes within my major that you should take: Sexuality of the Americas: easy professor, fun class, interesting perspectives

Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas: super disorganized; even though the material is interesting, I'm thrown off by the lack of foresight

Best professors within my major that you should take: David Need: super chill, understanding, knowledgeable

Professors within my major that you should avoid: none that you should avoid per se, although Dr. Matory gives out a lot of readings

One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: none that you should avoid per se, although Dr. Matory gives out a lot of readings

My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Med school

My general advice to you is: Don't commit to a major until you've taken different classes, even those that fall under majors you haven't considered. You may find that the perfect major for you is one that you never even thought about. Good luck!

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Linguistics

Name: Marcus Benning, 2014 Linguistics Major Cultural Anthropology and Political Science minor Email: mdb46@duke.edu

Best classes within my major that you should take: Linguistics 101 - Professor Gareth Language & Society - Dominika Baran Cold War Texts - Professor Price

Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: n/a Best professors within my major that you should take: Professor Price Professors within my major that you should avoid: n/a One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: As a Freshman, I wish I would have known how applicable Linguistics is in daily life and in studying other disciplines. From biology, to literature, to neuroscience, linguistics plays a major role in the way we interact with these subjects and the way we interact with the world. My career aspirations once I leave Duke: I aspire to become a lawyer following successful completion of law school. I plan to use my linguistic knowledge to better understand the structure and nature of the law.

My general advice to you is: My general advice about majors is to follow your heart. What's most important is not what you major in, but that you're able to articulate the usefulness of the subject on your life. How have you been changed by studying your major? How has studying your major forced your to challenged your thoughts about the world and society? Have you been able to apply what you've learned into any aspects of your life? And lastly, how to you plan to incorporate aspects of your major into whatever grad/professional school and/or career you're applying for? As long as you're able to answer those questions, everything else is secondary.

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Neuroscience

Name: Fontasha Powell, 2013 Double Major: Neuroscience (B.S.)/Spanish & Latin American Studies Email: fjp2@duke.edu

Best classes within my major that you should take: Neuroscience 167: Neuroscientific Approaches to Social Behavior

Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: None in Neuroscience. Spanish 101 in Spanish.

Best professors within my major that you should take: LaSana Harris in Neuroscience (He's new and black and from Princeton!)

Professors within my major that you should avoid: CLAUDIA MILAN in Spanish. Run away from her.

One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: The professors in the Neuroscience department are willing to bend over backward for you to make sure you succeed. This includes classes, extra help and getting you involved in research.

My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Finance (Investment banking)

My general advice to you is: Don't lose sight of the big picture. Failing a test or getting a lower than expected grade in a class might feel like the worst possible situation. It's not. Don't let this place break you.

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Neuroscience

Name: Ehizele Osehobo, 2013 Neuroscience Major Music Minor Pre-med Email: eosehobo@aol.com Best classes within my major that you should take: Neuroscience 161, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. It's a group learning system and Professor Roberts is awesome. Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: None that I know of yet. Best professors within my major that you should take: Karen Murphy. She taught the intro class Neuro 101 and did an amazing job. Professors within my major that you should avoid: Warren Meck. One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: Take the intro Neuroscience class Neuro 101 as early as possible. Even as early as 1st semester freshman year. At least 2nd semester.

My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Med school, and private practice

My general advice to you is: Keep on keeping on. You gon learn eventually. And contact upperclassmen if you need help. I'll always reply to an email or text if its about academic assistance.

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Psychology

Name: Joslyn Dunn, 2012 Major - Psychology Minors - Italian, Linguistics Email: joslyn.dunn@duke.edu Best classes within my major that you should take: Abnormal Psychology with Rosenthal - the course material is already very interesting, and coupled with an engaging professor, it's even better. This is a class you won't be tempted to skip.

Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: Bio Bases of Behavior/Intro to Neuroscience - only take this course if you are interested in neuroscience and don't mind learning the more intricate details of brain structure. It actually helped me confirm that I wasn't very interested in neuroscience.

Best professors within my major that you should take: Rosenthal - very enthusiastic, engaging, interesting lecturer Professors within my major that you should avoid: n/a One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: I would have taken the required courses, Psy 117 [psych stats] and Psy 150 [research methods] earlier because the information is relevant for just about any psych course you take, but is redundant if you take it senior year. My career aspirations once I leave Duke: graduate school in psychology or business school My general advice to you is: Take the time to plan ahead. Each semester when it's time to register for classes, look ahead to future semesters to make sure that you'll be able to take the classes you want, especially if you want to study abroad [and you should!].

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Psychology Name: Aris Hanchard, 2012 Major: Psychology Minors: Spanish, Education Email: adh21@duke.edu Best classes within my major that you should take: Educational Psychology; the professor is very engaging and very interesting and because I am a firm believer in the idea that a professor can make the class, I definitely recommend it. Also, Psychology of Consumers with Tanya Chartrand. The course topic is extremely interesting and applicable so it is very easy to do well in and enjoy. Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: Social Psychology with Dr. James Shah; the class is only graded on the midterm and final which leaves no room for error and the professor was very scattered, rambled quite a bit and was not engaging making the class uninteresting. Best professors within my major that you should take: Dr. Harris Cooper and Dr. Stephen Mitroff; both professors do a very good job of making difficult classes interesting so it is not draining to work hard in them and are very helpful within their classes. Professors within my major that you should avoid: Dr. James Shah and Dr. Gary Feng; both teachers are very difficult to follow in class and because they taught large lectures their lack of organization made the class very unappealing. One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: You definitely can flourish better in psychology classes that are not just big lectures, usually you have more smaller assignments which can help in terms of your grade and you can also immerse yourself into the course better. My career aspirations once I leave Duke: A one-year teaching program or fellowship followed by law school. My general advice to you is: Take advantage of all your resources, that being other peers, faculty, staff, all of it. Also, don't limit yourself on classes because of what you think you may want, take a number of different types before settling into your major. Lastly, utilize your adviser, if they are not good or you don't like them, find a mentor who you can follow or do like because gaining relationships and networking is KEY!

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Psychology

Name: LaRae' Neal, 2012 Major: Psychology with a concentration in Personality & Behavior Minors: African and African-American Studies Email: larae.neal@duke.edu

Best classes within my major that you should take: Developmental Psychology with Makeba Wilbourn Educational Psychology with David Malone Psychology of Ethnicity and Context with Breland-Noble Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: Cognitive Psychology with Cabeza Best professors within my major that you should take: Wilbourn, Fitzgerald, Malone, Breland-Noble, and Hoyle for Statistics Professors within my major that you should avoid: Cabeza One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: Psychology is not just the "fall back" major. It has helped me to become a critical thinker and engaged me past the classroom in the Durham community in regards to its service learning programs. Also, the professors within my major are wonderful. They are intelligent, often published professionals, who are willing to help you grow. So I would highly recommend utilizing and building relationships with them when you are in their classes. My career aspirations once I leave Duke: I plan on attending law school or taking a year off to work and travel. Ultimately, I would like to work in the sports and entertainment sector as an attorney. My general advice to you is: That Duke will provide you with many opportunities and resources while you are here. The academic advising center and the writing studio are just a few on campus academic organizations that can truly help. Further, always have a balance at Duke. Work hard, but do things that you enjoy so that you have a full college experience with no regrets.

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Public Policy Studies

Name: Alikiah Barclay, 2013 Public Policy Major Econ or Psych Minor South Asian Studies Certificate Email: abarclay321@gmail.com Best classes within my major that you should take: Social Entrepreneurship - It will challenge you to think about the realistic possibility of changing the world. It is a lot of work, but will be sure to cause internal growth, sharpen analytic skills, and will be closely tied the real world, transcending from Duke into Durham often. Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: Most of the hardest classes are required, and the others are amazing so... Best professors within my major that you should take: Tony Brown, Alma Blunt, Christopher Gergen - Pubpol is filled with great professors. It's hard to go wrong. Take Vigdor for 55. Professors within my major that you should avoid: Not sure yet. One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: Research done by pubpol professors & SOL program My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Consultant to MBA then Entrepreneur My general advice to you is: Talk to seniors and find out how Duke works, and what to do or not do. More advice can't hurt you. It can only further inform your current opinion.

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Public Policy Studies

Name: Nichole Ogojiaku, 2013 Public Policy Major Biology Minor Email: nno2@duke.edu Best classes within my major that you should take: It is a tie between PPS 55 (which you have to take anyway) and PPS 196: Race, Media, and Public Policy. Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: Another tie between PPS 124 (Children and Contemporary Society) and PPS 150 (Global Health). These classes have so much potential to be interesting but they are so boring. Best professors within my major that you should take: Elizabeth Vigdor Professors within my major that you should avoid: Clara Muschkin, Kathryn Whetten One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: It is very time consuming and difficult to do as a pre-med student. Start with the electives first then do the core classes. It will be more interesting. Finish all the core classes before your junior year is over in order to do your internship. It's best over the summer. My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Allergist/Immunologist. My general advice to you is: Talk to your academic dean before you decide to major in anything. If you are pre-health, talk to your pre-health advisor. Make sure you know exactly what you are getting into before you do so and listen to the advice that other people give you. It's easy as a freshman to think you can handle it but sometimes it's best to heed the advice of those who came before you.

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Sociology

Name: Jasmine V. Johnson , 2013 Double Major: Sociology and Political Science (concentration in American Government) Email: jasmine.johnson@duke.edu Best classes within my major that you should take: Political Science: PolSci 141D (Racial and Ethnic Minorities in American Politics). It really delves into structural and institution roadblocks put in front of minorities in America, shows progress that has been made on behalf of minorities, and shows what still needs to be done. Sociology - any course taken with Eduardo Bonilla-Silva. I like sociology as a major already but "EBS" definitely brings dynamics into the classroom that you will not get from other professors in the sociology department. Taking soc116 under him freshman year is what sparked my interest in sociology when I knew nothing about it. Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: I have not run across any "bad" classes in my major. So long as you select courses that interest you and accommodate your learning style, you should be fine. Best professors within my major that you should take: Political Science- Paula McClain and David Rhode. I pick these two professors because to me even though their classes were lecture based, they still made it a personal like atmosphere for me. Class size varies from semester to semester but these two professors definitely do a great job either way. Sociology- Eduardo Bonilla-Silva and Keith Whitfield (psychology). Both of these professors bring great and unique dynamics to the classroom. I had Professor Whitfield for a large lecture based class as well as a smaller class and he was great in both capacities which is difficult to find sometimes. Like mentioned before EBS just makes learning fun and interesting. One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: I haven't found a Professor that I really would recommend someone to avoid. Professors within my major that you should avoid: I wish I would have known how heavy my majors would be on writing. If I would have known freshman year that I was going to double major in sociology and political science I would have definitely spaced my QS and NS courses out rather than taking care of all of that freshman year. My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Once I leave Duke I am thinking about doing Teach For America then going into law school, or going straight to law school. I do not want to be a lawyer all my life, but I would like to be an Appellate Court judge. My general advice to you is: 1. USE YOUR RESOURCES!!! This is Duke, resources are everywhere. In those emails that you may or may not open, on flyers, through the Career Center, through different student organizations (the list could go on) they are literally everywhere. Please use the resources offered here at Duke, your tuition is the same as others, you might as well use the resources they do. 2. Also OFFICE HOURS are really important. Your professor should at least know your face and be able to place you in their class (TA office hours are important also, they may be the ones grading your work). I go to at least 2 of my professors' (or TA's) office hours every week. Even if you think you understand everything, make up a question, or find an article online related to the class and discuss that for a short period. It shows that you are engaged and putting in hard work for the class......and honestly is sometimes the thing that tips the scale when you are on the cusp of a grade. 3. Speak things that are not, as if they were, and so shall they be

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Sociology

Name: Taylor Sowell, 2013 Sociology major & MMS certificate Email: sowell.taylor@gmail.com Best classes within my major that you should take: Sociology 158 Worst classes within my major that you should avoid: N/A Best professors within my major that you should take: Allison Wisecup, Linda Burton, George Grody Professors within my major that you should avoid: Rebecca Dunning One thing I wish I had known about my major as a freshman or a sophomore: Take classes that count towards major/requirements My career aspirations once I leave Duke: Marketing, Education (possibly) My general advice to you is: Major in something you like, get involved with clubs/activities on campus & NETWORK with as many people as possible!

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Useful academic resources

Academic Advising Center

http://advising.trinity.duke.edu/

Academic Resource Center

http://www.duke.edu/arc/

• Academic Skills Instructional Program (ASIP ) • Peer Tutoring Program (PTP) • Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD)

Career Center

http://career.studentaffairs.duke.edu/

The Writing Studio

http://uwp.aas.duke.edu/wstudio/index.php

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