Each fall a new batch of engineering freshmen enters the University with career plans firmly in mind; each spring many of these same students leave Hudson Hall and the Teer Engineering Library for the vast expanse of Trinity College.
These students transfer for a variety of reasons, but many find the same thing when they do: a hazier future and a freedom that is both liberating and intimidating.
"Normally transfers occur at the end of the freshman year or the end of the third semester," said Connie Simmons, assistant dean for undergraduate programs in the School of Engineering. "Twenty-five percent of each entering class will transfer to Trinity."
The decision to switch schools can be stressful as students realize their post-graduation plans are not as certain as they once seemed, but for many students the freedom to explore other interests and possibilities is worth the anxiety.
Josie Witte, a Trinity sophomore who switched out of the School of Engineering over the summer, made her decision after taking some electives in Trinity that she really enjoyed. Now she is searching for a new major.
"I went into the School of Engineering because I like math and science, but I didn't really see myself as an engineer," said Witte. "For me I think it would be more beneficial to have a liberal arts background."
Other students, such as Trinity sophomore Stephen Fidgeon, still have concrete goals, but feel that an engineering degree is not necessarily what they need to achieve them.
"I'd still like to own or run a business in something technical, but I decided that maybe starting as an engineer wasn't the best way to do it, and even if it is, I'm not sure if it's worthwhile," Fidgeon said. "I felt like I was missing out on a whole bunch of other things that I enjoy, like history classes."
In order to switch schools, a student must fill out an application that is available in an academic dean's office.
This application is often the final stage of a decision process that includes input from family, friends, advisers and professionals.
"My sisters, friends and relatives helped me make my final decision," said Suprit Patel, a Trinity sophomore who switched out of the School of Engineering before classes began this fall. "Talking with various people in various fields helped me realize [the economics department] is where I need to be. My parents were not supportive at first, but they have come around now."
Unsupportive parents can increase the stress of the decision process.
If a student only knows that he or she does not want to be an engineer and is unsure what career path to pursue in Trinity, parental pressure combined with uncertainty creates a heavy burden.
Kay Singer, associate dean of Trinity College and director of the Health Professions Advising Center, said she has observed this same stress in students who switch from a pre-med track to a less charted career path.
"Some express the concern that, "'If I let go of this that is tangible, what else will I do?'" said Singer, "but I think that is part of becoming confident."
Of the 368 freshmen in 1995 who listed themselves in the class directory as pre-med, only 139 students in the class of 1999 actually applied to medical school, said Singer. But as people switch out of an engineering or pre-med path, others decide to take that road after their freshman year.
For those who decide to be pre-med, the change usually involves rearranging some electives. But for students like sophomore Marco Garcia, who decided to switch into the School of Engineering, it is common to get a "crazy look" from peers.
Garcia is currently taking his first semester of engineering classes but was advised by Simmons not to make the official switch until the semester is over so that he can be sure engineering is where he wants to be.
It is rare for students to switch into engineering, but Garcia said he is happy with his decision.
"It actually takes a lot of stress off my mind," Garcia said, "because it is a more certain and a better-off future."
While changing from engineering to Trinity or vice versa is a decision that involves an official process, there are few students at Duke who have not quietly modified the goals they had as freshmen.
"It doesn't surprise me at all that people change their minds," said Singer. "My sense is that's why people come to a liberal arts institution. Otherwise we'd just go to training factories."
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