Eight months ago, my life was set--or at least that's what I thought my big, fat acceptance letter from Duke guaranteed. I guess I hadn't looked far enough into my future to realize that things were about to get much more difficult. Soon, I would be starting on a clean slate, with new expectations laid out for me. On top of that, I would be surrounded by over one thousand other brilliant minds from all over the world.
So, yeah, you could say I was a little worried.
The weeks leading up to August 22nd were nerve-wracking. There were some nights when I could hardly sleep, because my brain kept playing out scenes from my future life at Duke. Would I be smart enough? Would I make friends? What would my roommate be like? What would classes be like? Did I make the right choice?
I packed my things two weeks early and made at least five trips to Target for supplies. I made a hundred Facebook friends before I even set foot on campus (and I still haven't met some of them yet).
I talked to my roommate only one time before move-in day. Even though my mom and I circled the campus for 20 minutes waiting to be let into the quad, my roommate somehow managed to get here first and take the big closet. It's incredible how these things work.
But a little later, I got my roomie back. Her bed technically belongs to me now, after I beat her in ping-pong three times in a row, but I've thought about it, and I'm letting her keep it. Sometimes you've got to sacrifice a double-wide bed in the name of roommate harmony. Still, I won't let her forget that I could have her sleeping on the floor at any time.
It's a big change going from having your own room your entire life to sharing a smaller room with somebody you just met. You can draw lines down the middle, but somewhere you know you're eventually going to cross them. No matter how much line-crossing you do, though, it's probably best in the long run for each roommate to have a bed.
Each dorm has its perks, but I don't know how many other freshmen can say they know every single person in their dorm. Epworth reminds me of a huge white plantation house, and we're one big family. It may not have a plasma TV in the common room or a spa on the first floor, but the people are what make it awesome. I'm sure every other freshman would say the same thing-but in Epworth we know they're wrong.
There are some aspects of dorm life that have been hard to deal with, such as sharing a bathroom with the rest of the hall. What's even harder is remembering to bring your key. Once, I left mine in the bathroom overnight and had to wake up my RA the next morning to get it back. That was kind of awkward.
Living without air conditioning also required some adjustment, but it was bearable with the help of three fans. Some people mistakenly assumed that since I'm from Raleigh, I've been used to this weather all my life. Apparently, it's a little known fact among Northerners that air conditioning actually does exist in "remote" parts of the southern United States. Shocking, I know.
Wherever you go, it's obvious that Duke is teeming with activity, and it's been awesome throwing myself into the scene. During the first few weeks, there were flyers posted everywhere and group tables set up outside the Marketplace to attract freshmen.
The marching band and ultimate team hooked me in first, and joining those clubs has been the best decision I've made so far. D.U.M.B. has been an entirely new experience, because I didn't march in high school. I joined because it seemed to be the most logical way to get into Cameron without freezing in the winter. Yep, I'm already looking forward to basketball season-and scheming to get out of tenting.
Chakra, the women's ultimate team, has been a great way to let my competitive side loose and meet a great group of girls. If I hadn't gotten involved this early, I'm not sure how I would have handled the stress of classes.
I had wanted to go to Duke ever since I was a little kid, but I never knew for what reasons. If the admissions office hadn't let me in, I probably would have ended up at some sissy, powder blue-wearing school 10 miles down the road.
I'll never know what it would have been like at another school, but I do know that I made the best choice by following my heart to Duke. And I'm looking forward to making the best of my four years here.
Maggie Bashford is a Trinity freshman from Raleigh. She currently lives in Epworth Dormitory.
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