Every semester, students compete to see who can fill their gray ACES schedule with the fewest red class blocks possible.
For part-time seniors, winning this competition is a breeze.
"I have one class every day except Friday, when I have no classes," said part-time senior Ankur Manvar.
There are currently 47 Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and seven Pratt School of Engineering seniors who are studying at Duke as part-time students, said Gerald Wilson, senior associate dean of Trinity College.
Seniors who have fulfilled or nearly fulfilled their graduation requirements may opt to become part-time students during their final semester. Part-time students are allowed to enroll in at most two academic classes per semester.
In previous years, the application was due to the student's academic dean in the February preceding their senior year. The deadline, however, was unknown to many students.
"They don't advertise the option very well," said part-time senior Ryan Mattison. "And they don't make it easy by having a deadline only once a year."
Wilson said he recognizes that the early deadline has been a problem in previous years but is optimistic about the effects of the newly instated April 15 deadline.
"We do not anticipate as many people missing the deadline as has been the case in the past," he said.
Students choose to go part-time for varying reasons, ranging from financial motives to just wanting extra time to relax and hang out with friends.
"Generally speaking, it's a financial thing," Wilson said. "They only need 'X' classes to graduate so... if you take two or fewer you can go part-time."
Tuition fees for part-time students are dependent on the courses they take-$4,060 for a full-credit course and $2,030 for a half-credit course.
Full tuition for the current academic year is approximately $16,423 per semester.
Many part-time students did not initially plan on only taking two classes in their final semester. They were able to do so, however, because they took more than the required course load during their earlier undergraduate years-through either overloading or taking summer classes.
Manvar overloaded three semesters and attended a summer session abroad in 2006, which gave him the option of becoming a part-time student-although it was not his original intent.
"I realized that I could graduate early or take only two classes in my final semester," Manvar said. "[The opportunity] just kind of fell into my lap."
The extra time that comes with a reduced class schedule affords part-time seniors the opportunity to explore other interests.
Senior Jay Ganatra, Campus Council President and a member of the Young Trustee Nominating Committee, splits his time between extracurricular responsibilities and personal pursuits.
"I've been able to reapply myself to Campus Council, and I'm doing a better job," Ganatra said. "I'm also a teaching assistant now for PPS 55, and I've spent a lot of time working on Young Trustee stuff."
In addition to school activities, Ganatra also appreciates the extra time he gets to spend with his fellow seniors.
"I can hang out with friends and enjoy it before we all have to go off in different directions," he said.
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