Seven years and no regrets

Although I'm a proud member of the Class of 2008, I had my first article printed in recess all the way back in October of 2002. But how, you might ask, is this possible?

Alas, I am not a time-traveler from a galaxy far, far away. Nor did I embark on my illustrious journalistic career as a precocious high-school senior (ahem, Sarah Ball). I am simply one of those rare Dukies who took the time off-two and a half years, to be exact-to step outside of our gothically-wonderful bubble and take a look around The Real World.

I gotta tell ya, it's a little different out there. For one thing, you have to work enough to pay your rent-and that usually adds up to more than the 12 to 16 hours you're used to spending in class. What's more, there's little demand for the hard-earned niche expertise you've been developing since freshman year, such as defending your beer pong championship title, wielding your fake ID with a poker face or posting six clever Facebook updates in two hours. Despite many internships and prestigious waitressing gigs, even my particular work history seems rather unsuited for the traditional resume. A sampling, using those all-important action verbs: Participated in Women's Rugby for One Season to Increase Embarrassingly Low Pain Threshold (2002); Acquired 200 Facebook Friends within One Week of Site Debut (2004); Utilized the WEL Media Room for More Creative Purposes Than Film Screenings (2004-Present).

I'm told these experiences may not help me land that competitive consulting job, but perhaps the Career Center just isn't capable of thinking outside of the box.

In my roughly seven years at Duke, I have seen many changes on our beloved campus, from the creation of Bostock Library and the Nasher Museum to the sad demise of Rick's all-night diner and finally to the bizarre construction known as The Plaza. There have been unequivocal improvements: once upon a time, Trent was a dorm and the Bell Tower wasn't, Student Health ran even less efficiently and the Marketplace didn't have custom omelets. Throughout our school's continuing evolution, we remain a diverse community. I've met students from every state in the Union and at least twenty countries. I've attended cultural extravaganzas by ASA, BSA, ASO, Diya and Mi Gente. I've watched the arts scene grow stronger with Jazz at the Mary Lou and DUU programs. I've seen President Keohane shape the school in her vision and President Brodhead in his.

As someone who (accidentally) embodied the "Never Graduate" philosophy, I have enjoyed being Duke's female Van Wilder, taking in the full experience. I've lived in four dorms (Aycock, Pegram, Edens and Crowell) before moving off campus as a junior. I got to see Kanye West, Ludacris, Franz Ferdinand and Third Eye Blind without leaving West Campus. I've attended four sorority year-end formals, several Beer Trucks parties and even the 2008 Duke Reunion party, where I hung out with the super-hip Class of 1958. I've cheered for the Duke-UNC game from commons rooms, Sati's and the sardine-style crowds of the Cameron bleachers. But I never imagined I would miss it all as much as I now realize I will.

While little may remain the same from your first semester at Duke, nothing can compare to the satisfaction of looking back on the semesters that follow. The fragments of all those seemingly unrelated experiences combine to make this school what it is: an intense, challenging, fun and unique place to spend four years of your life (or seven). I'll never regret a minute of it, and I imagine you won't either.