Before I came to Duke, studying abroad seemed like a thrilling personal adventure — an exciting choice shaped by personal experiences, drawn to satisfy through adventure. However, as my junior year draws to a close, I’ve come to realize that at Duke, studying abroad isn’t just an opportunity; it’s almost expected.
It seems to me that studying abroad has become a socially-sanctioned break from the relentless pace of campus life. The way weekend travel destinations are labeled often makes the idea of studying abroad feel less like genuine immersion and more like a contest based on location. The lottery system was recently replaced by a rubric system to address these issues, when 56% of Duke Students studying abroad in fall 2023 spanned only 3 programs — limiting the diversity of their experiences.
However, studying abroad is a chance some Duke students simply can’t afford to take. It’s not merely a choice; it’s a privilege. Students from wealthy families are disproportionately the population of students that can afford this opportunity, as studies find that affluent students are about 50% more likely to engage in study abroad programs.
For some, stepping away from the pressures of academics and extracurriculars for an entire semester feels more like an unattainable luxury than a transformative experience. I’ve often been told that at Duke, studying abroad is a rite of passage — an expectation both socially and experientially. The culture here often frames it as essential, as if it’s a must-do for any student who wants to see the world, with the common refrain, “You may never have another opportunity like it.” And after all, “Work hard and play harder!”
But the truth is that the world will still be there to explore when you finish at Duke, whereas the opportunity to spend a semester here — immersed in our globally-ranked academics and research — is irreplaceable. It seems ironic to me that many students aspire to attend Duke, and yet almost fifty percent of Duke undergraduates study abroad, the highest percentage of all the top ten private research universities.
I wonder, how many students would jump at the chance to take their spot for just one semester? After all, thousands of highly qualified and driven applicants get rejected every year — people who might jump at the opportunity to study here for every semester they could get.
Choosing to stay on campus while many of my peers decided to study abroad has given me a unique perspective on what it means to be a student here. At first, it felt like I was making a somewhat unpopular decision. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to experience a new country or culture — far from it. I’ve always dreamed of traveling the world, and I know I will in the future when I have a career with more stability. Instead, I felt a pull to stay and dive deeper into the opportunities right here on campus — after all, I only had two years left at Duke.
I’ll admit — the campus was definitely empty, and many of my peers described it as “quiet.” But we all agreed that this was a nice kind of quiet that allowed us to immerse ourselves and dive further into our future aspirations — like, for me, preparing to apply to medical school by finishing mandatory classes, working in my research lab, engaging with patients at Duke Hospital and shadowing talented physicians at Duke that I would have never gotten the opportunity to observe elsewhere.
The responses from my peers and acquaintances ranged from, “Why would you do that to yourself?” to “But everyone else is ...” Yet I’m still confident in the positive effects of my choice to remain at Duke.
Ultimately, choosing to stay on campus has been a decision shaped by my own personality, passions and path. However, it has also made me more aware of how deeply Duke’s culture is shaped by privilege and opportunity, especially when it comes to studying abroad, which is a costly experience both financially and academically. After all, while one might argue that classes abroad offer an enriching new experience, many students remark on their laid-back and lenient nature.
My decision to stay at Duke reflects the reality that not all paths to personal growth or fulfillment in college look the same. This fall, I was able to complete hundreds of hours of both clinical exposure and volunteering, publish additional papers in my cancer research lab and found the first Duke chapter of the American Cancer Society. I also developed deeper relationships with patients and explored specific medical specialties by learning directly from some of the top doctors in the world. On top of that, I finished my biology major over one and a half years early, which gave me the flexibility to double major in neuroscience and take even more rigorous Duke courses to pursue my academic passions. After all, I only have one year left now!
As the first in my family to pursue medicine, this is why I chose to come to Duke, and it is an opportunity I would have not been able to strengthen if I took months away from campus. My time at Duke is unfolding in its own way, and though it may be different from that of my peers abroad, it is no less meaningful. Above all, this experience reminded me that growth doesn’t always come from leaving — it can also come from staying.
Kareena Sukhnanan is a Trinity junior. Her column typically runs on alternate Thursdays.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.