TRANSCRIPCIÓN 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:10.560
Hello, and welcome back to Duke GradCast.
00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:17.199
I'm Leo Biggs, Senior Program Coordinator for Graduate Student Affairs at Duke Graduate School.
00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:26.239
In my role, I work closely with graduate students and with programs that support student success, belonging, and community across The Graduate School.
00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:37.280
In this episode, we're talking about something every graduate student experiences, but few ever in exactly the same way—their first year, and what it's like starting their program.
00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:46.960
Starting graduate school can be exciting, disorienting, energizing, and overwhelming, sometimes all in the same week, sometimes all in the same day.
00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:54.240
You're learning a new program, a new campus, new expectations, and often a new city or even a new country.
00:00:54.240 --> 00:01:04.400
You may be figuring out how to work with an advisor, how to manage your time, how to find community, or how to ask for help before things become urgent.
00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:13.680
To help us unpack that transition, I'm joined by three Duke graduate students who bring different perspectives on what it means to begin graduate study here.
00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:21.920
We have Shen, a dual Master's student in public policy and environmental management; Lucas Lopez, a Ph.D.
00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:26.879
candidate in romance studies; and Camille Green, a second-year Ph.D.
00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:28.480
student in chemistry.
00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:37.439
Together, they'll share what they wish they had known, what helped them find their footing, and what advice they would offer to students just beginning their Duke journey.
00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:39.120
Let's get started.
00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:45.120
Alright, to start, could each of you briefly introduce yourself, your program, and what brought you to Duke?
00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:48.560
Hi everyone, my name is Shen Shen.
00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:57.040
I'm a rising third-year dual degree student, a Master of Public Policy at Sanford, and a Master of Environment Management at the Nicholas School.
00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:59.599
So, uh, what actually brought me to Duke?
00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:15.520
Because Duke is one of the few places where those of the two schools actually talk to each other, like shared courses, shared faculty, and that is why I pursue a real dual degree pathway here rather than two individual degrees like staples together.
00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:18.560
Hi everybody, my name is Camille Green.
00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:20.400
I'm a second-year Ph.D.
00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:23.439
student in the chemistry program, and I'm advised by Dr.
00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:24.639
Kathy Franz.
00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:36.960
I chose Duke— My answer is a little bit more simple, but my dad's family is from Greensboro, s o I was looking for a school that was near my family, and I also was looking for a school that had medium weather.
00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:41.439
I went to undergrad in Florida, which was really, really warm all year round.
00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:44.719
So I was looking for something that got all four seasons.
00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:51.439
Hi everyone, my name is Lucas Lopes, and I'm a seventh-year Ph.D.
00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:53.759
candidate in romance studies.
00:02:53.759 --> 00:03:01.280
Um, and well, I came to Duke because I wanted a place I could grow academically.
00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:27.439
And also, I was very interested in working across disciplines and learn from people with very different backgrounds, and I like the feeling that my choice of coming to Duke provided me with this space and situation in which I can see myself growing both intellectually and as a person.
00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:29.280
That's awesome.
00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:31.199
Thank you, thank you all for those.
00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:42.960
I love the diversity of reasons there, but um, the themes of interdisciplinary conversation and growth outside the classroom feel very consistent.
00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:52.000
If you could go back to your first week at Duke and tell yourself one practical thing, what would it be?
00:03:52.800 --> 00:04:00.800
I'd like to go ahead and share here because I really struggled going through my first semester of grad school with this.
00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:05.280
And now some of our first year grad students are coming in and they're struggling with this as well.
00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:09.840
But I really, really wish that I could tell myself that I am meant to be here.
00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:12.159
Duke chose me for a reason.
00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:15.919
I did not overhype myself up on my personal statement.
00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:18.480
I didn't make myself look better than I actually am.
00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:20.319
I just was myself.
00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:26.240
Um and when I got here, I was so concerned about, 'everybody else seems so much smarter than me and so much better than me.
00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:33.120
They all have more experience.' So I really wish that I had realized that I actually am meant to be here.
00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:39.920
From my side, I would like to say something I want to like tell myself in the first week will be several things.
00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:45.680
The first thing is like definitely like say yes to fewer things in week one that you think you should.
00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:49.759
Like the September calendar should be your default for your whole year.
00:04:49.759 --> 00:05:05.759
So, and also the second thing is, especially during what when we're choosing the class that drop and add period before that, ask every question clearly about the class you choose because this will be like largely define your availability for the whole semester.
00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:09.120
So make everything super clear in the week one.
00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:13.600
So
Load full transcript
like we will have less trouble in your, in the rest of the semester.
00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:18.000
I would like to say that I strongly agree with both Camille and Shen.
00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:31.759
Talking about what Camille mentioned, I also experienced this imposter syndrome that we, it's kind of common among many of us, many of us.
00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:42.480
And uh now being at the last fraction of my time in the program, I can definitely say I was glad to be here.
00:05:42.480 --> 00:06:00.240
This program is for me, and I can see it clearly now, and I would encourage encourage everyone to understand that if they are here, it's because they deserve to be here and because this place is for them.
00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:29.759
But one thing that I think it's especially, would be especially relevant in right at the beginning, because being an international student was challenging, is that I would definitely tell myself you don't need to figure out Duke in the first week, or I would even extend that time and would say you don't need to figure out Duke in the first semester.
00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:41.680
It's much more useful to give yourself time to observe, to ask questions, and to gradually figure out what actually matters for you, especially in a Ph.D.
00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:47.759
program, which is a long, a long way until you graduate.
00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:53.439
So that would be definitely something important for me.
00:06:54.879 --> 00:06:55.600
Thank you all.
00:06:55.600 --> 00:07:02.240
That's such good advice, such relevant and and practical advice for starting your first week.
00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:05.120
And I want to go back to Shen and Camille.
00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:11.839
You both kind of talked about what it means to find a rhythm in your whole semester.
00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:23.759
So I'm curious, how did the three of you begin to find a weekly rhythm that worked for you, balancing coursework and advisory meetings and outside the classroom?
00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:25.920
How did you find that weekly rhythm?
00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:35.439
Um, so for me, I would like to say my first week, actually, like in at the especially like the first week of the first semester, I really don't have a rhythm.
00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:41.519
So basically I just reach every deadline I have to and then like just finish everything on time.
00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:49.519
And this shift, the real shift actually is moving from like a to-do list to a, really like a calendar.
00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:56.560
Like I started to protect things like for every day, one strategy I'm using is one deep work block.
00:07:56.560 --> 00:08:03.439
This should be like 30 minutes or one day, depends on my schedule, and every day to defending it like a class.
00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:06.319
And everything else, I got pushed to this edge.
00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:11.920
The other strategy of me to find my regular rhythm is to how to schedule my class.
00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:19.199
Because apparently, as a dual degree student, I have at least a class from Sanford and Nicholas at the same time.
00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:24.959
But traveling between these two campuses needs real, like, travel time.
00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:30.000
Like, I'm starting to batch in like, my days by location instead of the class subject.
00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:35.679
So like, if like my one-day class comes into one building, they can largely save my time.
00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:42.960
And I, every Sunday, I'll have like around 30 minutes to reset my schedule and reset myself.
00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:53.120
And especially to, for example, first one, pull out my Canvas to know what kind of things is like most important to do and rank them by their importance level.
00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:55.519
So I know what things I should do every week.
00:08:55.519 --> 00:09:01.200
And it's like, and this is the time for me to just like evaluate myself, what I'm done before.
00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:03.759
So, and also the time for me to take a breath.
00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:09.919
Similar to Shen, my first week was not scheduled at all.
00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:20.240
Actually, I didn't have a real rhythm, I don't think, until I got into a research lab and I really started picking up on more of the research side compared to a class side.
00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:25.440
I would say that I tried out something for a week, maybe two weeks.
00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:30.559
And then if it didn't work, I just kept switching it up until I found something that really worked for me.
00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:34.720
But I'm a big scheduler, in a slightly different way than Shen.
00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:37.360
But as a chemistry Ph.D.
00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:39.679
student, my work changes all of the time.
00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:46.320
I will do an experiment, and then based on the results of that experiment, I have to change my entire weekly plan.
00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:48.639
So I do a bunch of different scheduling.
00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:52.639
At the beginning of each month, I write out a monthly goals list.
00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:59.279
I try to keep it short, because things change so much, but it's only three or four goals, big things I want to do that month.
00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:01.759
I want to get these pieces of data.
00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:07.759
Then every week, I try to schedule out the next week, which helps we have planning meetings in my lab.
00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:11.519
And that really helps just since my schedule is so variable.
00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:29.120
In my case, it was basically similar to the experience of Shen and Camille because in the first week I was simply going to classes and trying to understand how things would be.
00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:39.039
But then I started trying to implement some more directed way to approach my time.
00:10:39.039 --> 00:11:00.399
And then what I did was is try to always identify a
few priorities, and a few is key here because I don't want a full big list of a lot of priorities, it's just like, you know, two or three priorities for the week.
00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:17.919
I it's very crucial for me to protect time for focused work, so it changes based on the priorities, and also leave some flexibility because unexpected things always come up.
00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:32.799
And so it's also important to have that flexibility and be able to play with it, and uh, but definitely having a few priorities that you can refer to and organize your week around them is crucial.
00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:41.039
And in my case, it was always like organizing every week, or the maximum was like one month.
00:11:41.039 --> 00:12:02.799
So I prefer to have this kind of more short time frames of a week, a month, than trying to establish a rhythm for an entire semester, that is more, that, that is more like unfeasible for me and bring some frustration because it's not sustainable down the road.
00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:06.720
I want to touch on another point that Lucas said.
00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:12.000
So the sustainability, you have to— I personally need to schedule self-care.
00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:20.480
I would start on my schedule and say, "oh man, I forgot to schedule lunch." So you really do have to build a schedule that works for you.
00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:22.320
Remember to breathe.
00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:28.799
And on that note, I would also say that there's no perfect recipe.
00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:31.519
It's totally like individual and personal.
00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:37.360
It depends on how you work, how you feel productive, and what's best for you.
00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:54.799
So it's, I see like managing my schedule as also a form of self-knowledge, self- examination, and understanding what I can do to improve or what I need to change based on how it worked.
00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:55.919
Wow, y'all.
00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:58.000
I am, I'm over here taking notes.
00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:00.000
This is, this is such good advice.
00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:03.360
Shen, you're moving from a to-do list to a calendar.
00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:18.960
But then also these monthly goals, these weekly priorities that Camille and Lucas both mentioned, as well as leaving room for that flexibility, putting in time for self care, and the fact that there is no one- size- fits- all.
00:13:19.200 --> 00:13:27.840
I love hearing from all three of you, because they're all different, and they're all ways that you have found to make your schedules and your rhythms work for you.
00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:28.960
That's fantastic.
00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:46.240
Moving along to building community and belonging, I would love to hear what advice would you give to someone who does not immediately feel connected, whether that is in your department or at Duke or in Durham.
00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:52.559
What would you tell someone who's come to Duke and is like, "you know, I haven't really found my people yet.
00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:57.279
I haven't really found my spot." What advice would you give to that person?
00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:00.000
Um, I can start first.
00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:06.080
Especially the first thing, it is not your fault to feel like this kind of feeling.
00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:13.840
So, and also this is like, because especially for Duke, like we have 10 different school and so many like different kinds of programs.
00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:17.440
And the grad program s like especially are small, scattered.
00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:19.519
Everyone's schedule is so different.
00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:26.960
So like, the connection here may take, may take months instead of like weeks or days.
00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:33.200
If possible, pick one recurring things and show up, like show up more time.
00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:39.120
For example, like I'm in GPSG, because I'm also working as a president for the graduate and professional student government.
00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:41.039
So, we host recurring events.
00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:42.720
If that's recurring, that'll be the best.
00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:44.159
That'll be, that'll be even better.
00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:51.279
Because like, you have time to meet the people who have the same interest with you, and basically also get some more familiar face.
00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:55.039
This is like some of the strategy.
00:14:55.039 --> 00:15:04.559
And one last thing I really want to mention is also trying to start the conversation like by yourself instead of waiting to others to invite you.
00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:13.120
I 100% agree with you on that point, that it is scary, but I think you really have to try to be brave.
00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:20.720
Go out, meet people, and especially also, Shen, what you said about finding what you like, not what other people like.
00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:21.919
Find something that you like.
00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:31.039
Some Duke resources as well will point you to different clubs, activities, and organizations that you can join to help meet people with similar interests as you.
00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:38.879
I would say if you don't feel connected, I'd say not to interpret that feeling too quickly.
00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:46.960
Because if you don't immediately feel like you found your community, it doesn't mean you won't.
00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:51.840
Everyone arrives with different backgrounds, with different personalities, and it takes time.
00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:57.919
It takes some effort to create or be part of a community.
00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:03.600
So basically, keep putting yourself in situations where connection can happen.
00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:16.000
For instance, the events that Shen mentioned, there are lots of organizations, events sponsored by departments, programs, things happen at Duke all the time.
00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:21.279
So participating in
those generally helps.
00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:28.799
And one thing that Camille mentioned was also very important to me.
00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:35.440
I became very good friends with people from the community, people that are not at Duke.
00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:46.240
And so be open also to make those friends, friends that are not necessarily in your program, in your department, or even at Duke.
00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:52.799
Something that I love about this question, it always reminds me of this, but everybody is feeling this.
00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:54.080
That's why it's a question.
00:16:54.080 --> 00:17:00.480
So the other first years, we're all trying to build community, we're all trying to meet people, we're all trying to build that connection.
00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:06.880
So you're not in it alone, you're not the only person who maybe feels isolated or maybe feels disconnected.
00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:11.279
There are other people out there who are looking for friends and looking for things to do.
00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:16.319
And it's really great to just be bold, ask if they want to go play pickleball someday.
00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:19.519
They'll probably say yes, and then you have a new friend.
00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:22.400
Yes, I love that.
00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:28.400
So, all three of you speak to the fact that like, you're not the only one feeling this.
00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:41.359
You can give it time, you don't have to make all your best friends in the first week, and to put yourself in situations in and out of Duke that you can meet people with common interests and be open to that.
00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:43.759
So that's wonderful, that's awesome.
00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:44.480
Thank you.
00:17:44.480 --> 00:18:05.039
Thinking now about your support networks inside your academic departments or within your academic career, I'd like to know who, besides your advisor or your PI, who can be part of a student's support network?
00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:06.960
Who else has your back?
00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:16.400
Um, so for me, I would like to say the first group I want to mention is just the second years or the recent graduate student from your same program.
00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:24.079
Because they're basically the people who know really well about how the program setting is.
00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:31.119
And the second thing is the school's program staff and most importantly the career centers.
00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:40.400
So they just give me like, sometimes it's not just help about changing your resume or give you some like career inspiration, but sometimes it's all about your life.
00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:42.319
How could you balance your life and work?
00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:50.160
And also if there's some people like in your area and they can provide some practical suggestions, maybe also for your life.
00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:53.279
That would they will also recommend you and connect with other people.
00:18:53.759
--> 00:19:10.880
I I have to acknowledge that my— the DGSA of my department is my unofficial advisor for all things administrative, all things bureaucratic, all things you know, Duke- related.
00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:23.759
And I wouldn't have been you know, doing my work the way I am doing without her support.
00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:41.279
So definitely be in touch with your DGSA because they know everything that is necessary to know, they can guide you to resources, they can provide you with much more than, you know, the, let's say basic stuff of the department.
00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:46.960
They can prov— direct you to many, many things.
00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:55.839
And as an international student, I, in my experience I also took advantage of the Duke International Student Center.
00:19:55.839 --> 00:20:11.680
They can provide you with many resources, connect you to people, to other students, and be a place in which you also feel connected and create community.
00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:27.759
So especially those two fronts, the DGSA and the International Student Center, they played fundamental, essential, crucial roles for me during my time at Duke.
00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:31.440
Yeah, I'm going to agree with Lucas.
00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:36.319
My DGS and DGSA, I go to them for so many things.
00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:44.799
Our DGS is so helpful, and he was great with connecting me with people and supporting me during my search journey and through my classes as well.
00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:49.759
Our DGSA and all of our administrative team is also amazing.
00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:53.440
With actual stuff related to my Ph.D.
00:20:53.440 --> 00:21:01.119
program, with chemistry, going to other students in the department, just like Shen said, is one of the most amazing things.
00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:13.119
Going to older grad students, maybe people that are about to graduate, and then asking people in your same class too, because they're going through the exact same thing that you're going through.
00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:15.039
That's fantastic.
00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:21.279
I feel like you have, the three of you have just created like the most amazing list of new resources.
00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:30.079
So thank you all so much for listening, or for listing the ways that you find support, the people that you go to and the resources that you have drawn on.
00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:40.079
Moving now to the international student experience, which a few of you have touched on already, but which I want to get a little more into now.
00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:46.319
For students who are new not only to Duke, but also to the U.S.
00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:48.480
academic environment, to the U.S.
00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:54.880
more broadly, or just to Durham, North Carolina, what advice would you offer?
00:21:55.920 --> 00:22:04.559
Oh, if I, if I could start that one, because yeah, that's, that was a huge thing for me.
00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:32.559
And as an international student coming from Brazil to Duke, it was challenging and I felt a lot of pressure, it was, it was difficult, and if I could go back in time, I would say to myself and to all my, you know, my peers, give yourself permission to be a beginner again.
00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:44.400
And of course it's very very difficult to balance everything because you will be learning your academic program while also learning cultural norms.
00:22:44.400 --> 00:23:04.720
So all those things, they seem and at some point they may be in fact overwhelming, but they are also the reason why you decided to pursue an international education is, they are part of it.
00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:08.160
Keep in mind, " I'm allowed to be a beginner again.
00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:58.160
I can start learning things from zero, and there's no problem, no shame about that." The other thing that the International [Student] Center helps is that they have, they have kind of guides available and materials available, like explaining step by step, you know, how to, how to get your driver's license, how to do this and that, how to get your social security number, and so they can help navigate those things that are more, let's say, formal, administrative, and generally more challenging for someone that comes from another country.
00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:01.519
I have a question for Lucas and Shen.
00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:09.119
As a domestic student, how can we be better peers to international students and make you guys feel more welcome and more at home here?
00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:10.880
That is a good question for me.
00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:22.799
Like I would like to say, if in the, like, sometimes if possible, trying to give them like, for example, like more guidance, if for example, like they don't understand the question or something.
00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:29.359
And explain a little bit more and also sometimes just like be more patient, that'll be super helpful.
00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:36.640
And second thing is like, because we come from like internationally, sometimes we don't know much about Durham, like even North Carolina, even U.S.
00:24:36.640 --> 00:24:48.559
So if possible, like inviting them first for like a lunch or dinner or something, like, or even just a short walk to Durham or to some place nearby, help them to explore the city a little bit.
00:24:48.559 --> 00:25:02.720
Even simpler—"Do you want to study together like sometime at school?" That'll be like, it's all like so many, and it would be super helpful for international students to feel that they belong to Duke and they belong to this whole culture, yeah.
00:25:03.359 --> 00:25:29.680
Talking about my experience, I remember when I arrived at Duke, a fourth-year student in my department, a domestic student, he invited me to have a coffee, and we started talking and he basically explained to me important stuff that got, that kind of guided me through
through the program.
00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:49.759
You know, he helped me in terms of, "Okay, you have to organize yourself around your classes, try to work in this way." He was filling me with his own strategies, his own knowledge and things he knew from other people.
00:25:49.759 --> 00:26:14.319
It was like, okay, someone that is already in the system, let's say, that grew in this educational environment, that knows everything about it, that is totally familiar with it, provided me with some guiding principles and strategies, and I'm doing them and I'm implementing this in my life and it's working.
00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:26.400
So definitely, if you are a domestic student, it will be great if you can, you know, help and be part of the academic life of an international peer.
00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:27.440
Thank you.
00:26:27.440 --> 00:26:28.319
Thank you both.
00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:29.279
Thank you all.
00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:35.839
But let me just ask the very last question, which is what is one thing that made Duke feel more like home?
00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:38.160
And Shen, why don't you start us off?
00:26:39.279 --> 00:26:47.839
For me, like I would like to say, it's not just the single thing that made me feel like Duke is home, but just Duke itself is my home.
00:26:47.839 --> 00:26:50.079
This could be including like my class.
00:26:50.079 --> 00:27:00.160
Like, I like my familiar professor is all in Duke, like my friends is all the Duke, my Duke classmates or the colleagues.
00:27:00.160 --> 00:27:09.359
And also one important thing I really want to mention, what made me Duke feel like home is the GPSG, which is the organization I'm currently at, the Graduate Professional Student Government.
00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:16.319
So this is this organization I stayed there like for, like this is my third year, so with the org.
00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:25.680
So step by step, I'll I see how this thing goes and also how everything was being developed.
00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:40.720
But also like I have the opportunity to be in a student leader in different areas at Duke and also trying to practice my skill and also more important, to serve our student bodies.
00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:43.920
There's something like just combine all together.
00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:48.960
This is what made me feel like Duke is a home, and also sometimes more like a home.
00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:57.039
For me, it would be connecting with older graduate students in the chemistry program and in other programs.
00:27:57.039 --> 00:28:04.799
I was able to get really good advice on how classes go, how lab goes, even the best places to eat around here.
00:28:04.799 --> 00:28:08.400
So connecting with them really made me feel like I fit in here.
00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:19.839
And for me, it may sound a little weird, but what made Duke feel like, feel more like home was routine.
00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:30.400
Having familiar people and familiar places that gradually stopped feeling new, you know, at some point.
00:28:30.400 --> 00:28:46.079
The places and the people I was in contact on my everyday basis, they were simply like the people that were part of my life, the places that were part of my life, it was like part of my routine.
00:28:46.079 --> 00:29:00.480
And that feeling of Duke is an integral, integral part of my daily life, of my routine, made it feel like home for me.
00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:01.519
Thank you all.
00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:07.519
So thank you to Shen, Lucas Lopes, and Camille Green for sharing their advice and experiences.
00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:12.160
It's just been a fantastic conversation, and I'm so grateful to all three of you.
00:29:12.160 --> 00:29:20.240
If you are beginning graduate school at Duke, we hope this conversation reminds you that you do not need to have everything figured out right away.
00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:29.440
The first year is a time to ask questions, build relationships, learn how your program works, and give yourself room to grow.
00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:38.799
You can find more resources for graduate students on the Duke Graduate School website, and you can subscribe to Duke GradCast wherever you listen to podcasts.
00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:41.440
Thanks for listening, and welcome to Duke.