Why am I here?

When reflecting on my experience at the Duke University Marine Lab, I have almost only positive experiences.  Whether it was the classes I attended, the area I lived in, or the vast array of resources at Duke’s disposal, my time at Duke was unforgettable and transforming.  The only time I was disheartened during this semester was when I discovered that the main purpose of the undergraduates was to fund the island’s marine lab operations.  Since the graduate programs do not bring in much money, undergraduate students are needed to pay high tuition, room, and boarding costs to help fund the marine lab facilities and its research.  

Some of the state of the art facilities at the marine lab

Studying next to the ocean meant there were plenty of opportunities to go to the beach after class. I also had the chance to spend time on Duke’s main campus, where I even had the good fortune to watch some basketball games at Cameron Indoor Stadium.  This basketball team went on to become the NCAA Div 1 National Champions.

What was really beneficial to my student exchange experience though was the way the professors treated their students.  Most of the professors at the lab were highly published and leaders in their field of interest, yet they still chose to spend time with us instead of pushing us away to be taught by graduate students.  This made me feel more inclined to learn, as I did not feel like I was there just for my ability to fund their research and equipment.  Not only were the professors directly involved in our undergraduate learning, but they also interacted with us outside of formal classes. I sometimes played basketball with them and on other occasions even helped them build equipment for their experiments.  These extra interactions added to my experiences and helped to make it a highly rewarded and very memorable student exchange semester.