![Duke Photo Stream:
This Tumblr is something that I have been working on since the beginning of my undergraduate career that only a handful of people know about or have inadvertently stumbled upon. As a graduated senior, this project is now finally complete — it’s all officially come to a close now that we have our diplomas. I was inspired by a Duke T’09 alumnus to document all the random happenings, events, outings, memories, and people (alumni, current seniors, and underclassmen) whom I encountered during my time at this beloved place that we call Duke.
This photo stream captures the memorable moments of my day-to-day college life. If you choose to walk down memory lane on this Tumblr by scrolling down to the very bottom (it will take some time, it’s four years of undergraduate, after all), you will find the people & places that collectively shaped my Duke experience into something far beyond I could have ever imagined. Although this photo stream has now come to an end with graduation, I hope it rekindles some of the fond memories that we, students, have shared together over the years and provides underclassmen with the excitement and inspiration to continue to do great things together for the Duke community at large.
Final Words to Duke Underclassmen:
The night of Commencement after everything was officially said and done, I had a long conversation with a fellow senior about how privileged and humbling it is for anyone to attend, nay, graduate from an institution as wonderful & impressive as Duke. Now that we have actually completed the journey and can boast degrees to the real world, it just hit me how amazing this place truly is and how lucky underclassmen are to still have precious time left in the Gothic Wonderland. So to you young ones, take it from us gone but not to be forgotten seniors and alumni. Embrace it. Enjoy it. Cherish it. [Insert more Lemani-isms here]
Rising sophomores: You have an amazing three years ahead of you. Don’t worry about how much ECON 51D, MATH 107, or CHEM 151L sucked the little morsels of life out of you — you have plenty of time (and I mean plenty) to figure out what exactly it is that you want to study & learn. Make those adjustments. I know a senior who went from mechanical engineering, to economics, to psychology & MMS. Now he works at Microsoft. Go figure. Keep exploring intro courses if you haven’t solidified your academic path just quite yet. If you have, major kudos to you. Everyone at Duke has a habit of doing 5,000 things their freshman year outside of the classroom. Now that you have infinitely more wisdom than your high school or freshman selves, try to narrow that litany of extracurriculars to, say, a handful. Not everyone is Superman. Freshman year was the time to explore, meet new people, discover new walks of life, studies, and activities. Sophomore year is now the time to hone what you’re really passionate about and to strengthen those ties and bonds that you formed on East Campus. And it’s not too late to try out new things now that you’re on West. Keep your eyes and ears open to the boundless opportunities that lie in front of you. DukeList is your friend.
Rising juniors: Things just got real. You finished half of college, declared a major, probably committed to working in some lab or under some professor for departmental research. Maybe you’ve started studying for the MCAT or trying to figure out if you’re actually interested in finance, consulting, or all the other pre-professional tracks that attract Duke students. No worries. My advice for you is to look up to your peers and rising seniors who have been through it all and know exactly what it is that you’re going through in terms of exams, interviews, applications, etc. If it weren’t for my roommate, Andrew Hollar T’11, I doubt I would have been nearly successful at my internship & job hunts without his generosity, experience, and accumulated knowledge. Junior year is a critical time at Duke, a time when you actually have to start thinking about what it is that you might be remotely interested in once the “G” word comes around. Also carefully consider writing a thesis or doing an independent study — if you’re truly interested in a topic, this will happen naturally and will be very rewarding. So take the time to learn about the different options you have available as an upperclassmen — there are A LOT. Use the Career Center. Talk to academic advisors and your dean. Keep studying hard. Take higher level courses that actually interest you. If you’re studying abroad at some point…get ready to have the time of your life. But actually. I’ve only heard amazing things. Get ready to be transformed.
Rising seniors: This is your final hurrah. Take advantage of everything. I mean, like, everything. There’s so much to Duke, and you have so little time. Don’t underload or shy away from things that may seem embarrassing or difficult because “you’re a senior”. Take random classes, random PHYSEDUs, random house courses, and attend random lectures. Some of the best kept secrets at Duke are only made available to seniors because they fill up so quickly. Give graduate school, scholarship applications, and job interviews your absolute all before you start to have the real fun — being just as focused as you were junior year will pay huge dividends when second semester rolls around and you have concrete plans lined up. Looking back on senior year, I am absolutely astounded by how many people whom I’ve met and become close with in such short time (new Brownies, it was very nice meeting you all, might I add). Now that you’re 21, have a car (or a roommate with a car), and know a lot about Duke, don’t be afraid to go out and have fun on the most random days of the week (Tyler’s, Sati’s, Alivia’s, Tobacco Road, He’s Not and East End in Chapel Hill, etc.). You’ll be surprised by how many Dukies there are out there whom you will wish you have met much sooner. Make a bucket list of all things that you personally would like to do and accomplish. Be true to it, and I guarantee that you will have a very fulfilling final year at Duke.
I imparted some tips for life at Duke earlier this semester, and I stand by them. Hang out on the Plaza when it’s beautiful outside, do Duke Engage, study abroad, climb the Chapel, attend lecture series, etc. This place is magical, and its beauty can only be unearthed if you take advantage of the virtually unlimited opportunities & resources that lie right at your very fingertips and share those experiences with the countless amazing Dukies around you. Try new things for kicks (hell, I tried golf, fencing, Zumba with Amrita, and went to a defMo werkshop), cultivate lifelong passions, and develop strong bonds with your peers along the way. Be excellent to each other, and be fully committed to the friendships & relationships that will, without fail, make you smile when you look back on them and your time at Duke. Closer to home, get to know the people in your own little Duke buble beyond passing “hellos”, “goodbyes”, and “hey, do you want to get McDonald’s”s after a night in Perkins. I’m a big advocate of heart-to-hearts and long coffee chats. There is an amazing amount of depth to each person on our campus. Make it your personal mission to truly get to know the people who mean something significant to you.
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations. I don’t have a cookie to give you — only my sincerest thanks for being a part of my personal Duke undergraduate experience, especially to the members of the Duke University Class of 2012. It’s been a true honor and privilege sharing these four years of college with you all. Don’t be a stranger, and do keep in touch, as I am sure you all will do. GTHC. Bleed Blue. Forever Duke.
Signing off,
Kevin Nguyen
Duke University Class of 2012
Trinity College of Arts & SciencesB.S., Economics | Finance](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m47xy48TlC1qzlg5vo1_1280.jpg)
Duke Photo Stream:
This Tumblr is something that I have been working on since the beginning of my undergraduate career that only a handful of people know about or have inadvertently stumbled upon. As a graduated senior, this project is now finally complete — it’s all officially come to a close now that we have our diplomas. I was inspired by a Duke T’09 alumnus to document all the random happenings, events, outings, memories, and people (alumni, current seniors, and underclassmen) whom I encountered during my time at this beloved place that we call Duke.
This photo stream captures the memorable moments of my day-to-day college life. If you choose to walk down memory lane on this Tumblr by scrolling down to the very bottom (it will take some time, it’s four years of undergraduate, after all), you will find the people & places that collectively shaped my Duke experience into something far beyond I could have ever imagined. Although this photo stream has now come to an end with graduation, I hope it rekindles some of the fond memories that we, students, have shared together over the years and provides underclassmen with the excitement and inspiration to continue to do great things together for the Duke community at large.
Final Words to Duke Underclassmen:
The night of Commencement after everything was officially said and done, I had a long conversation with a fellow senior about how privileged and humbling it is for anyone to attend, nay, graduate from an institution as wonderful & impressive as Duke. Now that we have actually completed the journey and can boast degrees to the real world, it just hit me how amazing this place truly is and how lucky underclassmen are to still have precious time left in the Gothic Wonderland. So to you young ones, take it from us gone but not to be forgotten seniors and alumni. Embrace it. Enjoy it. Cherish it. [Insert more Lemani-isms here]
Rising sophomores: You have an amazing three years ahead of you. Don’t worry about how much ECON 51D, MATH 107, or CHEM 151L sucked the little morsels of life out of you — you have plenty of time (and I mean plenty) to figure out what exactly it is that you want to study & learn. Make those adjustments. I know a senior who went from mechanical engineering, to economics, to psychology & MMS. Now he works at Microsoft. Go figure. Keep exploring intro courses if you haven’t solidified your academic path just quite yet. If you have, major kudos to you. Everyone at Duke has a habit of doing 5,000 things their freshman year outside of the classroom. Now that you have infinitely more wisdom than your high school or freshman selves, try to narrow that litany of extracurriculars to, say, a handful. Not everyone is Superman. Freshman year was the time to explore, meet new people, discover new walks of life, studies, and activities. Sophomore year is now the time to hone what you’re really passionate about and to strengthen those ties and bonds that you formed on East Campus. And it’s not too late to try out new things now that you’re on West. Keep your eyes and ears open to the boundless opportunities that lie in front of you. DukeList is your friend.
Rising juniors: Things just got real. You finished half of college, declared a major, probably committed to working in some lab or under some professor for departmental research. Maybe you’ve started studying for the MCAT or trying to figure out if you’re actually interested in finance, consulting, or all the other pre-professional tracks that attract Duke students. No worries. My advice for you is to look up to your peers and rising seniors who have been through it all and know exactly what it is that you’re going through in terms of exams, interviews, applications, etc. If it weren’t for my roommate, Andrew Hollar T’11, I doubt I would have been nearly successful at my internship & job hunts without his generosity, experience, and accumulated knowledge. Junior year is a critical time at Duke, a time when you actually have to start thinking about what it is that you might be remotely interested in once the “G” word comes around. Also carefully consider writing a thesis or doing an independent study — if you’re truly interested in a topic, this will happen naturally and will be very rewarding. So take the time to learn about the different options you have available as an upperclassmen — there are A LOT. Use the Career Center. Talk to academic advisors and your dean. Keep studying hard. Take higher level courses that actually interest you. If you’re studying abroad at some point…get ready to have the time of your life. But actually. I’ve only heard amazing things. Get ready to be transformed.
Rising seniors: This is your final hurrah. Take advantage of everything. I mean, like, everything. There’s so much to Duke, and you have so little time. Don’t underload or shy away from things that may seem embarrassing or difficult because “you’re a senior”. Take random classes, random PHYSEDUs, random house courses, and attend random lectures. Some of the best kept secrets at Duke are only made available to seniors because they fill up so quickly. Give graduate school, scholarship applications, and job interviews your absolute all before you start to have the real fun — being just as focused as you were junior year will pay huge dividends when second semester rolls around and you have concrete plans lined up. Looking back on senior year, I am absolutely astounded by how many people whom I’ve met and become close with in such short time (new Brownies, it was very nice meeting you all, might I add). Now that you’re 21, have a car (or a roommate with a car), and know a lot about Duke, don’t be afraid to go out and have fun on the most random days of the week (Tyler’s, Sati’s, Alivia’s, Tobacco Road, He’s Not and East End in Chapel Hill, etc.). You’ll be surprised by how many Dukies there are out there whom you will wish you have met much sooner. Make a bucket list of all things that you personally would like to do and accomplish. Be true to it, and I guarantee that you will have a very fulfilling final year at Duke.
I imparted some tips for life at Duke earlier this semester, and I stand by them. Hang out on the Plaza when it’s beautiful outside, do Duke Engage, study abroad, climb the Chapel, attend lecture series, etc. This place is magical, and its beauty can only be unearthed if you take advantage of the virtually unlimited opportunities & resources that lie right at your very fingertips and share those experiences with the countless amazing Dukies around you. Try new things for kicks (hell, I tried golf, fencing, Zumba with Amrita, and went to a defMo werkshop), cultivate lifelong passions, and develop strong bonds with your peers along the way. Be excellent to each other, and be fully committed to the friendships & relationships that will, without fail, make you smile when you look back on them and your time at Duke. Closer to home, get to know the people in your own little Duke buble beyond passing “hellos”, “goodbyes”, and “hey, do you want to get McDonald’s”s after a night in Perkins. I’m a big advocate of heart-to-hearts and long coffee chats. There is an amazing amount of depth to each person on our campus. Make it your personal mission to truly get to know the people who mean something significant to you.
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations. I don’t have a cookie to give you — only my sincerest thanks for being a part of my personal Duke undergraduate experience, especially to the members of the Duke University Class of 2012. It’s been a true honor and privilege sharing these four years of college with you all. Don’t be a stranger, and do keep in touch, as I am sure you all will do. GTHC. Bleed Blue. Forever Duke.
Signing off,
Kevin Nguyen
Duke University Class of 2012
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
B.S., Economics | Finance
B.S., Economics | Finance
