Looking back, there are some things that I should have taken more advantage of during my stay in Durham. Don’t let these things pass YOU by:

1. The Duke Gardens: I went there once and it was great! The day I was there wasn’t the best, but I can imagine how beautiful it would be on a bright and sunny day. I heard that the gardens were nice, but it never occurred to me that I could actually do things there. It would be great place to take a book or some class readings and just sit on the grass and sunbathe. The gardens are also really nice to walk around. I wish I would have known how awesome the Duke Gardens were during the fall when the trees would have been even more beautiful.
2. Restaurants and Cafes: There are quite a few nice places to eat around downtown Durham and Chapel Hill. My roommate and another friend loved to eat out and explore restaurants. Some of the places they recommend are Tonali, Watts Grocery, Jack Spratt (in Chapel Hill), Toast, Dame’s Chicken and Waffles, and Piazza Italia. Also, the brunch and afternoon tea at the Washington Duke Inn is amazing! I tried not to eat out too much because I like cooking at home, but I should have explored around a bit more. There are A LOT of good places to eat in the Triangle area.
3. The Ford Library: This, I regret the most. I should have taken more advantage of the Ford Library at Fuqua. I was in Section B, which meant my earliest class started at 12:15 pm. Because it was really hard to find parking if I got to school late, I would get to school at about 8:40 am. I used to do schoolwork or send emails before lunch and class, but then I discovered how many resources are in the library. There are so many great periodicals and books that will help you with your career; there are SO MANY movies and almost every TV show you can think of; there are a lot of interesting books for fun reading and for hobbies (like learning Japanese). You can spend so much time at the library because there are a lot of things to do, and since all the resources are free, it’s best to take advantage of them when you can! I wish I had known this earlier so I could have done more research for my job search and even just for fun. When you get to Fuqua, check out the library!
4. People: Don’t forget that you’re going to say goodbye to your classmates in 10 months. The people are great at Fuqua, and I miss a lot of them. I feel like we should have done more fun things and spent more time together in Durham. You’re going to meet some of the best people, and the friendships will last all of your life, so take advantage of the fact that you’re here with them and aren’t thousands of miles apart.