Extracurricular activities have always been one of my favorite parts about school. They give you the opportunity to try new things, expand upon skills you currently have, and engage with like-minded peers you might not have met otherwise.

Extracurriculars at Fuqua

At Fuqua, there are multitudinous opportunities to participate in and even create clubs of your own. One example of a student-created club in my class was the MMS/MQM Finance and Investing Interest Group. This group met twice a week in order to discuss current events in financial markets, recent merger and acquisition deals, investment ideas, and current trends within the industry. The group also held special events such as guest speaker sessions and trivia nights. Furthermore, those interested in trading would be glad to know the group created a virtual trading league in which members experimented and honed their portfolio creation skills.

If finance is not where your interest lies, not to worry! There are many other opportunities for students. One of the more creative clubs in our class was the Fuqua Fashion Club, founded by Blacker Li. The purpose of the club was to foster a fun and fashionable atmosphere. According to Blacker, students and professionals within the business realm are often overlooked and excluded from fashion, and he wants to change that stereotypical thought. The Fashion Club held seminars about dressing appropriately for business functions while maintaining your own unique sense of style. The group even held auctions for business clothes and accessories and notified members of certain sales occurring in high-end stores. From the established fashionistas in our class to those who simply had an interest in fashion, this was the club for them.

The Fashion Club held seminars about dressing appropriately for business functions while maintaining your own unique sense of style. The group even held auctions for business clothes and accessories and notified members of certain sales occurring in high-end stores. From the established fashionistas in our class to those who simply had an interest in fashion, this was the club for them.

There are many other clubs and activities to participate in at Fuqua—the groups featured here are simply examples of the diversity of activities available to students. However, one cannot forget that you don’t have to restrict yourself to the walls of the business school.

What Duke Has to Offer

The greater Duke community has countless clubs and opportunities to pursue. One that I took note of was dance classes. These are held regularly in the Rubenstein Arts Center on central campus during the course of a semester. A wide range of dance classes are available to students including African dance, ballet, jazz, hip hop, and so much more. Graduate students can sign up to audit these for-credit undergrad classes with the professor’s permission. This means that you will receive no credit for the class, but you do not have any assignments either.

My classmate, Jonathan Wen, is an avid dancer and said that it was an outlet for him while in the program. He feels dancing was a way to destress and express creativity in a way that cannot always be done otherwise in business school.

Whether you are a well-experienced dancer or a shy beginner that wants to learn, Duke dance classes are a great way to get involved with the greater university community and meet new people outside of Fuqua.

Your life and your community here at Fuqua can be as big or as small as you want it to be, so go out and discover your passion. To help get you started, a comprehensive list of extracurriculars can be found here. Still unsure about which activity to choose? The best advice I can give you is to talk to your classmates. You will be surprised by the diversity of interests that you uncover. However, if you still cannot find a group or activity that fits your interests, then create your own! Chances are if you are interested in it, others will be too.

Your time here at Duke might be one of the last chances you have to really explore a vast set of new interests and activities without significant tradeoffs or financial costs. Take advantage of every opportunity and never be afraid to follow your passion. You never know where it might take you.