What’s it really like being a student in Trinity College of Arts & Sciences? As Duke welcomes its 100th class, we’re launching a four-year documentary series that chronicles the experiences of student life at Trinity — the good, the bad and the (hopefully) not so ugly. We’ll be telling stories and sharing photos, videos and social media updates as we follow four of our undergrads from move-in day to graduation, and everything in between.
“I watched a video of an alumna who had been the Blue Devil, and she made me see college as less of a scary part of growing up and more of a place where I can still explore parts of being a kid while maturing as a person.”
Daniella Freedman readily admits she wasn’t excited about the whole college process. Between the campus visits and researching options, it felt more like a burden made more difficult by not finding schools that met all her expectations.
“Then we visited Duke, and it was the first time that my parents and I both felt like this was the place where I could really grow,” she shares. “Not too big that I can’t run into a familiar face, but not too small that I can’t meet new people. That’s something I wasn't seeing at the other liberal arts schools I looked at.”
For her first semester, the English major is focused on taking “the most random classes possible,” including a seminar on German supernatural characters and a half-credit course analyzing Taylor Swift songs. And she set a goal to not worry as much about achieving perfect grades and, instead, focus more on the learning experiences.
“During my campus visit, I watched a video of an alumna who had been the Blue Devil, and she had this childlike excitement when describing it.” Freedman shares. “She made me see college as less of a scary part of growing up and more of a place where I can still explore parts of being a kid while maturing as a person.”
Along with coursework, Freedman is working on finding the student clubs that are a good fit and creating a solid group of friends.
“And I want to find a way to be the Blue Devil, so I’m putting that out there.”
