Preparation for business school usually focuses on logistics, like housing, recruiting timelines, and brushing up on quant subjects. Mine did, too. But looking back, the biggest adjustments during my first year at Fuqua weren’t academic. They were cultural and personal.
After volunteering at Blue Devil Weekend — our flagship event where admitted students experience campus life — and remembering my own visit as an admit, I’ve been reflecting on what shapes the experience here. Here are four things I would do differently that would have helped me prepare more intentionally:
At Blue Devil Weekend last year, I met a few classmates I genuinely connected with. We stayed loosely in touch over the summer through occasional check-ins. By orientation, I wasn’t walking into a room of strangers. I was reconnecting with people.
Fuqua runs on relationships. That doesn’t happen by accident. My advice to admitted students over the next few months:
Those early conversations make the first week feel less overwhelming and a lot more human.
Participating in a roundtable with the Wilson Center at Duke Law for business and policy ideas to impact criminal justice reform
During Fall 1 (our first six-week term), I didn’t do as well as I hoped on an economics quiz. A few days later, my professor called from his personal number. He offered to walk through the material over Zoom and made it clear he believed I could master it.
That moment changed how I saw the school. Faculty, teaching assistants, and classmates are invested. But they can’t support you if you stay quiet.
Before you arrive, and once you’re here:
Imposter syndrome is loud because everyone arrives sounding so polished. From the outside, it looks like everyone has it figured out; from the inside, we’re all stretching in real time.
I remember the first time I spoke up in class to bring my work experience to a business case. I was intimidated, but when I finished, the relief was immediate. The best part? Walking out for a break and having classmates smile and clap for me in the hallway.
To make the most of this:
You’ll learn quickly that participation matters more than polish.
Volunteering at a local nonprofit organization with a mix of Duke undergraduates and grad students
You’ll be pushed in finance and strategy, but the real test is how you handle the friction and friendship inside a team. At Fuqua, you are assigned to a C-LEAD (or consequential leadership team, which you will work with throughout the core curriculum) from day one. My team was global, and beyond managing deadlines and assignments, we built a family. We shared personal goals early, which allowed us to genuinely cheer for each other during recruiting. Whether it was meeting each other’s kids or regular dinners, that trust made the hard work possible.
Over the first few months at Fuqua, I recommend students:
Attending the Black Business Student Association (BBSA) mixer
Fuqua works best when you engage with it. Academics matter, but so do generosity and the willingness to contribute before you feel comfortable. Spend less time optimizing the experience from the outside and more time preparing to participate in it. That’s when it starts to feel like Team Fuqua.
The post What I Wish I Had Known Before My First Year at Fuqua appeared first on Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog.
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I'd be glad to learn your thoughts on this story : What I Wish I Had Known Before My First Year at Fuqua
After volunteering at Blue Devil Weekend — our flagship event where admitted students experience campus life — and remembering my own visit as an admit, I’ve been reflecting on what shapes the experience here. Here are four things I would do differently that would have helped me prepare more intentionally:
1. Build community before you arrive.
At Blue Devil Weekend last year, I met a few classmates I genuinely connected with. We stayed loosely in touch over the summer through occasional check-ins. By orientation, I wasn’t walking into a room of strangers. I was reconnecting with people.
Fuqua runs on relationships. That doesn’t happen by accident. My advice to admitted students over the next few months:
- Reach out to 3–5 classmates and schedule short virtual coffees.
- Start a small group thread around a shared interest (fitness, housing, books, or something else).
- Learn at least 10 names before classes begin.
Those early conversations make the first week feel less overwhelming and a lot more human.
Participating in a roundtable with the Wilson Center at Duke Law for business and policy ideas to impact criminal justice reform
2. Lean on your support system early.
During Fall 1 (our first six-week term), I didn’t do as well as I hoped on an economics quiz. A few days later, my professor called from his personal number. He offered to walk through the material over Zoom and made it clear he believed I could master it.
That moment changed how I saw the school. Faculty, teaching assistants, and classmates are invested. But they can’t support you if you stay quiet.
Before you arrive, and once you’re here:
- Practice asking questions before you feel fully stuck.
- Go to office hours at least once early in the term, even if it’s just to clarify one concept.
- When something feels difficult, treat it as a cue to engage rather than withdraw.
3. Don’t wait until you feel “ready.”
Imposter syndrome is loud because everyone arrives sounding so polished. From the outside, it looks like everyone has it figured out; from the inside, we’re all stretching in real time.
I remember the first time I spoke up in class to bring my work experience to a business case. I was intimidated, but when I finished, the relief was immediate. The best part? Walking out for a break and having classmates smile and clap for me in the hallway.
To make the most of this:
- Speak up in meetings even when your thought isn’t perfectly formed.
- Plan to apply for one opportunity during your first term that feels slightly uncomfortable. For me, it was an improv class.
- Treat class breaks as a time to check in, not just a time to check your phone.
You’ll learn quickly that participation matters more than polish.
Volunteering at a local nonprofit organization with a mix of Duke undergraduates and grad students
4. Pay attention to how you show up on teams.
You’ll be pushed in finance and strategy, but the real test is how you handle the friction and friendship inside a team. At Fuqua, you are assigned to a C-LEAD (or consequential leadership team, which you will work with throughout the core curriculum) from day one. My team was global, and beyond managing deadlines and assignments, we built a family. We shared personal goals early, which allowed us to genuinely cheer for each other during recruiting. Whether it was meeting each other’s kids or regular dinners, that trust made the hard work possible.
Over the first few months at Fuqua, I recommend students:
- Ask a trusted peer how you tend to show up in group settings.
- Notice your stress response. Do you overcommit, withdraw, try to control?
- Set one simple behavioral goal for your first term.
Attending the Black Business Student Association (BBSA) mixer
Fuqua works best when you engage with it. Academics matter, but so do generosity and the willingness to contribute before you feel comfortable. Spend less time optimizing the experience from the outside and more time preparing to participate in it. That’s when it starts to feel like Team Fuqua.
The post What I Wish I Had Known Before My First Year at Fuqua appeared first on Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog.
More...
How does this impact your International MBA decision?
I'd be glad to learn your thoughts on this story : What I Wish I Had Known Before My First Year at Fuqua