Day 1: Move-in Day

Today was the day.

Today, I pretty much start my road towards semi-independence.

Well, I mean, I'm still under the supervision of lots of people, faculty, peers, and others, so it's not too independent. But hey, it's a good start. Now, I can call this day one.

Moving in at Duke is an interesting process. When you drive your car up, you are swarmed by college students wearing bright yellow shirts and they take everything from your car up to your room. And when I say everything, I mean everything. My Snuggie made it to my room intact in the hands of another person, so I mean everything.

I just happen to be in the best dorm ever on East campus, Bell Tower, also known as Hotel Bell because it is so fantastic. Here it is:

It's nicknamed Hotel Bell because it is so luxurious, but most importantly, because it has A/C!!! I know that may not seem like anything special, but considering that only 3 of the 11 dorms have A/C, it's a great thing indeed. I don't have inside pictures yet, but eventually, you all can see the luxury.

After moving in all of my stuff, I had to endure a long line to receive my Dukecard ID, then my roommate Anthony and I went with my parents to Target for extra dorm shopping. We only bought a few things:

Hey, a college boy has to eat, and you can bet there are Ramen noodles down in that cart.

Back to the dorm, set up shelves and electronics, pack the room up, etc., boring auditorium meeting, interesting floor meeting (our icebreaker was fun), and now I'm back in my dorm. Made some new friends, and I am tired, as you can see by my shorter prose and syntax, so I am thinking it's about time for bed on my extremely small bed. Tomorrow, I get engineered with meetings, and I endure the trip to the communal bathroom. Tonight, I leave you with a picture of my desk and my first college meal: baked ziti.

Cameron

Day 0: Almost there...

Hi there! How are you? I'm fine, thanks. Well, I guess I'm fine. I am extremely excited, but I am also extremely nervous. I mean, we are talking about college here. It's all about new experiences and all, but I guess I never truly anticipated three states away from my home.

I guess I should introduce myself a little bit. My name is Cameron Kim. I am from the Tampa area of lovely and hot Florida, went to Durant High School in Plant City, and now I'm here in Durham. On April 28, 2010, I decided that I would be attending Duke University, and the rest is history. While I am here, I plan to study a lot of things that I will regret in terms of work, but in the end, it will (hopefully) pay off for my future. I plan to dual-major in Biomedical engineering and math, with a minor in neuroscience. Why would I torture myself? I'll explain in the future blogs.

So today is day 0, because I am still not at Duke yet. I am sitting in a chair at a desk in the rather spacious, compared to what my dorm will be, hotel room. My mom, dad and I just drove in to Durham today, and we had the chance to visit the campus for a little while. My mom and I have been here twice, but my dad has not visited before, so this was a good chance for him to see where I will be living for 4+ years.

I guess the most iconic building on Duke campus is the chapel. Here it is from my camera (sorry about the quality).

Pretty, huh? Construction started in 1930, and it was completed in 1935. Masses and services for all denominations of faith are still held here, and I am trying to go to one mass, if not more, to take in its beauty. The Gothic architecture is just so nice, and it adds history to a school that really is not that old.

While visiting again, it was only necessary to purchase more things. Mind you, I only have four shirts, so it was necessary to update my wardrobe. So my purchase included a new shirt, and Croc Flip flops!

Say what you want about how gauche and ugly Crocs are, they are comfortable! And these are flip flops, so they are a little more socially acceptable than the traditional ones.

So this blog...What do I plan to do with it? I want to create a "journal" of my first year, if you will, for my memory and so others far away can follow and stalk my life, because who doesn't love a good stalker? This blog is titled "Duke 365," but I am not there for 365 days, so I will number the days, just to know how many days it actually is. I appreciate comments and remarks, suggestions and criticisms, and whatever else you can lash against me. I write blogs like these for my enjoyment, and so I can express whatever creativity I have. I hope you enjoy what I have to write for the next 9-10 months.

Cameron