Name: Sade Abiodun
Major: Neuroscience
Year: 2018
Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa
1. What made you choose Duke?
It was actually an accident!! Okay… but lemme explain: I’m actually a semi-international student, since I’m American by birth but was raised in South Africa by my South African/Nigerian parents. So when I was applying to college, all I really knew was I wanted to come back to the US for school, preferably on the East Coast, preferably somewhere that could feel like home for 4 years. So decisive-ol’-me ended up applying to 13 (yes, 13!) colleges in the US, Duke made the list by my Dad’s recommendation and because UNC’s application portal was way too confusing to navigate (never a GDTBATH, clearly), and by a series of twists, turns and truncated epiphanies, here I am (and it feels great).
2. Turkey or Ham?
100% on team tofurkey!! Yes, judge me if you must, but that’s what thanksgiving looks like for me, and there are no regrets here..
3. How has this semester faired against past semesters for you?
This has probably been one of the most difficult semesters thus far. Why? A lot of tests of whether or not I really love me for me, not based on grades or reputation or friends defining me. Still discovering it too.
4. What’s been your favorite part about coming to Duke?
I came from a High School where I knew every single person by name. My graduating class was about half the size of my Bio 201 lecture, so coming to a school with such a ‘big’ student body, I feared for a while what it would be like to make friends. But as I discovered fairly quickly, with the right people in the right situations, college friendships can feel a lot like high school friendships: you start bonding over mutual struggles of sleep deprivation and midterms stress, but you end up getting to Dance-Parties-at-Midnight and Deep-Convos-over-Lunch level. It may take more time and a little more effort, but the people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve built will always be one of the highlights of my Duke Journey.
5. If you could change one thing about your Duke experience so far, what would it be?
I want to ‘fearlessly friend.’ Meaning feel 100% comfortable with going to anyone anywhere on campus and getting to know them. At Duke we have a lot of things that stratify us: social group, background, race, class, major, etc. And I want to honor all those things, but not let them be a barrier to me getting to know the person on the other end of them. I actually did a great job of this my sophomore year (flashback to asking random people on the bus for their life story) but I want to get back to it!
6. On a scale of 1 to singing Jingle Bell Rock while wrapped in Christmas lights, how ready for the holidays are you?
SANTA TELL ME, IF YOU’RE REALLY THERE. DON’T MAKE ME FALL IN LOVE AGAIN IF HE WON’T BE HERE NEXT YEAR – Only my real reals will understand this reference
7. If you could, would you go back and live out freshmen year again? Why/why not?
Being an RA has basically allowed me to do this *hehehe* but yes, I would! The freshman experience is something so unique, it’s the hopefulness and the nonchalance and the fresh eyes, I’d love to do it over again (but maybe slightly more sleep this time).
8. What are you looking forward to about 2017?
New dance crazes. Juju on that beat has officially been beaten to a pulp.
9. How would you describe your personal style?
Waiting-to-go-to-the-thrift-shop-but-revive-separate-items-I-definitely-wore-in-high-school-or-that-belong-to-my-Dad. But I love big long-sleeve shirts , colorful socks, and scarves. But somehow I make it work (I think?)!
10. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see ‘yourself in 5 years’ in the question above this sentence, right? *ba-dum-tsss* But actually, I’m hoping I have life a little more figured out. Will I be in Med School? Will I know how to cook? Will Steph Curry and I be an item? These are the hard pressing questions. I just hope that whatever I’m doing, I’m doing it with all my heart.
11. What’s the best part about being an RA on East?
Every night, right outside my room, just before I go to bed, I line myself up in front of the wall and launch into a handstand position and hold it until I collapse. Every night. And every night about half my residents will walk past me, either not questioning the gesture or choosing to join in with me. That’s love.
I also am one of the corniest people you’ll meet, so every email to my hall is laced with copius Drake references, colorful fonts and at least 30 GIF’s. And they love it.
Tell me I don’t have the greatest job