Robertson Scholars studying away from their home campus have more than simply the Duke-UNC basketball rivalry to worry about.
Scholars said adjusting to a new campus for a whole semester-whether at Duke or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill-includes a constant stress on one's intellectual and emotional strengths.
"It made me do things I wouldn't have otherwise," said Duke Robertson Scholar Dan Houghton, a junior. "It tested me: it tested my time management skills, it tested my ability to adapt to a new environment-and that was what I enjoyed."
The Robertson Scholarship Program-which annually awards around 18 Duke and 18 UNC undergraduates with full merit-based scholarships-generally requires scholars to live away from their home campus during the Spring semester of their sophomore year.
Although traversing Tabacco Road leads students to experience a range of emotions, as well as frustrations, scholars said they also felt a sense of accomplishment.
Sophomore Duke Robertson scholar Anjali Bhatia described her UNC experience thus far as "incredible."
"I've met so many people. It feels like first semester freshman year again, which is nice. Once people know you're a Robertson they're really excited to get to know you," she said.
UNC sophomore Daron Sharps, however, said she found the adjustment more difficult.
"I feel like I've been reduced to a freshman," she said. "I had things figured out at UNC, and now I'm figuring out things at Duke."
Sharps said she is balancing adapting to life at Duke with starting her own student organization at UNC.
"I feel like I end up at Carolina twice a day without even trying," she added.
Houghton reiterated the difficulty of keeping up with his extracurricular and social commitments at Duke while trying to accommodate his life at UNC.
"The biggest frustration is the fact that a bus schedule rules your life," he said.
Despite the numerous bus rides back and forth from Durham to Chapel Hill, Robertsons said they benefited from the unique qualities of both universities.
Duke sophomore Stefanie Feldman said in addition to developing a closer relationship with her fellow Robertson scholars, she has been able to soak up a new type of college atmosphere not present at Duke.
"The atmosphere [at UNC] is entirely different," she said. "It's a lot more of a laid back and activist culture. There are so many more student organizations and tabling. There's always protests and events going on."
Beyond the ability to experience a new type of social and student environment, Robertsons said they are able to directly take advantage of the expansive number of resources available at both universities.
"I find the classes [at Duke] are smaller, a little more intense maybe, and the students are so well-informed about the issues," Sharps said.
Houghton said the Robertson program opened his eyes to the contacts available at UNC and the benefits that all Duke students can reap by making the 20-minute drive to Chapel Hill.
"You don't have to be a Robertson scholar to go over to UNC," he said. "Anyone can go over and say to a professor, 'Can you please help me with this project that I know you're interested in and I'm interested in as well.'"
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