First Year Focus

For the past year, we have been following the life of a first year student at Duke University. Here you will find her survival stories. Get aquainted with her below then re-live some of her experiences by reading her articles linked in the margin.

Meet Mary Carcmichael

After thirteen years of schooling, not counting my first attempt at kindergarten, I can finally say -- drum roll, please -- I'm on the brink. Not the brink of insanity, although I may cross that border if I hear any more corny advice about college.

That's right, "the best years of my life" are scheduled to begin soon, when I enter Duke University as a freshman. Throughout the 1997-98 schoolyear, I'll be your guide to the first-year experience, logging on every week to fill in the blanks about freshman life.

But I won't bog you down with the stuff they feed you at high school graduation ceremonies. You already know to "live life to the fullest" and "never lose sight of your dreams," right? Instead, I'll be giving you the juicy details about surviving the first year away from home, or at least what works and doesn't work for me.

Questions are welcome; just e-mail me at screen name AskBrink@aol.com. I'll answer almost anything besides marriage proposals, indecent proposals, and calculus problems.

Okay, first question. Who the heck am I?

I was born in 1978 in Greensboro, N.C. (Im a Libra.) My mom, dad, older sister, and I lived there until I was five, when we packed up and moved to my current home in Gainesville, Ga. It's a fairly small town on the banks of Lake Lanier, the home of Olympic rowing, and a short drive from Atlanta.

Thus, I am a Southern girl. No, I don't wear hoop skirts, and Ive never even seen a chitlin. But I will confess to eating grits and liking the feel of bare feet.

When we first came to Gainesville, I attended a small private school where they made me repeat kindergarten because of my tender age - the horror! But after fifth grade, my parents wised up and put me in the city school system, where I had a long and somewhat prosperous career. Last May, I finally got to wear the cap and gown.

While in high school, I became interested in English-based stuff like debate, theater, and writing. I also realized that I was spending much more time reading magazines and newspapers than doing my homework, so the clear career choice for me was journalism.

I'm also interested in all kinds of pop culture, sports, philosophy, humor, and music. And I'm a people person, so youll definitely be "meeting" some of my friends in the column (but no gossip - all names will be changed!)

Well, unless you were hoping for details on my love life or personal hygiene habits, that should take care of everything. Be sure to check with me every Monday for my many adventures in the land of undergrads!