Reflections from a first time TIPster

By Emily Yung
M&M staffer

When I first heard about Duke TIP Summer Studies, I never expected it to be this fun or exciting.
This summer, my first time here has been an amazing experience. I’ve met a lot of new people this year and started a lot of new friendships, which has been my favorite part of TIP.
Once I got the brochure telling me about TIP, I wasn’t sure that I would enjoy coming. I’ll admit that I was worried about being away from home for three weeks, since it would be my longest time away from home, and I wasn’t sure what the people would be like.
However, it turns out that I wasn’t as homesick as I imagined I would be, and the people here are incredible. Even though this is my first time at TIP, it didn’t take me too long to adjust to the new TIP environment.
Living with and sharing a dorm hallway with more than twenty other girls took some getting used to, but after the first week it felt normal to be doing things like waiting in lines for showers!Another thing that I’ve gotten used to as a first year/ second year is the TIP traditions. At all the dances, I love the TIP songs, such as “Save Tonight” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
I’m glad I made the decision to attend TIP at UGA, and I can’t wait for next summer to see all my friends again and have another fun TIP experience.

Emily Yung, 13, is a first-time TIPster from Chattanooga, Tenn. She attends Signal Mountain Middle-High School.