The Beginning of the End

I completed the oral prelim on Friday. Joe said he had not heard anyone who can complete it in two hours. Even so, I don’t feel relaxed. The job market is open, but I haven’t finished my job market paper. I don’t know why I did not figure out this last year so that I could finish it in this summer. The oral prelim is just the beginning of the end. Challenges are still there.

Chapel in Duke University

 

I took one day off to visit Duke University and the garden in it. It is amazing that a university can own a garden like this not for research purposes. The whole area is well organized. Each part is its own theme. Some people in the neighborhood went picnic on the lawn and enjoyed the warm sunshine. Then I went to campus.

 

Doris Duke Inoformation Center

 

Iris Fountain

 

 Virtue Peace Pond

Fishpool

Historic Terrace Garden

Pergola

Kawaramon Asiatic Arboretum Main Gate

South Lawn

Terrace Cafe

Rose Garden

 

Blomquist Pavilion

 

 

Terrace Gift Shop

 

The chapel, a symbol of Duke, is really a classic.  Not just the chapel, every building in Duke looks good, much better than NC State and UNC. I could not complain about this to my university. This is a rich private university, but mine is a state university. Each penny granted by the state government has to be used in improving teaching or research. There is no free money for fancy buildings. In addition, I did not apply for any private university in the first place.  How could I expect more?

James Duke, Founder of Duke University

 

 

 

The part on campus is like a town.

 

 Chaple's Entrance

 

 Inside the Chapel

 If I have kids in the future, they must complete the education in a university with superior environment. And they must be superior to me.