Duke UniversityStudent Guide

Academic dates, campus language, housing, and student-life references for Duke University. Free for students.

Private Non-Profit Liberal Arts College in Durham, NC. Operating on a semester system.

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17K+

Total Enrollment

Liberal Arts College

Institution Type

43

Housing Buildings

Student guide · Summer Term 2 2026

The semester, explained for Duke University

Dates from the active academic calendar, plus the campus language and local details students actually need. Every entry comes from DormWay's approved campus reference library.

Relevant term
Summer Term 2 2026
Campus terms
32
Local details
18

Academic calendar

Summer Term 2 2026 runs Jun 29, 2026 – Aug 10, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.

8 entries
  1. Summer Term 1 2026
  2. Summer Term 2 2026Relevant now
  3. Summer Term 2026
  4. Fall Semester 2026
  5. Wintersession Term 2027
  6. Spring Semester 2027
  7. Summer Term 1 2027
  8. Summer Term 2 2027

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Campus language

Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.

32 terms

B

Bell Tower
Common shorthand for Bell Tower Residence Hall on East Campus.
Bella
Bella Union, a cafe located in the Selina Cucciolini Hub known for coffee and snacks.
Blue Zone
A residential and parking area on West Campus often associated with tailgating and upperclassman housing.
BSA
Black Student Alliance, one of the oldest and most active cultural organizations on campus.

D

Devils
Short for Blue Devils, the university's mascot and athletic teams.
Div Cafe
The Divinity School Cafe, known for its organic and locally sourced food options.
DSG
Duke Student Government, the primary representative body for undergraduate students.
DUMB
Duke University Marching Band.
DUSA
Duke University Student Assistance, often referring to the student-run emergency medical service (Duke EMS).
DUU
Duke University Union, the largest programming organization on campus responsible for concerts and events.

E

Edens
A residence hall on West Campus known for its significant walking distance from the main academic quad.

F

Few
Short for Few Quad, a prominent residence hall located on West Campus.
Flunch
Faculty Lunch; a program where students can take a professor to lunch for free using university-provided funds.

G

Gothic Wonderland
A common nickname for Duke's West Campus due to its Collegiate Gothic architecture.
GTHC
An acronym for 'Go To Hell Carolina,' the standard chant and sentiment regarding rival UNC-Chapel Hill.

K

K-Ville
Krzyzewskiville, the lawn in front of Cameron Indoor Stadium where students camp out in tents for basketball tickets.
K-Ville
Krzyzewskiville, the tent city where students camp out for months to get tickets to the Duke-UNC basketball game.
Kilgo
Short for Kilgo Quad, a residence hall on West Campus known for its traditional collegiate architecture.

L

LDOC
Last Day of Classes, referring to both the calendar date and the major music festival organized by DUU.

M

Marketplace
The main dining hall on East Campus where freshmen typically eat breakfast and dinner.

P

Pitchforks
Pitchfork Provisions, a dining location in McClendon Tower known for being open 24/7 during the semester.

S

Shooters
Shooters II, a popular off-campus nightclub on Gregson Street frequently visited by Duke students.
Swift
Refers to the 300 Swift apartments, an off-campus style residential complex used for upperclassman housing.

T

Tenting
The tradition of living in a tent in K-Ville for weeks to secure a spot in the student section for the Duke-UNC game.
The Gardens
Sarah P. Duke Gardens, a 55-acre botanical garden on campus used by students for relaxation and study.
The Hollows
The Hollows Quad, a modern suite-style residential area on West Campus.
The Island
A nickname for Edens Quad on West Campus, referring to its geographic isolation from the rest of the residential quads.
The Loop
The Loop Pizza Grill, a long-standing dining staple located in the Bryan Center.
The Shoeboxes
A collective name for Alspaugh, Bassett, Brown, and Pegram residence halls on East Campus, known for their smaller size.

V

Vondy
Joe Van Gogh, a popular coffee shop located within the Bryan Center.

W

Work Hard, Play Hard
The unofficial campus motto describing the student body's balance of intense academics and social life.
WU
The Brodhead Center (formerly West Union), the primary dining hub on West Campus containing multiple vendors.

Places and practicalities

Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.

18 details
atrium_caf
Atrium Café
Bostock
Bostock Library, the newer wing connected to Perkins Library.
brodhead_center_wu
Brodhead Center (Wu)
C-1
The primary bus route that shuttles students between East Campus and West Campus.
Cameron
Cameron Indoor Stadium, the historic home of Duke Basketball.
DukeCard
The official student ID used for building access, meal plans, and as a campus debit card.
DukeHub
The central online portal for course registration, viewing grades, and managing financial accounts.
ePrint
The campus-wide wireless printing system that allows students to send documents to any public printer on campus.
FCIEMAS
The Fitzpatrick Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences, often pronounced 'F-SEE-MAS'.
Flex
A debit-like account on the DukeCard used for non-dining expenses like laundry, printing, and vending machines.
Food Points
The tax-free currency included in meal plans, used at on-campus dining and some off-campus 'Merchants on Points'.
Gross Chem
The Gross Chemical Laboratory building, often used as a landmark for its distinctive architecture.
marketplace
Marketplace
Perkins
Perkins Library, the main university library on West Campus.
The BC
The Bryan Center, the main student union building housing the bookstore, theaters, and dining.
The Chapel
Duke University Chapel, the iconic Gothic centerpiece of West Campus.
The Link
The lower level of Perkins Library, a high-tech hub for group study and IT support.
The Perk
Perkins Library, the main research library on West Campus.

Quick answers

Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.

What academic term is relevant now?
Summer Term 2 2026 runs Jun 29, 2026 – Aug 10, 2026.
How much campus context is included?
32 approved campus terms and 18 local details are included in full.
Are all approved campus terms included?
Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
Where does this guide come from?
Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.

Get to know your university

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Find a few communities to try at Duke University

These are things we discovered from public campus sources. We are constantly looking for more.

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Interest filters
  • Major-aligned clubs, pre-professional groups, and research communities.
  • Performing arts, visual arts, student publications, film, and music.
  • Cultural orgs, identity communities, and faith-based groups.
  • Volunteer groups, civic engagement, mutual aid, and student government.
  • Outdoor clubs, intramural sports, club sports, and rec center programs.
  • Entrepreneurship, hackathon teams, makerspaces, and engineering project teams.
  • Casual hangouts, interest groups, and open events without applications.

DormWay is still mapping student communities at this campus.

We only show recommendations once we have enough public sources for Duke University.

These are things we discovered. We are constantly looking for more.

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Recommendations are based on public campus sources. We do not endorse student organizations.

Using DormWay at Duke University

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Life in Durham for Duke University Students

Everything you need to know about living and studying in Durham.

Timezone

Eastern Time (ET)

Student Population

16,000

City Transportation

Walkability

49

Bikeability

43

Public Transit

GoDurham, GoTriangle

Nearest Airports

Raleigh-Durham International Airport

Climate Averages

Climate

Humid subtropical

Avg Annual Temp

61°F

Avg Snowfall

4.6 in

Campus Operations Snapshot

Parking and Transit

Science Drive Garage

garage • Permit required

Located at the corner of Science Dr. and Cameron Blvd.

Parking Garage 3

garage • Temporarily Unavailable

Intersection of Fulton and Pratt Streets.

Hock Garage

garage • Permit required

Available for faculty and staff in that location.

Upcoming Events

What's happening at Duke University

Writing Op-eds for Researchers

July 31, 2026 at 10:00 AM

Wilkinson 419

A workshop focused on helping researchers write opinion pieces for public media.

Dorms & On-Campus Housing at Duke University

Various dorm and housing options are available for students.

36 known dorm and housing options. The first 24 are shown below; the rest are available in the expandable list.

300 Swift

Room types: two-bedroom apartment

301 Swift

Room types: double (shared bedroom)

Alspaugh

Capacity: 120

Room types: single, double

Aycock

Capacity: 90

Room types: single, double

Bassett

Capacity: 120

Room types: single, double

Belltower

Bell Tower

Capacity: 185

Room types: mostly double rooms, few single rooms

Blackwell

Capacity: 185

Room types: double

Blackwell Dorm

Blue Light

Room types: single (private bedroom), double (shared bedroom)

Brown

Brown Dorm

Craven

Crowell Quad

Capacity: 185

Room types: single, double

Duke Hall

Capacity: 94

Room types: single, double, double suite, triple

East Campus Neighborhood Halls (13 total)

Capacity: 3,500

Room types: single, double, triple

East House

Capacity: 90

Room types: single, double

Edens Quad

Capacity: 500

Room types: single, double

Epworth

Capacity: 50

Room types: single, double

Few Quad

Capacity: 185

Room types: single, double

Gilbert-Addoms

Giles

Room types: single, double

Giles Dorm

Hollows Residence Halls

Capacity: 750

Show the remaining 12 housing options

Keohane Quad

Capacity: 185

Room types: single, double

Kilgo Quad

Capacity: 340

Room types: not specified

Lancaster Commons

Pegram

Randolph

Southgate

Capacity: 185

Room types: mostly double rooms, few single rooms

Swift Residence Hall (300 Swift & 301 Swift)

Capacity: 400

Room types: single, double, triple

The Hollows

Trinity

Capacity: 185

Room types: single, double

Wannamaker Quad

West Campus Quad Halls (8 major quads)

Capacity: 2,000

Room types: single, double, suite, triple

Wilson

Capacity: 90

Room types: single, double

Campus Details

Academic System

Semester

Control

Private Non-Profit

Email Domain

@dukeu.edu

Official Website

Visit Website →

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