Priyanka Rao
Priyanka Rao is a senior at Duke majoring in Neuroscience. Priyanka chose Neuroscience because she has always been fascinated by the brain and how much it affects our reality. She did a project in high school where she learned about neurotransmitters and antidepressants and fell in love. In college, Priyanka has found that her biggest takeaway from the major is realizing that much of personality and behavior is out of our control- much of the way we are is due to our genes, biology, chemical reactions, epigenetics etc. It has made her think more critically about her own behavior and how her actions can affect herself and others around her.
L's Taken
3
"Thank you for applying but..."
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Baldwin Scholars
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DUU Broadcasting President
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Videography job freshman year college
3
Things I thought I'd finish but never did
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Multiple books: Barack Obama's biography, Gulliver's Travels, Jane Eyre
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Learning how to use Adobe Premiere
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Making it a habit to wake up at 7 am every morning to read, do yoga
3
Everyday L's of life
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Spilling coffee on myself
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Oversleeping and rushing to class
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Realizing I was on youtube for 3 hours instead of doing work
On the Bright Side
3
Memories I made when I wasn't working/studying
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Amazing dinners with friends/family
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Beautiful sunset walks
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Making new friendships
3
Things I've learned that will still matter in 10 years
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My relationships with my friends/family
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My health
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My happiness
4
TV shows, movies, and books I've enjoyed
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Schitt's Creek
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The Office
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The Good Place
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Michelle Obama's book, Becoming
3
Things I'm proud of that you won't see on my resume
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The way I treat people
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My friendships
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Being a good daughter to my parents
3
Unconventional skills
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Making people laugh and feel comfortable
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Blowing bubbles
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My ability to imitate others
3
Quirks that make me who I am
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Making people laugh and feel comfortable
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Blowing bubbles
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My ability to imitate others
6
Small joys in my life
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Sunset walks
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Watching water move
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The first sip of coffee in the morning
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The first bite of a food you have been craving especially when you are starving
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Getting into bed every night
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When the hot shower hits you after a good workout
2
Obstacles I have overcome
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Taking the MCAT
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Recovering from a golf cart accident and being ok with the scars on my body
4
Things I've done that pushed me out of my comfort zone
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Trying new foods
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Participating in DukeEngage
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Going to Singapore with my friends
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Cooking new meals
2
Failures that seemed like the end of the world back then but don't matter in hindsight
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Not making Baldwin Scholars
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Getting a C+ in Orgo 2
3
Leaps of Faith
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Applying to Duke ED
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Going to Singapore with my friends
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Getting an apartment off campus
3
Life events that have made me stronger
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COVID
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Golf cart accident; made me realize the superficial is not as important
1
Piece of advice I would give another Duke student
Plan your joy- its something I heard Michelle Obama say. It's really easy to plan your work day, but its important to plan your joy- it makes you work harder and gives you things to look forward to. This advice has really helped me in college.