<p>I would just let her know that what she’s experiencing is common at Duke and similar schools. Students arriving at Duke are used to being at the top of their class, with coursework coming relatively easily, and showing great success. At Duke, it can be a different world and a shock to the system (and one’s self esteem potentially) with coursework being much more difficult and your peers being much smarter and accomplished than high school (and they set the curve). Frankly, while I think Duke does a great job at preparing its graduates for careers, it often is not good for people’s confidence in that regard. It’s only when you step outside the University that you realize Duke is not normal. </p>
<p>That might not help resolve the situation, but I think perspective is important. Being “below average” in one course at Duke doesn’t mean the person isn’t smart or won’t be a huge success. I really think she just needs to be honest with herself and what she thinks would be best for college career. Struggling in classes sometimes isn’t worth it and a change is curriculum makes sense. Seeing an academic peer tutor (which Duke pays for, but is free to the student) or finding a good study partner or group would be my advice going forward. Seeing Dean Fox or Dean Sue sounds like a good idea in theory, but I’ll tell you there are VERY few students who would actually be comfortable doing that. And, honestly, while they might have some general words of wisdom, there’s no “secret words” of advice. </p>