When I pictured starting college, I thought I’d have it figured out. That’s just who I am — a type A planner who thrives on schedules and certainty. But no spreadsheet could prepare me for the ache of homesickness I felt in those first days. The campus was new, the faces unfamiliar, and even though I was excited, I couldn’t shake the question: Would I ever feel at home here?

Duncan answered that for me.

Our residential college system is unlike anything I’d imagined. From the first night of O-Week, when my “family” and I squeezed around a dinner table and swapped stories over plates of food, I felt something shifting. Those meals didn’t stop after orientation; every week we still come together for “family dinners.” It’s loud, messy, and full of laughter — the kind of chaos that makes you forget you’re a freshman worried about midterms. Someone always asks how you’re doing, and not in a casual way, but in the kind that makes you pause and actually answer.

The little things are what make Duncan feel like home. Walking across campus, I’ll always spot a Duncaroo: whether it’s a wave from across West servery, a friend who slides into the seat next to me in Keck, or someone who keeps me company on the long walk back across the quad. I’ve realized you never go a day here without seeing a familiar face, and that familiarity slowly builds into family.

Then there are the traditions that make Rice, and Duncan, unforgettable. Staying up until it strikes midnight just to dunk a friend in the fountain on their birthday, the water splashing as everyone runs to escape that drenched hug. Late-night study breaks that somehow turn into a recap of high school ups and downs. Sitting on the lawn after a long day, laughing with people who feel like they’ve been in my life for years, even though we only met weeks ago. These are the memories that root you here.

What struck me most is that Rice doesn’t just assign you to a building. You’re placed in a community you’ll call home for four years, and truthfully, for life. Duncan isn’t just a roof over my head or a building I swipe into daily; it’s where I’ve found people I can pour my spirit into: people who celebrate with me, challenge me, and remind me that belonging isn’t something you stumble into; it’s something you build together.

Looking back on that nervous first day, I realize my biggest fear wasn’t about classes or making the grade — it was about finding where I’d fit. At Duncan, I’ve learned that “fitting in” isn’t the goal; being embraced, exactly as you are, is. That’s what makes the residential college system so unique and so special: it turns Rice into more than a place you study. It turns it into a place you can always come home to.

-Alohi, Duncan ‘29 (Published on 10/21/2025)