Observations of an MIT Sophomore

Observations of an MIT Sophomore I didnt mean to write this entry. I sat down to write about some recent events Ive been meaning to blog about for a while and well, I started writing this instead. You only have one freshman year. Live it up. Pass/No Record is not an excuse to slack off and not learn the basics its a chance to adjust to MIT and learn the study habits youll need for the next four years without having to be (as) afraid of failure. Dont save all your work for the night before its due. Seriously. Caffeine is not a substitute for sleep. Try and get 8 hours a night your body (and your friends, and your grades) will thank you. Excuses are for high school. Sometimes its possible to get extensions or have allowances made for extraordinary circumstances but you shouldnt rely on it. Remember that compassion isnt a prerequisite to becoming a professor at this school. In my humble opinion, xkcd used to be a lot funnier than it currently is. Sic transit gloria mundi. Running into people you havent really talked to for a year can be immensely satisfying. At MIT, we have the luxury of being within walking distance of one of the worlds greatest cities. Itll take you at least four years to explore everything Boston has to offer. Get started soon. Sometimes, you should just T it. and sometimes you should F the T. The hard part is figuring out when. One thought about choosing your living group: its not about the quality of the facilities, but rather the character of the people who live in them. Help is rarely as far away as you think it is. Dont be afraid to take advantage of it. Dont be afraid to approach your professors whether its because you have a question about lecture, youre hoping to get a UROP in their lab, or anything else. This is how Melis and I got an interview with Eric Lander last year. The worst they can do is say no, and either way theyll know your face the next time you ask. :) If you ever find yourself saying you dont have time for a boyfriend/girlfriend/significant other, youre doing something wrong. Dont pick ozonolysis. You dont have to go out and party every Friday night to be popular. In fact, if you go out and party just because its Friday and not because you actually trying to have fun, youre just a sheep. Regarding East Campus and West Campus: yes, theyre different. Thats the point. But were still all MIT students. MIT is one of the few institutions in the world that offers you near complete freedom in choosing where you live. Whether you live in a dorm for four years or you join an FSILG, dont overlook the value of Rush. Theres sometimes a grain of truth to the stereotypes you hear spread around. But more often than not, that grain is microscopic. In the long run, its better to judge the rest of MIT and its students for yourself. Its true: sometimes, going back and forth across the river just to get to school is a pain. But at the same time, its taught me how to keep walking, even when Im going against the wind. Its showed me exactly the value of knowing exactly how many smoots away I am from Hell plus or minus an ear or two. Its helped me find time to walk by myself for a while and just think about things. And Im grateful for that. Trying to develop your own personal website can be a great exercise in learning HTML and CSS. LaTeX is your friend except when its not. But its still worth learning, or at least playing around with. Of course, Im biased. Sometimes its good to just step away from everything and everyone online and just exist in the real world whether its studying, hanging with your friends, or just being by yourself and thinking about the world. Facebook, AIM, and your inbox can all wait. Finding time for your high-school hobbies writing, an instrument, reading can be hard at MIT. But its worth it. Im trying to get back into poetry. :) Donating blood or volunteering at a blood drive is one of the easiest and simplest ways you can make an impact on someones life without even having to leave campus. Sometimes its okay to do silly things. Dont forget to take care of yourself. Eat breakfast. Dont skip other meals. Cook for yourself every now and then. Try and get into a consistent workout schedule MITs athletic facilities are fantastic and free or join an intramural team. Do something just for fun. Have you ever noticed how sometimes you can be so focused on taking the perfect photo that you forget to just enjoy the moment? Call your parents. No, really. Read this entry, which makes this sound like a cavemans muttering in comparison. But trust me: youll be glad you did. Some people cant be replaced, no matter how hard you try. But that doesnt mean you shouldnt welcome new faces in their place. Stand up for yourself as a student. Strive to make this school everything you thought it would be when you were a prefrosh. Remember that culture is truly defined by the students who actually create it and are part of it not the administrators who impose it from ten thousand feet up. Above all else, keep MIT special. No one is going to respect you simply based on the title (or titles) you hold. Conversely, it is possible to be incredibly influential and respected in an organization without ever holding an official title. The pace and energy of this place make it hard to find time to reflect. Its still worth trying. Some of the most important mentors Ive had at MIT have never been officially recognized as an advisor by any department or academic office. Dont compromise on what you believe in. People screw up in your classes or your relationships or whatever else. At MIT, its pretty much bound to happen sooner or later. Rather than beating yourself over the head, its better to just dust yourself off, learn from your mistakes, and get back up swinging.