‘I consider my work to be fun’
Like most teenagers, I spend a lot of time on the internet.
“Legolas is my favorite character”
My optimism has drawn others to me, even if they occasionally grumble "How can you be so darn happy all the time?"
The STEM of the problem
We are surrounded by so many people who are so clever at math and who value math skills highly that it's completely understandable to feel insecure.
9 lies MIT students tell themselves at the beginning of the semester
Whether you'll get used to it or not, you're probably waking up earlier than usual and hyping yourself up with some Positive Thoughts About The Semester. But some of them aren't true...
‘My first and most important research project to date almost ended with failure.’
My first and most important research project to date almost ended with failure. Áron Ricardo Perez-Lopez describes his first experience with research in an MIT application essay that worked!
‘My finished sculpture is born of nothing but a handful of pipe cleaners and my imagination’
Pipe cleaners may seem childish to use in art — but to me, they are colorful and comforting, flexible and versatile, and there are no boundaries to what I can create with a few fuzzy sticks.
Sleeping around
The Tech's Auntie Matter provides sage advice on matters related to all things sleeping.
Do’s and don‘ts of Reg Day
Here are some do's and don'ts I've compiled over the years that might help you on your way to schedule mastery.
‘Excuse me sir ... I mean ma’am ... uh ... I mean ... sir?’
I'm at peace with who I am and how I express my gender, but it wasn't easy to get to this point.
16 things that happened while I was trying to cook for myself
I tried to stay on the meal plan. I really did.
17 incidents I shared with my roommate
We had a very eventful first semester and great bonding experiences. Shout-out to Ivana, my wonderful roommate! (She made me say that...)
What do podcasts and journaling have in common?
I want to be the kind of person who listens to podcasts, but I like music too much.
18 things to do this IAP
Welcome back to campus! Figuring out what to do with yourself at MIT can be hard when you don’t have a schedule, set by classes and UROPs, to regulate your life. Here are some suggestions on how to spend your time this IAP.
My morning commute as an algorithm
I am a creature of routines, and being a Course 6 student has inspired me to algorithmitize (yes, that’s a made up word) my life when possible. For example, I do laundry every Saturday, sometimes earlier when my hamper is 75% full, or my favorite hoodie is in need of a wash. When I moved off campus, I was suddenly faced with a new daily decision: how to get to campus every day. Making an algorithm was the logical next step. Here’s my thought process:
A guide for course evaluations
You’ve probably gotten a deluge of emails asking you to fill out course evaluations. You’ve got a lot on your plate right now with finals and such, so here are a few things to ponder so you can optimize your subject evaluations. You’ve gotta make sure instructors and departments hear your feedback.
Fifty years of Tech Squares
I was introduced to square dancing with Tech Squares, MIT’s square and round dance club. Now I’m at MIT every Tuesday evening, and sometimes more often in a week.
How to adjust to winter break
This will be my sixth winter break at MIT, and I think it is high time I write down some useful tips for how to manage the adjustment from “hell week and finals week at MIT” to the so-stressless-it-is-actually-stressful time period: winter break.
Confidence matters
I am an entrepreneur, and I’m looking to start another company. I did it alone the first time, and I realized it makes sense to find a cofounder because starting a company is a hard and lonely road.
Nir Shavit
America is now my home, but unlike many people who “immigrate” and then go through the process of building a life in their new country, I gradually built a life to the point where I can now say that I have indeed “immigrated.”
Dina Katabi
I grew up in Damascus, Syria, and came to the US to do my PhD. My years as a graduate student at MIT were amazing, with many long nights of heated discussions, coding and searching for intractable bugs, and arguing about social and political issues while solving math problem sets. My best friends were also my office mates. We worked, took classes, and traveled together. By the end of my PhD, I was so attached to MIT, it was hard to leave. I took a faculty job and stayed.