Blog

My advisor left MIT during my PhD

My advisor left MIT during my PhD

Making difficult decisions with incomplete information

December 21, 2020 | Cherry G.

It was a chilly November morning in 2014, and two months into my second year at MIT. My PhD advisor called for an all-hands group meeting with required attendance. We crammed into a tiny conference room: all 15 of us, whose lives were about to be turned upside-down. On the screen, my advisor flashed a […]

To the mom applying to grad school:

To the mom applying to grad school:

How Motherhood led me to MIT

December 18, 2020 | Namuun P.

“Can’t believe you got it done with children! Good for you!”  an old friend told me. I received similar remarks from other people as they learned that I had applied, enrolled and now attend graduate school with two young toddlers; they applaud my ability to do so DESPITE motherhood. However, as I reflect on my […]

Ohana means family

Ohana means family

Finding a community outside of MIT

December 18, 2020 | Sophia X.

I was freaking out. My whole body was shaking from a massive adrenaline rush. No, I hadn’t just seen the data that would complete my thesis work. I had just been hit by a car. Honestly, it was more of a “love tap” and I was okay, but there was real contact by a real […]

Volunteering in a home away from home

Volunteering in a home away from home

Is it possible to volunteer while studying at MIT?

December 10, 2020 | Mariel G.-M.

When I was accepted to the Comparative Media Studies Master’s program at MIT, I had spent the previous five years working on technology for social justice nonprofits in Mexico. This work exposed me to and involved me in hundreds of projects with all sorts of collectives and organizations, and it showed me that my very […]

Strange lands

Strange lands

On being a (foreign) grad student mom

December 10, 2020 | Ying G.

“So how’s everything? How’s the baby?” This is the opening line at almost all of my meetings. And I really can hear the emphasis on the second part.  Growing up watching my own parents complete graduate degrees and then becoming a grad student myself for many years did not prepare me for the life of […]