Blog

Learn to Swim

Learn to Swim

One of the many free PE classes offered at MIT

June 24, 2019 | Shashank A.

I was brought up in places far from lakes and rivers. The non-availability of swimming facilities in my high school and college led to my inability to learn to swim until I joined MIT as a graduate student. Here at MIT, however, the presence of Charles River right next to the campus inspired me to […]

Get out of the Lab and See the World!

Get out of the Lab and See the World!

Why traveling – especially solo – is perfect for PhD students

June 24, 2019 | Ally H.

Last September, I anxiously stood in front of my thesis committee, waiting for them to comment on my graduation timeline. To my surprise, not only did they say I could graduate soon, but they even suggested a date — May 2019! My initial reaction was the urge to go climb a rooftop and shout the […]

Going Through a Breakup

Going Through a Breakup

How work and friends helped me (somewhat) regain my inner balance

June 17, 2019 | Anna I.

I came back to Boston after a month of traveling to find out that my boyfriend and I had fallen out of love. After an ever-difficult conversation during a rainy September night, I was faced with the necessity to adjust to my “single” relationship status while staying on top of my responsibilities as a graduate […]

Girly

Girly

What a scientist should look like

June 17, 2019 | Alyssa R.

“Let us choose for ourselves our path in life, and let us try to strew that path with flowers.” – Emilie du Chatelet, Physicist I love dresses and bows, face masks and makeup. When I get ready for a day in lab, I avoid it all. It’s my first semester at MIT, and I wear a […]

Explain the MIT Undergrads to Me

Explain the MIT Undergrads to Me

There’s a totally rational reason for the madness, I promise

June 10, 2019 | Erika A.

As a newly arrived graduate student at MIT, you may have noticed that the undergrads are a bit… crazy. Don’t worry, I’m your local neighborhood undergrad-whisperer, and I’m here to help. As a current Graduate Resident Advisor (GRA) at the East Campus undergraduate dorm and a former crazy undergrad myself at Caltech, I have a […]