Anna H. '14
Jun 15 2013
Summer Decisions
Posted in: Miscellaneous, Academics & Research
As promised, I finished my post about deciding what to do this summer. Disclaimer that I haven't slept in 22 hours.
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Last summer, a life plan took shape: get a master's in Science Writing from MIT and a Ph.D. in astronomy from Somewhere, then barrel full steam ahead down the relatively unexplored intersection of science research and public outreach.
Before the summer started, I had planned to become a neurologist. I knew a lot about medical school: about the application process, about what makes a competitive applicant, about what medical schools are looking for, the requirements, etc.
I knew nothing about graduate school. As I began to realize that this was what I wanted to do, I discussed the process with my mentor, my fellow interns, and the other astronomers in the building. At the conference in January, I talked with a few MIT alums, as well as Random Astronomers I Stopped In The Hallway.
Everyone said: your grades matter, but aren't the most important part of your... read the post »
Jun 15 2013
I’m sitting on a bus
Posted in: Miscellaneous
Getting from London (England) to Charlottesville (Virginia) is much easier said than done.
I woke up (well, my mom woke me up) at around 7am, for an 11:15am flight. I made it in plenty of time. Got on the plane, sat down next to a kindly elderly British woman with a posh accent…and woke up an hour later, to find us in the air. Realized that I slept through take-off, which is disappointing since I always enjoy take-off.
Seven hours, much GRE studying, one grant proposal draft, one edible lunch, and one inedible snack later, the plane began its descent. Lower, lower, lower, lower, and the tarmac rose to meet us, until WHOOSH. The nose of the plane turned up, and we took off into the sky again.
I nearly threw up. A woman across the aisle from me DID throw up: whether from terror or from motion sickness, or both, I don't know. I was certainly sympathetic to both. I was suddenly very conscious of the fact that I was sitting in a little metal box, up in the air, with a bunch of... read the post »
May 25 2013
Summer begins
Posted in: Miscellaneous
May 11 2013
A last-minute barbecue for hundreds of people
Posted in: Miscellaneous, Life & Culture
Last month, tragedy hit MIT.
That week was chaotic and emotional. Rhythms were broken, routine thrown for a loop (or many loops), and I spent way more time in my dorm than usual. Sean Collier's memorial service was scheduled for Wednesday, and classes were cancelled in anticipation of security craziness and what would inevitably be a very emotionally difficult day. Events had unravelled very quickly; we found out on Tuesday that Wednesday's classes would be cancelled, and student organizations immediately jumped into action. Early in the morning, dorm presidents (like me) received an e-mail from the Undergraduate Association (MIT's student government) asking if we wanted to host a community barbecue in our dormitory. I sent out a few e-mails to gauge interests, then replied "yes." At a meeting that evening, I found out that "host a community barbecue at 5pm tomorrow" meant "have 520 hamburgers, 68 dogs, a corresponding number of buns, and a bag of charcoal delivered, and have a... read the post »
May 4 2013
MIT HSSP and Stanford Splash!
Posted in: Miscellaneous, Life & Culture
At MIT, I've taught for two Splashes, three Sparks, and two HSSPs. My classes have evolved with my interests:
- Spark (Spring 2011): Rockets and Composites (how rockets are designed and built)
- Splash (Fall 2011): Senses and Sense-abilities (the neuroscience behind the five senses)
- HSSP (Spring 2012): Introduction to Cosmology
- Splash (Fall 2012): Introduction to Radio Astronomy, Introduction to Pulsars
- Spark (Spring 2013): Introduction to Radio Astronomy, Introduction to Pulsars
- HSSP (Spring 2013): The Evolution of Our Scientific Answers to Seven Fundamental Questions
MIT is not the only school with Splashes. It does have the biggest Splash, but Stanford has the second largest, with over 1800 students taking classes from Stanford students. Yale, Columbia, Duke, Rice, Boston College, Clark University, Princeton, U. Chicago, all have Splashes (and those are just the ones I'm aware of.) We want Splash programs to learn from each other, so we send... read the post »