[Guest Entry from Kelsey Kennedy '12]
When I sat down late last April in front of my computer and went through the process of telling MIT that I would, in fact, be attending their school in the fall, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. MIT is, well, MIT, right? After reading the blogs for years and visiting campus during CPW, I thought I had MIT figured out.
Uhh, yeah.
Not so much.
I mean, reading the blogs and all that certainly helped. There are just a few things I learned this semester that make me wish I had paid a bit more attention when I was warned about them.
1. The weather in Boston is mildly ridiculous.
And when I say "mildly ridiculous," what I actually mean is "incredibly fickle and annoying and COLD."
I remember my parents jokingly asking me to consider Stanford a little bit more seriously so they could visit me in a warmer locale than Boston. Unfortunately for them, I am currently sitting in my room in Simmons, and it's about 22 degrees outside. Ultimately, weather shouldn't make or break your decision!
When I arrived at MIT, I knew it was going to be cold. I had packed my tried-and-true winter gear (a wool coat and an insulated Carhartt jacket) that had kept me warm and toasty back home in Oregon. I remember my first night walking back to Simmons after hosting my radio show at 2:30 AM - I don't think I've ever wanted to get out of the wind more in my life. While my thick, wooly pieces of outerwear had been fine at home, they don't cut it here. There's one reason why: wind. No matter how thick your jacket may be, or how many sweatshirts you have on, they are no match for the terrible wind that whips through Boston and Cambridge. I'm not lying when I say that the best purchase I've made in the last year is a wind-proof jacket from Eastern Mountain Sports. Now, I'm no longer a shivering mass of frozen-ness whenever I go outside. Moral of the story: wind-proof jackets are your friend.
2. You actually need study skills at MIT.
Okay, so this is kind of a given. I just don't pick up on this stuff.
When I was in high school, I was able to get by without actually having to do work. At the time, it felt like I was doing a lot of homework. Looking back, I rarely used any sort of study skills. Little did I know that would come back to haunt me.
Small things add up here. Where you study can make a huge difference, for instance. At the beginning of the semester, I dutifully sat at my desk in my room, or in the study in the hall. After a while, I realized that I was not accomplishing anything - it was far too tempting to just sit and socialize. Eventually I learned that if I went to the library and worked in complete silence for several hours straight, I could actually knock out huge chunks of problem sets in one sitting. I'm not saying that this is the way to go - you certainly have to figure out what works for you. The faster you can determine that, the better off you'll be.
3. A social life is important.
Work-play balance is actually legitimate!
I will admit up front that there were portions of this past semester where I was completely miserable. So miserable that I even uttered the word "transfer" in a phone conversation with my parents. My dad's response was, "... make sure you schedule in some time to have fun." At first, I didn't really listen - I had so many p-sets to finish! After a while, I realized that my dad was on to something. Ice skating, going to the movies, and grabbing lunch or dinner were simple things I started to do with friends that made me dramatically happier. Evidence of this came in many forms: higher p-set grades, increased productivity, never uttering the word "transfer" again, and happier phone calls home. Sometimes, it's too easy to forget that you need to be happy with life in general to be happy with your work, and MIT is a place where this effect seems to be amplified!
Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)
Very informational post though.
Posted by: Navdeep ('13?) on January 4, 2009
Study skills huh? I'll keep that in mind. I usually adapt fast enough.
Weather? Anywhere I go, it's going to be different from the constantly pleasing and highly humid atmosphere in Chennai, India!
Socializing - I'm glad to say, I've figured out that part already from my experience in class 12!
Posted by: Varun on January 4, 2009
Already in a place where temp goes in minus
Study skills--Enough to make me look studious class while partying, surfing n every inch of fun
Socializing----lol
lov to do tat
Hey i fit in all these three-
So when should i be expecting my acceptance letter
Posted by: Ruhban Shah on January 4, 2009
temperatures in bahawlpur never come below 40 degree celcius during the day.
...thought that may I add some warmth to chilly boston:)
by the way during nights in this desert region temperature does fall to 16.
.
.
.
this adds snow to already freezing boston(but makes MIT even more cool indeed!)
Posted by: saad(bahawlpur,paksitan) on January 4, 2009
do you live in kashmir? Jammu or azad?
Posted by: saad(bahawlpur,paksitan0 on January 4, 2009
Posted by: Anonymous on January 4, 2009
I'm not a very good skater, but it's such a cool feeling, especially when the ice is new ^_^
Posted by: deng on January 4, 2009
Posted by: Jesse on January 4, 2009
Posted by: Ruhban Shah on January 4, 2009
even if I don't get in to MIT, I've got some other cold choices.
Posted by: Matt A. on January 4, 2009
I got into MIT EA, and I really like MIT a lot, but I wasn't so sure if I can survive there and still be able to graduate.
Hmm...study skills, wind prooof coats, and more fun....hmm.....that's surely something to ponder for awhile when thinking about MIT. lol
just how much you study per day or what?
Posted by: Sheila on January 4, 2009
I think I need to look into a windproof jacket though.
Posted by: Ilyanep on January 4, 2009
But, I suppose if you're coming from Southern California, you should take a Southern California kid's opinion about the weather, and if you're coming from Chicago, you should take a Chicago kid's opinion, etc. I'd imagine the responses vary from "oh, it's not that bad" to "aaaaah! DEATH!"
p.s. Hi Sheila :D
Posted by: Reena on January 4, 2009
I don't suppose the concept of a snow day still exists at the college level?
Posted by: Kevin on January 4, 2009
Posted by: Paul on January 4, 2009
Posted by: KelseyK '12 on January 4, 2009
Posted by: akhila on January 4, 2009
After running a quick search at wunderground.com I totally understand ur pain! I mean, (3,-7)(2,4)(0,-4)... that's like.. HOLY MOLY cold
about the studying thing, i am quite excited about it.lol. I really look forward to finding new tactics...(if i get in, that is...)
Socializing...that's gonna be one of my favorite parts
Thnx man!
cheers-
Posted by: Suman Barua on January 4, 2009
Posted by: 0 on January 4, 2009
Posted by: MIT'11 on January 4, 2009
Study skills? Like most people at MIT, I don't have to use them in high school. But hearing how important they are just to pass, I've practiced my study skills JUST TO MAKE SURE that I can study. For example, AP Gov was my hardest class last semester, and I always got very low As, and was content since it's the same GPA as regular As, but I buckled down and studied for two tests throughout the year and got 100s on both.
I already utilize many techniques for balancing a healthy, social lifestyle with school and other work... so this isn't a problem for me.
I know it won't be enough, and I still have lots more to learn, but I think I've prepared myself as much for MIT life as anyone can who hasn't gone yet ^.^ There are many other aspects I've spent time thinking about and dealing with, as well.
(PS, hi Snively, sorry I got so many emails sent to you from Facebook XP)
Posted by: Narce on January 4, 2009
Posted by: lives in nw on January 4, 2009
Somewhat related to the "word of warning idea"... I read an extremely upsetting article on Slashdot that mentions MIT. I wanted to know if it's true and if there's another part of the picture, so I wanted to ask you since I'm sure you'll give an honest response.
Here's the quote I'm referring to:
"Working as a NASA intern, grad student Erez Lieberman had a eureka moment, resulting in an algorithm that detects whether a person is standing correctly or is off balance. Unfortunately, MIT liked it so much they decided to patent it. Seeking permission to use his own idea for his iShoe startup, which develops products like insoles to address the problems of seniors, Lieberman was told no problem — as long as he promised a hefty royalty and forked over a $75,000 upfront payment."
Should I expect this kind of behavior from MIT if I am eventually offered admission? Needless to say this is very discouraging.
Posted by: 0 on January 4, 2009
I wholeheartedly agree
Posted by: Snively on January 4, 2009
There was probably a bit more to it than that, but yes, that sounds about right.
When I looked into getting a patent through MIT the terms were pretty straightforward. They get a huge chunk of everything you earn but will file the patent and do all of the legal work for you. More than likely, the iShoe startup idea came from research he was doing at MIT and, therefore, they had the rights to it.
Again, there's more to it, but MIT is very protective of what it owns. Intellectual property here is a business.
Posted by: Snively on January 4, 2009
Gasp..
Posted by: Cody (the guy who you sent a GAMIT book to ..haha) on January 4, 2009
You talked about a lot of things that are concerning me.
1. Weather - If I were to get into Stanford, I'd be given the choice between sunny perfection and the conditions you described above. D: I'm from Houston, which is I guess, to heat and humidity what Boston is to cold. You said the weather shouldn't be a huge factor in the end, but has any ever--I dunno--hated MIT simply because it was too cold?
2. Studying - Gaaaah. I've been told studying in groups is the way to do PSETs? Or does this depend on the subject and person? I really love studying and groups, but now I'm afraid I won't get anything done.
3. I'm glad fun is required!
Posted by: 0 on January 4, 2009
Posted by: Nicole '10 on January 4, 2009
Posted by: 0 on January 4, 2009
@ Anonymous that recognizes who wrote the post:
1. I can't say I've met anyone who hates it here because of the cold. In fact, a lot of my friends are from Texas or the warm parts of California. In the end, if you really want to be at MIT, you'll just deal with the weather.
2. How you study really depends on the person. A lot of people I know work in groups, but I can get really chatty so I have to make sure I do the bulk of my p-set alone. You definitely decide how you work!
@ Nicole '10: thanks.
Posted by: KelseyK '12 on January 4, 2009
Posted by: Gerardo Enriquez '13 Hopefully on January 4, 2009
Posted by: Person on January 4, 2009
Posted by: Chris on January 4, 2009
Posted by: a on January 4, 2009
I would never consider living anywhere that doesn't have four seasons.
Posted by: Kelly ('13 Hopeful) on January 4, 2009
Every person is different, every person will have a different set of things that throw him/her off
Posted by: Anonymous on January 5, 2009
Great advices, thanks!
Posted by: 0 on January 5, 2009
Posted by: 0 on January 5, 2009
Currently living in Singapore, I think, like many others, a four season climate is really neccessary in life.
Posted by: Banerjee on January 5, 2009
Posted by: Zak on January 5, 2009
Posted by: Ahana on January 5, 2009
Posted by: Dimitris(hopefully class of 2015) on January 5, 2009
please do comment!
Posted by: saad(bahawlpur,pakistan) on January 5, 2009
What are some of your personal best study tips? I'm not a genius, I work myself to the bone to do well and wish there was more time for sleep.
Posted by: '13 deferred on January 5, 2009
Posted by: milena '11 on January 5, 2009
even if it is bad, I guess it's worth it.
Posted by: zhiren on January 6, 2009
I was the first person to comment on this blog, but somehow somebody has removed my post for some reason. I didn't except that person to be so rude/mean.
*CRIES*
*CRIES*
*CRIES*
Posted by: 0 on January 6, 2009
Maybe your post did not go through, or an administrator is very competitive.
@13 deferred, everyone has there own study habits, read the thing through again, have fun
Posted by: Charlie on January 6, 2009
Posted by: saad(bahawlpur,pakistan) on January 6, 2009
I need to consider this social life seriously oh.
I got study skills for every place as long as its quiet
Posted by: arims on January 6, 2009
Posted by: Eric on January 6, 2009
e.g.
-Open blog-
"Caution"
-end blog-
Posted by: 0 on January 6, 2009
Posted by: Florida on January 7, 2009
I now want to get to MIT even more.
Posted by: 0 on January 8, 2009
Posted by: Northern-ontario on January 8, 2009
Posted by: AK on January 9, 2009
wonderful post....m loving it........
jst waitin 4 the day for my acceptance letters to arrive......!!
Posted by: SRV on January 10, 2009
The wind can't be that bad?
Posted by: Ashwin on January 10, 2009
Do I need to enroll myself in the MyMit account as well?
Posted by: AK on January 10, 2009
So, I know we're on the debate team together, but since I don't know Kelsey that well, I think I can say that I read this as an impartial arbiter. Yes, I know big words and I go to MIT--that's not a fallacious statement.
Where is this leading? Well, I think my prodigious vocabulary suggests what a command of the English language I have. And I do command it. I am quite authoritative. But what's important here is not my massive skills at maneuvering those words right where I want them. It's KELSEY KENNEDY'S skills. (She is a Kennedy, after all. Shouldn't that alone explain it?)
Can I please be you, Kelsey? And go to MIT? Oh, wait, I do go to MIT. Why do I want to be you? Because you should be a blogger and I wish I were that good.
I've read the other blogs and never felt as connected to those bloggers as I do to you. I totally agree about the jacket thing. Although I would like to add, that they should also be WATER-PROOF rather than water-soluble. Or water-soggy. Yes, I go to MIT. I know about solubility.
Alright, so I have something to say to the powers that be. Why is Kelsey a guest? She should be a permanent resident. Not just of MIT. But of the MIT admissions blogs. Why, you ask? Because I bet a lot of people can relate to her. Especially the debate freaks and word freaks and humanities freaks--and the normal people who also enjoy those fun subjects. I don't even think this will accomplish anything, but I wish it would. I just want my admiration for Kelsey and her writing to be made public. You should hire her.
Also... My email is dgorman@mit.edu. I go here. Email me if you want me to prove it.
Posted by: Danielle Gorman on January 24, 2009
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