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MIT student blogger Chris M. '12

About Tomorrow by Chris M. '12

Good Luck Tomorrow!

So we all know what tomorrow is, and we’re all excited about it. Honestly pi day is pretty awesome, but that other thing that’s going on will be occupying many of your minds, and so I’d like to offer some brief thoughts having been there. Take them, leave them, this:

1. Not everyone wants to come here.
I know, I know, right? It’s true though. I know if I were you and someone said that to me, I’d probably have ignored them and said something like “yeah maybe YOU don’t, but I definitely do!” But hopefully you’re not like me, and will be willing to give it some thought. I only truly realized that some people would honestly be miserable here after I started last semester. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love this place, it’s perfect for me, but I definitely understand how people can be miserable here. If it’s not for you, it doesn’t make you any less of a person, or limit the things you can do. You owe it to yourself to find the place that makes you happiest. After all, it’s YOUR college experience, no one else. Not your parents, not your friends, yours. Go where you think you’ll be happiest.

2.In one year, a lot will be different
I can pretty much promise you that. Those who aren’t offered admission won’t be upset, those who were won’t be overwhelmed with joy, it’ll be a part of your life that you accept and move on with. Getting into college is a big deal, but it’s not the goal. It’s the beginning. Enjoy the last few months of high school as much as you can, a ton of stuff is going to happen in the next few months, and you’ll want to remember it fondly. Life moves fast around this time. I can hardly believe how much has changed in just one short year.

I’ve also got some quotes that I pulled up and read before I looked at my decision, in order to prepare me for the statistically favorable. Maybe you’ll find them as inspiring and soothing as I did:

“Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you.”
~ Aldous Huxley

“It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: “And this, too, shall pass away.””
~ Abraham Lincoln

“When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.”
~ Unknown

“Instead of giving myself reasons why I can’t, I give myself reasons why I can.”
~ Unknown

“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”
~ Alexander Graham Bell

“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. ”
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

“If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down. ”
~ Mary Pickford

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.”
~ Richard Bach

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”
~Japanese Proverb

“If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again. ”
~ Flavia Weedn

“The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning. ”
~ Ivy Baker Priest

“One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better.”
~ Col. Harland Sanders

I know that tomorrow is a big day for all of you. Enjoy it, if you have questions or need someone to talk to, feel free to shoot me an email.

I wish you all the best. Wake up tomorrow and chase your dreams.

100 responses to “About Tomorrow”

  1. Abdallah ?13 says:

    Hi best of luck to everyone
    Definitly MIT is the best place to be during your undergraduate years and I hope I will have the opportunity to be there in September
    God be with us
    Admitted God willing
    Any one here from Egypt or Middle-East?
    And happy Pi day to you all

  2. Anonymous says:

    i think im gonna puke wid the tension…

  3. erik says:

    Abdallah! Live in dubai at the moment, I love the middle east :D bit to warm for my liking though :D
    inshallah you will be accepted! good luck!

  4. ShutUp says:

    PEOPLE. GET OFF THIS FOR 5 HOURS. IT WON’T KILL YOU. JEEZ :—–
    COMMENT:
    AUTHOR: Anonymous
    EMAIL:
    IP: 75.192.189.220
    URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymity
    DATE: 03/14/2009 09:43:02 AM
    COMMENT_BODY:
    4 hours and 17 minutes left.
    It is amazing how there exist so many little moments that can change your life and the course of history.
    Good luck to all applicants! My fingers are crossed!

  5. Anonymous says:

    we’ll see.

    anyways, I see 2 doors in front of me. so, whatever will happen, I have an emergency exit, which is in both cases pretty amazing!

  6. erik says:

    hey shutup! what is your problem?! people are excited about this and its not like anyone is forcing you to read this! I think you should be quiet and let people talk about this as it is important for all of us!

  7. Anshul says:

    Hey everybody… Just wanted to wish you guys luck:)
    Remember everything’s OK in the end-If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.

  8. sarli says:

    “I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.”
    -General Patton

  9. comboy says:

    i don’t know why i’m reading – you can change the life and the course of history in every little moments

    also i’m reading – in the end-if it’s ok, it’s not the end

  10. Hello abbdallah iam from egypt. best luck for all any physics lover must be proud that he is a good mind

  11. comboy says:

    if you have not celebrated the pi minute yet, one or more of the following things are correct:

    you will celebrate after pi minute in MIT because you’re more than 5 hours behind GMT
    you are in south america
    you’ll celebrate in atlantic ocean
    you will celebrate next year

    “Pi Minute is also sometimes celebrated on March 14 at 1:59 p.m”

    above text is from wikipedia which you may access through today’s MIT homepage spotlight, there’s nothing about time zone in it, so pi minute in Cambridge doesn’t mean is pi minute all over the place. please swim in atlantic right now, or you may have celebrated like me and called your sister who was 1 hour ahead of your time zone

  12. Anonymous says:

    What about Pi second?

  13. comboy says:

    announcement: ten days bonus for those who are not in south America – December 21, if you can’t swim now, go to china 355/113

    before clicking on the link in wikipedia take a look at pies which were cooked and eaten (?) in MIT and also captured by a Nickon camera and downloaded and set as background in my opensolaris usable,stable,accessible gnome desktop environment since this morning. ahh, mit.edu is my homepage

    july 22 is a Day, why they didn’t eat the pies before “Date Taken: 2005:03:14 22:32:03” did they eat them after 10:32 pm?

  14. Kaizad R. says:

    THREE more hours :| *runs around in circles*

    Thanks for that Chris. Much appreciated.

  15. Anonymous says:

    @13 Hopeful:
    Anonymous is a great, overwhelming, omnipresent, everlasting being. Being the only one of its type and of its level, it tends to get bored and thus starts talking to itself.

    And to all of you worried about 1:59, this advice has worked for me:
    Take it easy
    Take it easy
    Everybody’s got something to hide, except for me and my monkey.
    -John Lennon

  16. waiting mom says:

    I think I’ll make a pie for my son, so he will definitely have some good news on pi day

  17. Kaizad R. says:

    Hey Erik, I live in Dubai too. Which school you in?

    I’m going to go buy some rejection-pie. Blueberry perhaps. And then bribe the Adcoms with it mwahaha!

  18. “”When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”
    ~ Alexander Graham Bell”

    This door has “U of Minnesota Institute of Technology” wriiten on it!

  19. Saku says:

    /teary eyes >.>

  20. Saif says:

    less than 3 hrs now!

  21. comboy says:

    [quoted and tagged by hand]

    Everybody’s got something to hide, except for me and my monkey.
    -John Lennon

    [/quoted and tagged by hand]

    Don’t swap them under the rug
    – Donald Sadoway, well Ernest Rutherford

    i don’t really know was it Ernest talking to Joseph or Donald talking to 400+200 stewdents.
    still no sound in solaris, i may read transcripts instead of watching videos. i just left windows a few days ago because IHTFW or IHTFBG or IHTFMS

  22. Elena says:

    almost first…

  23. Shahla says:

    almost almost first…

  24. Shahla says:

    Very inspiring quotes, i should say

  25. Brett '13? says:

    thanks for the quotes and for the pep talk Chris. you’re right, whatever happens happens, and for the best. so, hopefully MIT is the best for me…good luck all! maybe i’ll see you in the fall, and if not, then i can hang onto the t-shirt for grad school wink

  26. Anonymous says:

    hey Kaizad! :D
    I go to the Emirates international school in jumeirah, do the IB programme there, how about you? good luck, hope to see you in september! :D

  27. Hamza Sheikh says:

    last…now no more posts hahaha

  28. Elena says:

    I’m so excited for tomorrow.. all win situations.
    admission- yay! obviously
    deferred- i’m flattered that mit thinks i could come, if others dont. thanks
    rejected- finally, lets just get this sucker over with so i can enjoy my break and throw myself full-heartedly into my other acceptances.
    thanks so much to everybody. you guys are awesome!

  29. It’s 5:44 PM in Bulgaria now. I have to wait until 7:59 PM. It was a long day…

  30. Kaizad R. says:

    hey Anon,
    I go to Dubai Gem Private School, a-levels (and one AP) haha.
    Good luck to you too.

  31. anonymous says:

    zomgomgomg 14 hours

    if i get in woooooooooooo
    if i don’t i’m still using OCW lectures. so helpful!
    buena suerte a todos

  32. anonymous says:

    zomgomgomg 14 hours

    if i get in woooooooooooo
    if i don’t i’m still using OCW lectures. so helpful!
    buena suerte a todos

    lovely quotes. calms me a bit, but still so excited!

  33. Erik says:

    hehe sorry kaizad, forgot to put erik raspberry
    how is a-levels?

  34. Anonymous says:

    wow multiple post fail

  35. Anonymous says:

    inspiring quotes. thanks chris.

  36. Shirley Poon says:

    good luck to you guys.ha~~ counting down

  37. Oh wow. 14 hours. That’s crazy. My countdown started at 90 days. and on Pi Day. Too weird.

    Good luck to everyone, especially to all the EA applicants who have waited so long.

    Today is the day! :D

  38. Kaizad R. says:

    It’s not bad, has its random hard bits but its well paced out.
    I’ve heard IB is hell-esque?

  39. Ksl says:

    “When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.”
    ~ Unknown

    I like that one the best.

  40. Garion says:

    Thanks for the post Chris. I just wish that I had been notified of a couple of awesome merits that would have looked great on an application in time to put them in the mix (namely National Merit Finalist and Presidential Scholars Program Candidate) This is the only college that I really have a passion to attend, so I’ve been a nervous wreck all day, but have my fingers crossed. Here’s to the final two hours!

  41. Jesse says:

    @ Kaizad R.

    Yep, going through IB right now and it sure is hell, thank God it is coming to an end…

  42. Wow what a mood i’m in. I just went from laughing histerically at Yann’s post, to singing the Nano song, to crying at yours. I’m not sad (jeeze i don’t hink so anyway, too tired to know really). They’re really inspiring. Thank you!

    I worked hard, there’s nothing i could or would change if i had the opportunity. What happens happens and either way, i know my life will be different by tomorrow. I hope i get it so badly. Good luck to all!

    And by the way it is OFFICIALLY PI DAY! Woo hoo! *throws on her awesome pi shirt* yeah! That’s what i made last night when i was thinking about this and couldn’t sleep!

  43. Hmmm….

    Good preparation for the D – Day….I know that it does not matter from where you do your studies but how you do them…

    Still, I want to roam the Infinite Corridor as an undergrad….

    Best of Luck to all those who would be my classmates (!)

  44. Anonymous says:

    Another encouraging post for the last 2hrs 42minutes ????

  45. And,

    I just got informed that I have made it to the National Team for the upcoming 2009 International Physics Olympiad (IPhO)…..

    But my fate has already been written…..

    It does not matter to the admissions comittee anymore whether I would be representing my country in the biggest and the most prestigious physics competition in the world….

    Still 6000 seconds to go….

  46. Varun says:

    I liked all those quotes but my favourite was Richard Bach’s. Thanks a bunch Chris! I know I have the slimmest chance of making it and I’m holding on but I am well prepared to see a rejection letter.

  47. Vikash Patel says:

    I am sorry, but MIT is the only college in the world I wish to go to. I hope to GOD I get into MIT.

  48. Brett '13? says:

    I wish they posted the admission decisions earlier. I have to go to work at 2 and can’t leave until 7:30; my dad won’t let me go in late to see my admission decision before I leave- the longest 5 1/2 hours of my life to come, oy vey!

    Again everyone, good luck, and hopefully we can all meet at convocation! =D

  49. aidan says:

    13 and a half hours more. Happy Pi Day! smile

    @Chris: Great post!

    The wait is actually getting on my nerves! I need to do something to calm down. Perhaps relaxing music

  50. Vale says:

    @Chris> you are so nice!!!

  51. Kevin '12 says:

    Good luck everyone!

  52. good luck pplz! i’m up next year. smile

  53. Can’t write anything !….

    4920 seconds to go …. !

  54. Anonymous says:

    The quotes are a bit negative =P

  55. @Vikash Patel
    I agree completely.

  56. shemi says:

    and yes this are the longest 59 minutes of my life. i hate waiting…… /m/

  57. Anonymous says:

    It is nearly 1 am in my place now. Counting down till 2 in the morning.

    Good luck (I need lots of it)people!!

  58. darkblue303 says:

    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

    Can’t wait for tomorrow!!!!!

    *so sosososososooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo anxious.*

  59. Danny '12 says:

    Best of luck everyone. You can do it.

  60. Kiwi says:

    This was a great post. I actually used the FDR is a college essay.

    Thanks for the encouragment/advice/words of wisdom (I’m not entirely sure what to call it). Tomorrow will be tough, but whatever happens will happen.

  61. deng says:

    thanks for the reminding us of sanity, chris xD

  62. Thamine says:

    Tomorrow is like any other day. I’m gonna relax and take it easy. May good luck be with you all.

  63. Lora says:

    I feel you, Chris. Thank you for that.

    (12 hrs to go)

  64. Anonymous says:

    thank you for this

  65. Tree says:

    Aww thanks Chris!

    I love this one:

    “When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.”
    ~ Unknown

  66. Joey says:

    May the Pi be with you. Mmmm…Pi…

  67. Anonymous says:

    Are applicants who are currently taking a gap year at a disadvantage?

  68. Ahana says:

    I never wanted today to come. And now I just want today to be over. But I still can’t believe in a few hours I won’t be prefrosh any more.
    Thanks for the motivation, Chris!

  69. akhila says:

    Thanks a lot for the inspiring post Chris. Really, I am such a state where I m unable to find out the right words for expression of feelings !! That was a long sentence. But Thanks once again.

  70. anonymous says:

    11 hours 22 minutes !!!

  71. Anonymous says:

    Are applicants who are currently taking a gap year at a disadvantage?

  72. Anonymous says:

    @Anonymous

    I suppose you’ll find out soon enough…Good luck!

  73. Manya says:

    “”When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”
    ~ Alexander Graham Bell”

    I LOVE that one. It makes a lot of sense. grin

  74. Anonymous says:

    @anonymous
    Where are you from?

  75. Sean'14? says:

    Good luck everyone. I can’t imagine what sort of state I’ll be in when I’m in your shoes.

  76. '13 Hopeful says:

    Man…Anonymous sure likes to talk to itself a lot.

  77. Anonymous says:

    thats bcoz Anonymous is everywhere.

  78. Anonymous says:

    i m dead almost.. waiting for a new life…

  79. Tanmay '12 says:

    Good luck everyone!

    I remember myself on this website a year ago… feeling exactly the way you guys are feeling right now. Really, time flies.

  80. Anonymous says:

    I think this quotes just tell to most of us – “Forget MIT” smile

  81. Anonymous says:

    must be “these quotes” … but indeed, you are right

  82. Ron says:

    As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – that is the myth of the atomic age – as in being able to remake ourselves. – Gandhi

    Whatever happens today – it is a start not a finish.

  83. Victor says:

    Thanks Chris, for the quotes.

  84. OutofAfrica says:

    “when the gods want to punish you, they answer your prayers”

  85. Yomna says:

    Thanks for the support Chris!

  86. shemi says:

    so we have about 7 hrs to go, its 6:30 am and i havent slept yet, and i probably wont until the end of the day. i cant wait, and i really hope i get in, if not at least wait listed and hopefully if this is the case this year MIT will take many students. Good Luck to all. i will try to “move on” if i dont get accepted but i know its hard specially if you want this as bad as i want it.

    best wishes…..

  87. erik says:

    wow, this stinks 7 hours 24 minutes :(
    sigggghhhhh, might as well study, much more enjoyable than this XD

  88. comboy says:

    I called my sister about half an hour ago, pi minute was a few minutes ago in her time region.

  89. comboy says:

    i don’t have my pistol ready to shoot you an email

    here’s my bullet:
    there’s v in love, love is all v, vv are all in love

    Massachvsetts Institvte of Technology

  90. Sara says:

    Thanks for the quotes , best way to learn from life.

  91. fouadalnoor says:

    Ok guys, 7 hours and 53 mins left.

    Right, Today is like any other day, we are all very intelligent students and we are all MIT students. The only reason that MIT will not accept us is because they do not have enough chairs for us, but it does not mean that we are not MIT students.

    Even if we go to other colleges, we will still be the same people, therefore we will still be MIT
    students.

    Remember guys, remember the reason that we all want to go to MIT is to benefit the world. It is to do as much good as we possible can in our little life times and this will never change.

    If I am rejected I will take that as a sign that University of Southampton (UK) is the right place for me.

    If I am accepted then MIT (obviously) is the right place for me.

    This decision will not change anything, it will simply point me to the path I need to take to change the world.

    And it will do the same to all of you.

    Hopefully I haven’t bored you, and good luck to you all!

  92. comboy says:

    it’s 1:20 pm in my time region,
    on-campus dorm
    physics and math department are both in art and science
    art and science department is not very big and it’s close
    i am going to wear my clothes

  93. erik says:

    you’re not cracking up are you comboy? raspberry
    I think most people wear their clothes!
    deep breaths…over soon!! raspberry

  94. Jessica G says:

    You know, these quotations were extremely helpful smile

    I’ve been waiting since the end of December for this decision and I’ve let it consume me quite a bit. At this point, while I am tired of waiting, you are completely right-there is always going to be somewhere for me to go where I can get a wonderful education.

    My fingers are crossed for acceptance, but if not…MIT will always be around :D

  95. shemi says:

    so is still killing me, 6hrs to go and im going crazy, i still havent slept and i have done way to much hw in the last 24hrs and that hasnt worked very well, as you can see. i am writing.

    this really stinks i cant even fall asleep.

    good luck

    and thanks for the quotes and let destiny take its course, you can always re apply and if you are like me, i will be moving to Boston anyway so i will be right around the corner and Mendel knows that i will re apply if i dont get accepted this year.

    i hope i didnt bother you with my personal frustration, but i hate waiting and i just want to be done with this

  96. today is the day to be or to be it is just a step if yes then it is great if not may be another way to your goals would be available and as they say all roads lead to rome

  97. comboy says:

    department:
    first door closed, second door closed, third door near green wooden bench open

    i knocked 6 doors closed, seven door was not the office in math or physics department it was office no 314 closed, then i knocked 313 (fall seven times, stand up eight) closed.

    sunny day, wearing a sweater with a t-shirt under. so full of nobody the department was. i took out the sweater at 1:59. for 3 minutes and 14 seconds just t-shirt. i took the t-shirt off and wear the blue sweater again. now i’m back room sending this text via opensolaris

    no one could see or hear me, while being half-naked (t-shirt should not melt in sweat) or making a phone call.