This goes out to all of you waiting on tenterhooks for decisions to come out in a couple of days (I love the word "tenterhooks." It's amazing.). These are just a few small ideas - I know you can think of others tailored to your interests. And share those! They're probably awesome!
-Sleep. As second-semester seniors, you should have become well-acquainted with this sometime around January. (Um, I mean, I SAID NOTHING YOU ARE ALL BEING DILIGENT STUDENTS FROM NOW UNTIL GRADUATION)
-If you have a ton of free time on your hands, learn ozonolysis. Oh man, was that a meta-metapost? It's gonna be a good day. Speaking of, why do people shorten "organic chemistry" to "orgo"? Does Inorganic Chemistry (all the cool kids are calling it 5.03 these days) ever get shortened to "Inorgo"? I hope not, because that sounds really, really silly.
What was I saying? Oh. Right. More things you can do between now and Saturday afternoon:
-Buy really cool brain-related t-shirts on the Internet. Now you too can declare your nerdiness on your chest for the viewing pleasure of small children and passersby.
-Sleep.
--Also, DON'T PANIC. You're scaring your family. (Thank them for the last couple of months, by the way. College application time causes tons of stress for everyone.)
---On that "DON'T PANIC" note, read (or reread, if you've already made your way through it) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Similar to gateway drugs, this book is the first step before reaching a level of sci-fi hardcore known only to a select few. Next comes Neuromancer and Battlestar Galactica, and then you're on to the very depths of obscurity. If you find yourself living every waking moment in fear that you're really a cylon, all hope is lost.
-If reading science fiction isn't for you, you can always read a newspaper. Any newspaper. Something that isn't centered on the United States, even. Anything at all. Ignore any of those "RECORD NUMBER OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS APPLYING TO COLLEGE" articles, as they will only lead to panic, and we just discussed how you aren't allowed to do that.
-Leave a comment on the blogs that displays more than just your knowledge of ordinal numbers. (This one is really just in here to see how many of you will even read the post before commenting. Substance! Give it to us! Tell us stories!)
-Discover new music. Once you've done so, get all statistics-happy about it.
-Learn to knit! Don't be as bad at it as I am.
-If you do get in, don't get all self-righteous about it. You're fantastic and all, but you too were sitting in your desk chair full of self-doubt and convincing yourself that you weren't good enough to get in before you checked online, and your friends and family all know it because you probably went ahead and panicked a lot anyway. Worse than the "none of the fifteen colleges I applied to will take me because I suck at life!" guy is when he turns into the "I knew I'd get into fill-in-the-blank University all along!" guy. Don't do it.
For more things to do, check out a post Jess made a while back. She's better at this kind of thing than I am. Can't say I didn't try.
The best of luck to applicants on Saturday!
Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)
Posted by: coref on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Someone Who Read The Post on March 13, 2008
Posted by: KaYnaR on March 13, 2008
Posted by: tridib on March 13, 2008
To be added to the list:
DISCOVER THE RANDOM BUTTON ON XKCD. Best time-sink ever. Unless you already have all the xkcd comics memorized....
Posted by: Lauren on March 13, 2008
I really am running out of ways to pass the time! Lets see....
-I'v forced myself to sleep 11 hours in the past 24...
-I learnt how to make the protein strands floating around inside my eyes trace the shape "Pi" by wiggling them around...don't tell me you've never played around with them! I know you have!
-Discovered a humble side to myself after getting into Caltech..
-Watched "Good Will Hunting"....twice the past three days
-read half of "the split second"...and then realized that fiction wasn't helping.
-Completed "God of War" on my PSP....getting used to Virtual Tennis Pro now...its awesome!
-Thought about decisions!
-Thought about decisions!
-Still thinking....
Thanks for this entry! Though knitting isn't really for me, I think I missed the newspapers....^^
Posted by: Nihar on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Aamir on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Binga on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Binga on March 13, 2008
i guess sleeping would solve the problem only if it was continuous until the moment the decisions are released. Other than that if only we could sleep, because are mind is both excited and nervous.
anyways, for those who will get admitted they will find plenty of time to sleep in the coming months just to store their energy when they go to MITbecause at that time sleeping will be something high in demand.
Good luck to everyone.
Posted by: Abdullah on March 13, 2008
Are you Mr Nilekani's son?
I googled you!
here's another way to pass time.
Posted by: saira on March 13, 2008
Good luck to everyone. Seriously, we all deserve to chillax..
woooooooooooosah
chill
listen to chill music
(like Let Me by Sergio Mendes)
CHILL
need I say more?
lol
Posted by: Javie on March 13, 2008
If you do the above, try flying a F-14 without any weapons in an air combat against F-22s and F-16s for 15 minutes. And tell me if you are able to do this one!
Posted by: Tanmay on March 13, 2008
But thanks.
Posted by: Adam M. on March 13, 2008
Anyone else going to see 21 when it comes out?
Posted by: Anon on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Libin Daniel on March 13, 2008
http://storyofstuff.com/
(but don't believe every word, necessarily)
Posted by: Constantin on March 13, 2008
I'm going to start with brunch with a friend, and just keep myself busy. maybe catch "Be Kind Rewind" (was it any good?).
I hope to only get home sometime in the afternoon so I've had a full day to relax before I meet whatever awaits me behind that login.
Good luck to everyone! Just think..someone has to get in, right? So don't worry about it.
Posted by: K. Umezawa on March 13, 2008
At what time is the admission desition is going to be at MyMIT??
Posted by: Al on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Vytautas on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Chris B. '12 on March 13, 2008
Work until you forget about decisions coming out :D I nearly forgot about it because I was so into my Biology homework, but then Keri just posted, so I remembered :(
Posted by: Reg on March 13, 2008
Posted by: 0 on March 13, 2008
Posted by: anon on March 13, 2008
Posted by: igna on March 13, 2008
http://www.sadena.com/hh/
As for ozonolysis...I think most of the people in India are more than familiar with that. We had it in our class XII chemistry course.
And II need to thank MIT for giving us a specifiic date and time. I got a letter of regret from Caltech..at 4:00 in the morning..
Posted by: Aditya on March 13, 2008
My name is Nihar Sharma. Im an Indian from Indonesia. AND by NO means a sure in!!
Posted by: Nihar Sharma! on March 13, 2008
first.... WHICHEVERTH!
All the lists of 'things to do' are missing one major point: "program computers till you drop".
Personally, I can't even get excited about decisions because I'm too busy playing Fire Emblem and worrying about getting GNU RPGE 0.0.1 ready for release around the time the decisions are posted....Well, guess it keeps my mind off my weak application.
Now.. back to that work on GNU.
~A GNU Maintainer and yet another worrying prospective.
Posted by: Prospective '12/GNU RPGE Maintainer on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on March 13, 2008
Just think, less than 45 hours until decisions come out. I'm partial to playing portal to pass the time, but everyone has their own preferences.
Posted by: Anon/ Hopeful '12 on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Chris on March 13, 2008
#34 .. I know cardinal numbers!!
Posted by: donaldGuy '12 on March 13, 2008
Posted by: 0 on March 13, 2008
Posted by: HappilyNerdy88 on March 13, 2008
Good luck to everyone waiting for Saturday! I hope you get whatever is best for you, only a few more hours to go.
Posted by: 0 on March 13, 2008
Posted by: OmarA. on March 13, 2008
read every one. yup, the archives and voting pages too. i promise they'll help.
good luck to everyone waiting!
^-^
Posted by: MiniPocketsized on March 13, 2008
LOL i love neuroscience :D
Posted by: maithreyi on March 13, 2008
Not to say that I'm not excited or anything... :D
Posted by: KelseyK on March 13, 2008
Posted by: 0 on March 13, 2008
Absolutely. Freaking. Amazing.
Posted by: Paul on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Daivd on March 13, 2008
Any good suggestion for the movies?
Posted by: bgao2 on March 13, 2008
Also, sleep is amazing. I mean, what? I'm not trying to get seven hours of sleep a night or anything. I am too dedicated to sacrifice that kind of time.
Posted by: Kate on March 13, 2008
Try Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, V for Vendetta, The Bourne Series (any will do), or Hot Fuzz. If you are talking about a cinema movie then do not see 10000 BC. It is not worth the money.
Yeah, this is pretty much a list of my favorite movies that I can think of.
Posted by: movie addict on March 13, 2008
Portal is a good idea
Posted by: portal addict on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Ben on March 13, 2008
And I see that you are from Fort Lauderdale, Keri. What high school did you attend?
Posted by: Laser on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Keri on March 13, 2008
Posted by: yukiko on March 13, 2008
Aside from that, I find The Onion absolutely hilarious, thank you for the link!
Posted by: AwayfromHome on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Laser on March 13, 2008
Anyway, knitting, xkcd and Youtube are just about the best things ever.
Posted by: M on March 13, 2008
But my new favorite word is "hoomalimali" which is one of the spelling words I am working on for our town spelling bee. It is Hawaiian and means to humor or jolly for a purpose (or some say to act so as to attract favorable attention).
One way to hoomalimali would be to read through the dictionary on Friday. It might help me with the spelling bee!
Posted by: Daniel Barkowitz on March 13, 2008
-omar
Posted by: omar on March 13, 2008
Badmitton is possibly the best sport ever. You should try it.
I completely forgot about admissions decisions on Saturday in the midst of studying for the Chemistry Olympiad for tomorrow - you should try that too. Studying chemistry leaves little room for anything else in your head!
And, on Friday, I plan to go out with friends and goof around and then sleep until one, at which point my friend will come over and log into the webpage with me. Friends are good. They're probably as sick of hearing about MIT as your parents...I know mine are
Posted by: Karen on March 13, 2008
I agree. Things will work out and in the end, whatever was meant to happen will happen. Everything is out of our hands, so worrying is pointless and we should make the best of things as they are now.
Oh, and my two cents on this whole ordeal: do not spend the next two days looking at the clock and calculating how many hours/minutes/seconds until decisions come out. The will make time pass soooooo much slower (and yes, I know from experience). Staying busy doing anything is much better. Good luck everybody!
Posted by: 0 on March 13, 2008
Posted by: nervous man on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Derek on March 13, 2008
...42 base 13 :o
Posted by: Matt on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Nick on March 13, 2008
jk...best of luck to all of you
Posted by: Bharat on March 13, 2008
I don't know what's worse, three months of deferral with hope or a negative definite decision. *anxious*
Posted by: 0 on March 13, 2008
I don't know what's worse, three months of deferral with hope or a negative definite decision. *anxious*
Posted by: Rachel on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Laser on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Leko on March 13, 2008
Posted by: booya! on March 13, 2008
On Saturday, you could wake up at 6:30 AM, put on uncomfortably tight clothing, ride a bus to a high school way out in the boonies, find some people you've never seen before in your life, commiserate on the unpleasantness of the weather/futility and absurdity of human existence, and then challenge them to throw a metal frizbee farther than you can. At least that's what I'm doing.
Posted by: Twilight Bob on March 13, 2008
In other news, webcomics can only last so long in terms of their distraction value...unless you read every comic in succession. Fun to do for xkcd, and Questionable Content. Takes a little longer for the latter...
Good luck to all!
Posted by: 0 on March 13, 2008
[T_T] but I can't help it!
I've been so scared and excited about finally knowing and nervous [and... well, you know the rest] all this week! I too have been reading.. a LOT!! science fiction [short stories]masterpeices compiled by asimov are really good!
again, good luck to all! ^_^
Posted by: Hopeful on March 13, 2008
[T_T] but I can't help it!
I've been so scared and excited about finally knowing and nervous [and... well, you know the rest] all this week! I too have been reading.. a LOT!! science fiction [short stories]masterpeices compiled by asimov are really good!
again, good luck to all! ^_^
Posted by: 0 on March 13, 2008
Posted by: 0 on March 13, 2008
To kate- Orson Scott Card, is one of my favorite authors too! A good thing to distract yourself is read all of Ender Game Saga, that will take up time:)
Posted by: Nan on March 13, 2008
Posted by: Dhruv on March 13, 2008
What did the egg do when the lights turned green?
It Egg-Celerated!!
Bad joke I know...Nervous energy...Going back to study now...
Posted by: Dhruv on March 13, 2008
you are blessed and even though I know not all of you will there in the Fall. I have enjoyed reading all the blogs. Thank you for making me feel a part of the MIT family even though it may not happen, as the odds are in the favor of the few.But don't be too disappointed. For the web can keep u all connected and u will be great students wherever you find your path leads. Stay in touch and know that your are all great sons and daughters to us your parents and families. See u at HIGH NOON on the 15th.
Beware the Ides of March.
Posted by: JAN on March 13, 2008
Also, might I recommend Terry Pratchett?
Anyways, some general time-wasting things that I do include YouTube, Wikipedia (it's like a black hole sometimes), xkcd, Copter, ROFLcopter, coding random stuff (yes, I code to waste time -- hey, it's true!), and generally exploring the bowels of my computer. I actually found dunnet this way (a text adventure that comes bundled with emacs).
Posted by: asm on March 14, 2008
Posted by: 0 on March 14, 2008
But when you do have a biology final exam the next day, and you're thinking about learning anything not related to biology, would in essence be a bad idea. But who cares anyway :D
Happy Pi Day Keri!
Posted by: Shruthi on March 14, 2008
Posted by: Monorina,India on March 14, 2008
Posted by: Dhruv on March 14, 2008
Posted by: Omar on March 14, 2008
Posted by: Shruthi on March 14, 2008
Posted by: Dhruv on March 14, 2008
Posted by: btty on March 14, 2008
hmmn.....keri, I find counting snow flakes an effective way of passing time. Look at the cool intricacies of nature....and how it melts the moment it lands on your window.....*sighs here*....immediately remembers decisions come out tomorrow.....jerks awake....curses time difference....bangs pillow on head....resumes counting snowflakes....
Posted by: Kamya - another Indian!! on March 14, 2008
Good luck everyone!!
Posted by: Rozaine on March 14, 2008
Posted by: :D on March 14, 2008
So I'm assuming none of you read the above "don't get absolutely neurotic and obsessive about decisions coming out" post. Am I right? ^_^
Posted by: Keri on March 14, 2008
I got over my boards last year, and realised that they are the most unpredictable examinations that exist this side of andromeda. I still don't know what took away my maths century. So don't think too much about them...
Posted by: Soaham on March 14, 2008
Posted by: Dhruv on March 14, 2008
21 hours and fifteen minutes, according to my clock.
Posted by: Hadley on March 14, 2008
Posted by: 0 on March 14, 2008
Oh by the way--I have eyes for no one else, MIT.
Posted by: Twilight Bob on March 14, 2008
Study hyperbolic lemniscate functions.
Learn pi.
Solve the Dirac equation. Twice.
Go outside.
Watch DiffEq lectures from OCW.
Go outside again.
Posted by: 0 on March 14, 2008
Thank goodness for laptops.
Posted by: Lainers on March 14, 2008
Then I decided that Keri is probably to busy to read all the comments before mine to actually read my comment and get annoyed.
Posted by: 0 on March 14, 2008
Posted by: jgon on March 14, 2008
You should also add:
"Parents: DON'T PANIC. You're scaring your kid"
My parents are contemplating staying up all night to be there at 10 (We are in mountian time) to see the results. I believe the wait has made them insane.
Posted by: Alex on March 14, 2008
Posted by: Cynthia Li on March 14, 2008
Posted by: Rosencrantz on March 14, 2008
a year early(3yrs vice 4yrs.). Has credits for advanced math and science courses in high school.
The only drawback is his social skills, which is affected by this disorder. He has made significant progress in this area since being disgnosised in the 3rd grade.He help organize a "game club" at school and has a few friends. He hasn't tried any extracirricular activites, besides golf and the math & chess clubs. He's not musically inclined and a bit tone deaf. He occasionally has a problems with sports- a great batter & catcher at home plate, but don't ask him to chase a pop fly or to play in the outfield. It's a coordination thing. Does anyone know if there are others at MIT that have been admitted who are or were on the autism spectrum disorders, Asperger's Sydrome. If so, I might feel more hopeful about his chances. But either way he still has Rochester Inst. of Tech and Univ. of VT. Both have even invited him to become a member of their Honors College, and honor limited to a small group of incoming freshies.
Posted by: Jay on March 15, 2008
Haha well if you look at it that way, I guess you're right =)I'm mentally trying to prepare myself for a rejection, so that if i do get rejected, it won't be a shock, but if i get accepted, it will be an awesome surprise. (notice the use of the word trying...its not working very well....bc i can't imagine myself anywhere else!!)
Posted by: 0 on March 15, 2008
Haha well if you look at it that way, I guess you're right =)I'm mentally trying to prepare myself for a rejection, so that if i do get rejected, it won't be a shock, but if i get accepted, it will be an awesome surprise. (notice the use of the word trying...its not working very well....bc i can't imagine myself anywhere else!!)
*8 hours and 2 minutes*
Posted by: Kamya on March 15, 2008
did you like neuromancer?
Posted by: MB on March 18, 2008
109!!!
Keri's Prospective Neurosis Blog. Huh.
Posted by: MB on March 18, 2008
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