Home is Where the Heart is by Tom R. '14

Like a great three-toed sloth awakening from a millennial hibernation, it is now I make my triumphant return to these blogs.The timing is perfect, considering it’s that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about holiday cheer, goodwill toward men, and all that; I’m referring to rooms filled with colonies of moldy (and unintentionally animate) clothes and considering a jar of peanut butter a meal. Yes, it’s time for final exams. And no, I don’t want to think about them, and neither do you. So let me talk about something way cooler: Air conditioning. Er, I mean, my floor. And what better way than a pictoral odyssey through one of my favorite things at MIT?

Where to live is a subject that is frequently touched on in these blogs. And it makes sense why: we’ve all heard horror stories about that person with the drug-dealing rodent-faced roommate who embezzled money from a Brazilian orphanage and also kicked puppies and/or small children as a hobby, and subsequently became mortified about living with our peers. Everyone wants to live somewhere they can be happy and comfortable. The living groups at MIT are as diverse at its students, so whether you’re into Harry Potter roleplays or velociraptors or “La Vie Boheme,” there’s a place for you. That is why I don’t think it’s redundant to add another perspective to the mix. I’m fortunate enough to live in a place I can look forward going back to every day, an environment where I can “hang out,” as the kids say. I enjoy living in a place where we can have quaint family dinners on Thanksgiving, complete with all manner of delicious home-cooked confections:

And many a nom was had that night.

Courtesy of Kali ’15

birthday extravaganzas,

I bathed before this one. (Thanks Sylvia ’14 for the cake!)

and a surprising number of uses for broomsticks (left to your imagination). We’ve even started a political movement, to occupy our floor’s graduate resident tutors, Ken and Ella (better known as “Kella”), because of our dedication to civic duty. (Our demands were all swiftly met.)

I couldn’t imagine my MIT experience without my floor, partly because I live on the fourth story and that’s a long way down, but mostly because it’s fantastic to finally have found a network of kind, supportive, politically incorrect people to live with. I know what it’s like to worry that you’re not going to belong, or you’ll have to live in a hovel so foul it makes The Road sound like utopia, but rest assured, there is a niche for everyone. MIT takes all types–you’re not alone.

And though this is not the most timely advice, I think this is worth mentioning: Often, incoming freshmen will view the beginning of the year housing lottery as an absolutely critical, life-or-death matter. While it’s not unimportant to determine your initial housing situation, rest assured that there are plenty of opportunities to change your living situation–I was able to move part of the way through the second semester of my freshman year because I desired a change of pace. A substantial number of people move into FSILGs in their sophomore year or even later. Lotteries to move between dorms occur every semester, and there’s a waiting list to move during the semester. But even if you’re unable to live precisely where you think you want, you may discover that where you are is already an awesome place–there’s so much to miss out on if you’re always pining for greener grass o’er yon. You should explore all your living options; you may find family in the most unexpected place.

And to those of you who applied Early Action, good luck! As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Dude, just chill out and go with the flow.”* Just remember to breathe, and that regardless of what happens, you’re still smart, talented people. Your future going to be just as awesome as that of Futurama.

*Source: http://www.mitadmissions.org/home-is-where-the-heart-is