I’m doing exactly what the title says: ranking every class⁠01 excluding any class less than 6 units (a normal class has 12 units) I’ve ever taken at MIT! Feel free to scroll through and take a look at my class tier list, some stats, and my four-year roadmap of classes :)

Classes tier list

Disclaimer: I am well aware that I have some hot takes here. Some classes that people generally dislike are ranked highly here because I have fond memories and learned a lot from them. Some classes that others liked are at the very bottom. It really depends on the person, but to have some semblance of structure, I loosely based my ranking off of these definitions:

• S: best class ever
• A: would take again and again
• B: enjoyed
• C: meh, that was a class
• D: disliked
• F: should be deleted from course catalog

I’ll explain the reasoning for these rankings below in my four-year class roadmap! (Also, I clearly couldn’t bear to put anything in the F tier lol. That’s mean)

 

My four-year class roadmap

FRESHMAN FALL

Calculus I/II Accelerated (18.01A/18.02A) → Rank B

This class was an accelerated version of Calc 1 and 2, cramming the classes into a semester + IAP. Things I remember really well: staying up until 3 am finishing a PSET with 15 other kids stuffed in a New Vassar study room, being on campus during my first snowy Boston IAP, sitting in the back three rows of 26-100 with the soccer girls and the football team. Things I don’t remember as much: calculus.

Physics I (8.01) → Rank B

A General Institute Requirement (GIR). Made the mistake of taking this class at 9 am. Often fell asleep during virtual Friday Problem Solving.

Principles of Chemical Science (5.111) → Rank D

Another GIR. I’m just not the biggest fan of chemistry.

Becoming Human: Ancient Perspectives on the Good Life (CC.110) → Rank C

This was a philosophy class in the freshman year learning community Concourse, which is a community for students with an interest in the blend of STEM and humanities.

Comments on this semester: Freshman fall was Pass No Record—I was playing college sports for the first time, had just joined my sorority, and was getting to know Bawston. 

FRESHMAN SPRING

Introduction to CS and Programming using Python (6.100L) → Rank A

This is the extended, full-semester version of the intro Python coding class that usually takes half a semester. I had never coded before, but being surrounded by code wizard classmates inspired me, and this ended up being the singular most useful class I ever took at MIT! 

Introduction to Psychology (9.00) → Rank C

At this time, I was pretty sure I’d be a Course 9. However, this class was virtual that semester, so I ended up pretty unengaged with 9.00.

Physics II (8.02) → Rank D

I took the Concourse version of this class, and I found it so hard for some reason?!? I like physics, but found it pretty tough to wrap my head around electricity and magnetism the way it was explained in this class.

Spanish IV (21G.704) → Rank B

You may think technical classes at MIT are tough, but just wait until you take a language class. You meet four days a week, and there’s homework every day. But that means you learn a lot! I love languages, and I tested into Spanish 4 because of my AP scores in high school. It was also a MISTI requirement, because I would be going to Spain that summer!

Comments on this semester: I declared Brain and Cognitive Science (Course 9) as my major at the end of this semester, then went to Madrid to do computational neuroscience research about emotions! I abruptly switched my major that summer because I didn’t enjoy my research very much. Here is a blog about that whole thought process. I was having the very scary thought that “what if I come to MIT and never create anything?” So, I declared Course 2.

SOPHOMORE FALL

Inventing the Samurai (21G.554) → Rank B

Pre-Meiji Restoration early Japanese history class. My family in Japan was a samurai family, so this was so cool to learn about. 

Differential Equations (18.03) → Rank C

Chill class in terms of grading, but I didn’t absorb the content long-term.

Mechanics and Materials I (2.001) → Rank D

I found myself struggling to care in this class. The way beams bend and materials stretch are interesting on the surface, but in practice I was just pretty bored. Also, I bombed the tests haha. I’m just not the best test-taker. However, I hope this shows you that even if you don’t like some of your introductory classes for your major, you can still love the major itself!!!!

Intro to Design (2.00) → Rank A

This class was the one that made me really excited about mechanical engineering! We had a building competition that was Avatar the Last Airbender themed, where we had to find a way to knock down 15-foot-tall “firebenders” (aka helium-inflated balloons) with only a few specific materials. My team ended up building a 17-foot-tall structure (named Appa) out of foam core, and we won the competition! Woohooo! 

Numerical Computation for Mechanical Engineers (2.086) → Rank B

MATLAB and numerical analysis class. They don’t really teach you to code in this class, so I would definitely come in with some type of coding experience (even if it’s not MATLAB—shout out 6.100L!!!). Doing these PSETs were soooo satisfying. 

Comments on this semester: This is the semester that I realized “ok, phew, I like Course 2!”

SOPHOMORE SPRING

Thermofluids Engineering I (2.005) → Rank S

I LOVED THIS CLASS. ONE OF MY FAVORITE CLASSES EVER. (also the only class I’ve ever had to PNR lol… the grading was pretty strict) Learning how the world works—and that there is a logical reason for most things—is mind blowing. Air conditioners. Refrigerators. Engines. Body heat. 

21G.504 (Japanese 4) → Rank B

I tested into Japanese 4, and I made Japanese my humanities concentration. I highly recommend taking language classes at MIT—while they’re definitely a good amount of work, imagine being fluent in another language after only four semesters?!?! Why not?? Learn that language you’ve always been interested in!

Design and Manufacturing I (2.007) → Rank S

Such a fulfilling class. Over the course of a semester, you build your very own robot and then compete against your classmates. The two weeks before the competition, I probably spent 40 hours per week in Pappalardo, but get this: I wanted to be there and it was FUN. I went from not knowing how to properly handle a drill or lathe to winning the MacGyver Prize for creativity in that class! Woohoo! 

Electronics for Mechanical Systems I (2.678) → Rank B

An intro, super high-level electronics class. At the end of the class, I got to program a line following robot with my roommate. Our robot was really fast (especially when it would nearly drive off the competition board!).

Comments about the semester: I felt my confidence as an engineer growing, and I was instilled with enough confidence to feel like I could contribute to my engineering internship in Tokyo. 

JUNIOR FALL

Dynamics and Controls I (2.003) → Rank D

This was a tough semester for me, especially because I broke my foot and couldn’t play soccer all season. I didn’t put much effort into this class, focusing more on my two other project classes.

Global Engineer (2.76) → Rank C

Built a prototype of a highway litter cleaner for a major vehicle manufacturing company. It was a cool project, but I didn’t have the engineering skills yet to contribute as much as I wanted to. It inspired me to want to learn how to CAD more proficiently, which led me to doing a product design internship the next summer. 

Science Writing and New Media (21W.035) → Rank B

This was a specific type of class called a CI-H, which usually only freshmen and sophomores take (but I hadn’t taken enough CI-H classes, and I was getting angry emails from MIT about it oopsie). I ended up in a class of all freshmen, and every class was so lively and borderline rambunctious that I couldn’t help but enjoy it.

D-Lab: Design for Scale (2.279) → Rank C

D-Lab! Built a prototype of a portable asthma diagnosis device for use in rural India. It was empowering to build a product with the sole purpose of helping others.

Comments on this semester: This semester was definitely my lowest in terms of tier-ranked classes. I bet there’s some association with the fact that I was sad about not being able to play soccer because of my injury. I enjoyed the classes, but I don’t look back on them with the same fondness as others.

JUNIOR SPRING

Dynamics and Controls II (2.004) → Rank A

Because I kind of slacked off in 2.003 the previous semester, I was eager to dive back into learning. I really poured my heart into this class—which made it one of my favorite classes! Funny how effort and enjoyment seem to correlate… 

Measurement & Instrumentation (2.671) → Rank A

This one might be a hot take, but I really liked this class. I wrote a blog about it here!

Design and Manufacturing II (2.008) → Rank D

With a team of five, we designed and manufactured 50 Snapple-themed yo-yos. We learned Fusion360, manufacturing simulations, CNC, injection molding, thermoforming, insert molding. I just realized I’m not the biggest fan of manufacturing.

Drawing for Designers (21M.601) → Rank D

This class was a three-hour drawing session on Wednesday nights. I took this class to learn how to draw better for my product design internship that summer. I swear everyone in that class was literally Leonardo DaVinci… besides me. But that’s ok! At the very least, I definitely improved!!

Comments on this semester: I was collecting more and more engineering skills (drawing, CAD, manufacturing). I was excited to put them all together at my product design internship.

SENIOR FALL

Product Design Process (2.009) → Rank S

S tier. For sure. My team was awesome—driven to make a product that helped people and just fun to be around. I wrote a blog about this super cool experience.

Intro Bio (7.014) → Rank C

Bio is the final GIR that I had to take, which I’d been putting off since freshman year. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the approach of the teaching staff, who wanted us to learn something useful from the class even if we weren’t planning on becoming biologists. It was also nice to learn something technical yet completely unrelated to mechanical engineering for the first time in a while.

Japanese 5 (21G.505) → Rank A

Unlike Japanese 4, which focused more on grammar, this class focused on culture and conversation. It was refreshing to get to speak freely, especially about cultural things I related to (like food and specific Japanese mannerisms). I wrote this blog about how I romanticized this class.

Intro/Advanced Satellite Engineering (16.851/16.853) → Rank S

Alright, people, LISTEN UP! If you are interested in aerospace at all, but are not majoring in it, TAKE THIS CLASS! It gives you a crash course in so many topics: the rocket equations, power, communication, data-handling, the space environment, orbital mechanics, etc. Also, it’s taught by two incredibly engaging Course 16 professors: Prof. Kerri Cahoy and Prof. Oli de Weck.

Comments on this semester: I loved this semester. My classes were interesting and diverse, and every day there was something new to gush about to anyone who would listen.

SENIOR SPRING

Introduction to Numerical Analysis (16.S090) → Rank B

I took this class because I’ve been interested in data analysis for a while, and I missed coding. It ended up being pretty similar to 2.086, but I liked chatting with the professor during office hours, and I used Jupyter Notebook for the first time which was so satisfying. Also, this was a half semester class!

Entrepreneurship 101 (15.390) → Rank B

My very first Sloan business class. It’s been inspiring to realize that you can make your own job. I also appreciate how this class has a disciplined way of approaching entrepreneurship—I knew before that great ideas aren’t simply pulled from thin air, but this class is teaching me strategies on how to actually pin down that great idea and grow it.

Writing Fantasy (21W.766) → Rank A

I. Love. This. Class. It focuses on long-form fantasy: aka writing fantasy novels. We get to write drafts of chapters for our own books, and I’ve loved reading what all my classmates have come up with. This class has inspired me to write the fantasy novel that’s been marinating in my imagination for a while now…

Electronics for Mechanical Systems II (2.679) → Rank A

For the first time, I get to work with circuit boards! I’m making a Tamagotchi for my final product and the process of designing my own circuit board has taught me so much. I now feel like I can make so many little projects! I love collecting new technical skills!

Comments on this semester: Well, there’s three weeks left in this semester, so it’s not quite over yet. I’m excited to keep working on my Tamagotchi project, and I’ve loved how much I’ve gotten to write over these past few weeks!

My stats

Total classes taken: 46⁠02 including 3 and 4 unit classes

Total number of units: 425 units 

Different majors I’ve taken classes in: 10

Hardest semester: sophomore fall

Easiest semester: this semester, senior spring!

Most enjoyed semester: senior fall (because of S tier classes + soccer!!)

Most useful class: Introduction to Computer Science Programming in Python (6.100L)

Most fun socially: Product Design Process (2.009)

Most proud: Design and Manufacturing I (2.007)

Worst grade: Thermofluids Engineering I (2.005)

All-nighters pulled: 0 (huge flex)

Most underrated class: any language class

Most engaging lectures: Intro Satellite Engineering (16.851)

Number of project classes (where I built something physical): 7⁠03 robot, wildland firefighter mask, gait correction device, Tamagotchi toy, asthma diagnosis device, highway litter cleaner, 50 yoyos

#1 favorite class at MIT: Design and Manufacturing I (2.007)!!!

Final thoughts!

It’s kind of crazy that I can summarize my four years of MIT classes into a single blog now. To make this blog, I went on Hydrant, which is a planning site for MIT classes so you can play around with your schedule. As I scrolled, I realized that I hadn’t been on this site for a while—probably because I won’t ever need to use it again.

I’m done choosing MIT undergrad classes. This is it—there is no more “what are you taking next semester?” It’s a little bittersweet, as many things are when you’re a senior with a month left until graduation.

But also making this blog has felt awesome. I feel accomplished; I feel proud! I feel lucky and grateful that I got to take these classes, and I can see just how much I’ve grown since I was a freshman, staring wide-eyed at the course catalog and overwhelmed by all the possibilities. Undergrad is cool. These classes are cool! Learning is so cool!!

I’m glad MIT is where I got to take four years of classes, and I hope learning never stops as I step beyond this place :)