Really, I don’t feel like thinking of a title right now by Laura N. '09
Now there's a title cop-out you can only use once. Good thing I saved it for the very end.
As much as I hate Twitter, I think I’m going to follow the trend of “micro-blogging” that has apparently hit MIT Admissions this week.
See, I’m hosed beyond all imagining, but as it’s basically my LAST WEEK AT MIT (?#@^&*!!!), all kinds of awesome and interesting things are going on which will not be nearly as cool when blogged about after the fact. (By the way, I probably have a dozen blog entries that I’ve planned and never written, and about 3 weeks between the time I’m done with work and officially graduate and should probably stop blogging so…be prepared for that.)
So, I’ll sell my soul a little and turn this entry into a what is basically a Twitter feed. I hope you appreciate the enormity of this sacrifice of dignity. I do it all for you, dear readers.
So, entry number 1!
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Friday May 1, 2009. 11:37 PM
I just created the following page according to these strict guidelines:
(See any typos? Please, tell me! =P)
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Saturday, May 2. 12:02 PM
I’m in D-Lab right now (it occurs to me that I should post some pictures of this place later…) and just ran into Jodie ’09. Jodie and I go way back- we were almost temporary roommates. We found each other online and chatted a little before getting to MIT. By the time we actually got to campus, my rooming assignment had been switched (I was in a single, which actually really sucked for Orientation), so we never even ended up rooming together. When I got to campus I stopped by her room to say hi so we could finally meet in real life. We haven’t even really hung out after that, but we sort of smile and wave when we see each other.
Anyway, Jodie is running around D-Lab stressing about her thesis, which is basically exactly what I’m doing, so we shared our misery for a few minutes. I can’t help but think back to the first and only other real conversation we had- our first day on campus, trying to figure out where the laundry room in the dorm was.
Crazy how things come full circle, isn’t it?
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Thursday, May 7. 7:52 PM
Hey look, it’s me, on Youtube!!!
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Sunday, May 7. 5:38 PM
I can’t believe the end is so close…I’m sitting in LMP (Lab for Manufacturing and Productivity) right now, trying to finish this thesis. Basically it’s a MechE computer lab that has been functioning as Thesis HQ for the last few days. Adelaide and I have been here for hours and hours, maybe days, maybe weeks, I don’t even know anymore. There have been quite a few other people hanging out too, and we all immediately knew that we were all there for the same reason.
I mean, if you didn’t have a thesis to do in order to graduate, would you be in LMP at 3 AM on Sunday morning?
Adelaide is really cute when she’s sleep-deprived and thesising (now a verb).
We’ve been bonding with the other Course 2 seniors, sharing junk food and caffeine, and repeating our new mottos:
“D is for diploma.”
“Mystery Hunt – Fun = Thesis”
“I didn’t pay for it, it’s not my explosion.” (Yeah, I don’t know where that one came from either, we’re all a little sleep-deprived over here…)
But I’m making good progress here! I just made the following prettyful diagram:
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Monday, May 11. 5:33 PM
My thesis is done. It’s printed on fancy special paper and turned into the undergraduate office.
I had about 3 seconds to enjoy the relief from that moment before I headed over to the Rotch library to meet with a partner to finish writing a final report that’s due tomorrow.
I have barely slept, my brain is completely liquid, I haven’t had a real meal in days (I pretty much made a dinner out of Sun Chips and pineapple soda the other night…), I feel like absolute crap, and this is absolutely the last thing I’d like to be doing right now. I’m actually pretty miserable at the moment.
Even down to the bitter end, MIT enjoys beating you down and destroying your soul. Right now, IHTFP is feeling pretty one-sided…
Happy Graduation!!!
yay- Let it be done and may you be happy!! I am happy for you. I love our blogs, too.
Whoops- misspelled. I love YOUR blogs, too. O,r maybe they are our blogs because we share them.
Cheers-Another 12
Wow, you are almost done. Congratulations!
No more running into you on campus.
What’s next for you?
We will be driving up to see Bare on Saturday night. Maybe we’ll run into you one more time
Good luck in what the future holds for you, I am sure you will succeed in what you do.
This is really off-topic but have you ever read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom? I’m reading it now and it mentioned Morrie Schwartz’ wife, Charlotte, who worked at MIT some years ago. I was just curious to see how long after the book’s story she stayed.
You want to do some research into the vaccine you are proposing. MMR needs to be intramuscularly injected to illicit the needed CTL response. If you do a aerosolized version, it will mostly interact with the mucosal membrane (thus IgA) and illicit a humoral response. CTL is key for this vaccine.
Sigh. This is why I hate posting actual work on my blog.
Studies have shown aerosolization to work just fine with MMR, although it is a newer form of administration. Also, “standard” or recommended method of administration is subcutaneous, not intramuscular.
I know I jokingly asked people to report typos, but seriously guys, my thesis is due in 6 days. Can you try and not stress me out more than is absolutely necessary?
Iummno, give Laura a little credit, okay? She’s an MIT senior and this is her thesis. That should be enough information to clue you in that she probably knows what she’s talking about (and I’d be surprised if she hasn’t read more papers about it than you have).
wait, what? I thought it was due may 18th
also have you started writing yours? I’m on page 4 of mine
make that page 5!
lol… yes that includes the title page & table of contents :(
Laura, you’re graduating? Man, I’m going to miss your blogs. It’s like losing Sam Maurer all over again. I’m going to miss your acerbic humor and brutal honesty about life at MIT. Keep in touch, okay? Please post a “Here’s what I’m doing next” blog, so we know what happened, where you went.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
—Traditional Gaelic blessing
Lulu: let’s see…title page, abstract page, acknowledgments, table of contents….yeah I think we’re about in the same place. Haha.
CalAlum: I cannot tell you how incredibly flattered I am to be compared to Sam! Wow. =) As for what happens next: once *I* know, I’ll be sure to pass the info along. =)
Hi Laura:)
Im Huyen, Vietnamese.Would you mind showing me your Y!M add? I really want to chat with you
Actually — you are missing the (C) symbol in the copyright section. I think it goes after your name? Check though. The template makes this big deal about how a copyright consists of four parts, and you need all of them, and one of them is the little “C” with the circle in it.
Way to be compared to Sam, though. That’s blogging win if there ever was such a thing.
Also, Kim Vandiver’s first name is actually John? Woah. He doesn’t look like a John. He definitely looks like a Kim Vandiver.
i wanted to ask a question:-
I am from India , and my dad is in the defense(Army):
long and short of it, we roam too much and i have never been admitted to a good school(though i really liked all the schools i studied in)
so now i dont have much of EC experience.
Now the point is,
does building hovercrafts and stuff like that count as EC’s cuz i love doing stuff like this.
plz reply
I first saw your blogs about 1.5-2 years ago. Your blogs are awesome. I wish I can meet you irl. lol
i hate you
like the video blogging : ) good luck thesis-writing (you can do it!) oh and you should post pictures of graduation!
You’re awesome and I love you.
Very very cool.
um…how do we log into our new email accounts?
When i try to log in i get a blank page that never loads to show me the inbox.
mel:
https://webmail.mit.edu/
laura, promise me one more vlog before you graduate!
*begs on his kneeeeees*
haha
mel:
it’s not like you’re expecting any important or life-changing email anyway.
lol. i know but it would be nice to know it works.
i still hate laura
At the risk of feeding the trolls… (I know, I know, I shouldn’t do it!)
@ Anonymous:
WTF, mate? No, really, I don’t care that you’re just some troll, because this week has been *hell*, and Laura doesn’t need to hear that, and you’re not being nice. Be nice. Come on.
GAH @the internets and some of the people on them.
Oh, Dizzle. You’re so silly.
I definitely *laughed* on reading that most recent “hateful” comment.