What MIT Is Like for Non-Technology Majors by Abby H. '20

Since its founding in 1861, MIT has been a special place for Technology⁠01 In fact, MIT in the early twentieth century was often referred to as simply 'Technology.' to flourish. However, not everyone at MIT cares that much about Technology. Some people here are interested all kinds of different fields, from anime to manga. What is there to study here that isn’t Technology?

It turns out, due to a fatal loophole in the founding charter, that you can actually study anything here as long as it does not disrupt this Massachusetts Institute’s acronymal third letter! At MIT, you get to choose your own T.

Most students here follow the path of least resistance and attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the most normal and infamous school under the MIT umbrella. That’s fine and all. They get “grant money” and “news coverage” and “accepted into top-ranked Ph.D. programs”, but who needs that.

The cooler, non-Technology students here get the freedom of learning about cutting-edge science from the leading educators in our chosen fields for the low, low price of the same amount that MITechnology students pay for their degrees.

Some of these interesting educational paths include:

• The Massachusetts Institute of Tarantella: A lively course of study in performance. Vivace!
• The Massachusetts Institute of Tardigrades: Water bears.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Tautology: Currently, there are either no students studying this or at least one.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Tea: This one is split between people who study hot leaf water and people who study problematic behavior on Twitter.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Technicalities: Law school.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Teenagers: A new pilot program for teens who want to get into MIT right after middle school.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Telemarketing: Apply to be a Tech Caller!
• The Massachusetts Institute of Tex-Mex: Wayyy better than Anna’s.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Time: They maintain the Master Clock.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Tolkein: Study abroad in Middle-earth.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Tomorrow: They help come up with advertising campaigns for For-Profit Universities.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Tribology: I don’t know much about this one, but I hear the capstone course 2.361 is famous for being an all-around good time.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Trichology: Free lint-rollers in their lounge.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Trolling: I might minor in this department, but I’m not sure which of the classes I should take.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Tufts: Satellite campus.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Twiggy: Known for their instrumental role in popularizing the Mod look.
• The Massachusetts Intsitute of Typos: Copy-editing school.

As someone who is not that interested in Technology at all, I found MIT’s sanctity of acronym principle to be relieving back when I had to declare a major. After exploring all of the departments, I was excited to become a part of the Massachusetts Institute of Taxidermy‘s Class of 2020! So far I have not taxidermied anything big, since they save the harder subjects for the senior-year projects when we get to use real nude models. I have, however, practiced my taxidermy on several plants and small amphibians, like the ones below.

I really like how much expression and liveliness I can impart in something that is dead. Really makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks MIT!