From lattes to legumes: How I found balance in work, life, and finances as a broke grad student
As May came to a close, my bank account delivered a nasty surprise: a balance teetering just above $200 – starkly contrasted by a credit card bill that could make…
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Hi MIT Grads! The MIT Grad Blog is excited to announce its upcoming IAP workshop on blog writing. In brief, Attend a 2-day blogging workshop: January 14 and 16, 11am-1pm. Write…Discovering the freedom and fun of art without rules
When I stepped into my first glass torchwork class at Metropolis, one of MIT’s makerspaces, I expected to learn a new type of art. I did not expect my experiences…A scientist’s guide to French macarons
I do not consider myself a baker. I couldn’t tell you the difference between baking soda and baking powder. Do I know the basic ingredients that go into a cake…From “Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” to PhD life
Although this is my first year in the Boston/Cambridge area as a PhD student, I actually moved here back in 2021, when the pandemic was still in full swing. I…Summer from the Sloan Building
As you walk from Boston to the MIT Dome, you will encounter the famous bridge measured in smoots. At 182.2 smoots ± 1 ear, you will see “HALFWAY TO HELL”…Join the Grad Blog editorial team!
Dear MIT grad students, We’re excited to announce that the MIT Grad Blog is searching for several new editors! As you all know, the Grad Blog serves as an avenue…Med is dead
Mediterranean Gannet. Now, to anyone outside of the close-knit community of MIT Sloan, that phrase makes almost no sense. Gannets live nowhere near the Mediterranean! At Sloan, a regular conversation…The beauty of Boston’s bánh mìs
There’s no sandwich more beautiful than the humble bánh mì. Part of its beauty lies in the sandwich’s symphony of flavors and textures: savory, sour, sweet, spicy, umami, crunchy, soft,…The TA Chronicles: Being volunteered as tribute
There exists a poignant event in the career of all PhD students that truly tests their mettle… Come to think of it, there are actually many of these – but…My brat summer turned out to be very demure, very mindful
My Instagram DMs witnessed an overwhelming inpour of the ‘Go Kylie Go’ reels from well-meaning friends. I’d bombarded their WhatsApp chats with the horror stories of being unable to add…Cooking made easy
My jaw dropped when I heard: “Can I join you for dinner every night until my quals next Friday? I don’t want to think about anything other than my research…The mountains you didn’t know you needed
It was 10 pm on an inconsequential day in February when a friend texted me, “What if we went hiking tonight?” Deep in a notorious junior-year thermodynamics assignment, I picked…Anything but not everything
Infinite Corridor, finite student To walk down the Infinite Corridor at MIT is to be inundated with posters for student organizations and events. In December, flyers advertising IAP activities on…Touch grass? More like touch clay.
First discovered as an undergraduate student The first time I heard about the MIT Arts Studio was when I was an undergraduate student at MIT and saw an email sent…Money matters: Part 2
If you’ve read part one of this blog post, you know how to use a budget to help manage your money. What can we do with what we save, and…The First ‘Hello’: Bridging Worlds in a Symphony of Minds
Walking through the iconic corridors of MIT, I am constantly reminded of the sheer brilliance that surrounds me. Here, every corner seems to buzz with the promise of innovation and…Money matters: Part 1
Financial stress is often assumed to be an unavoidable part of the graduate student experience. But does it have to be that way? With a bit of planning and discipline,…Talking to myself through a reverse to-do list
Communication is the most important skill I have developed in grad school. The types of communication we usually think about are technical and interpersonal communication, such as publishing and presenting…A photographic ode to Cambridge and Boston
Sunsets over the Charles River have my heart ❤️ What is home for you? Everyone has a different concept of home. For some people, a space enclosed by four walls…Go before you’re ready
I like being prepared. It gives me a sense of control which is my shield against anxiety. The first time I visited New York, I read a guide on using…Interviewing for grad school is a two-way street
One of the most intimidating parts of the PhD application process is choosing a research group to join. It’s a daunting commitment–this group will be your home of sorts for…Asking for help is not weakness
I don’t know if I can do this, I thought. Did I make a mistake? I was in just the second week of the chemical engineering PhD program and my…A nanotechnologist and a social scientist walk into MIT MechE….
“What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” “What’s your research area?” These are, without fail, the first three questions exchanged between MIT Mechanical Engineering grad students who are meeting for…
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Dear grad students, We’re excited to announce that the MIT Grad Blog is searching for several new editors! As you all know, the Grad Blog serves as an avenue for…A Thoreau-ly nice day trip
The idea of a day trip always makes me feel nostalgic of my childhood. I picture a car ride, a picnic, and a day spent in parks or museums. Now,…Measure twice, cut once, then force it to fit
It was during last year’s Independent Activities Period, also popularly known as IAP, when I came across the woodworking class taught by Lee Zamir. I was browsing through classes that…The art of balance: A myth or reality?
As a graduate student at MIT, the concept of balance is often discussed as something we should strive for. But is it truly achievable? Can we truly balance our academic…Adventures on Amtrak
Powered by three hours of sleep and some reheated potstickers (in hindsight, this was truly an omen for how the rest of the day would go), I sprung into action…Quality of life: The heart of the matter
Most of the children showed off a favorite toy. Some brought items that were meaningful to their family or culture. When I got to the front of my kindergarten class,…The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Iftar and Dates
My stomach grumbled loudly. I had 1 hour and 33 minutes left until I could eat, and yes I was counting down the seconds. Though this was day 5 out…From a wish on a wall to a dream come true!
“Well, this sounds like music to my ears, because this is exactly why we created edX,” said President Reif when I told him how the edX courses I took back…The unstructured symphony of grad school
My first solo Over the past 4 years at MIT, I have often had my comfort zone pushed. To name a few things, I’ve presented to NASA leadership, received my…
Following your fascinations for a fulfilling future!
From the moment I realized the significance of the sequence of events I am about to narrate, I wanted to save this story for my thesis defense speech. As I…How to train your robot
It’s late on a Monday night, and as usual, I’m standing in the middle of a large playroom filled with a bunch of pretend tools. There are toy hammers, plastic…