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Rethinking orientation in the COVID-19 era

Rethinking orientation in the COVID-19 era

How the MIT graduate orientation is reforming itself this year

July 30, 2020 | Shashank A.

Orientation is the stepping stone of the graduate student life experience at MIT. Every year, the Graduate Student Council (GSC) Orientation Committee (OC) organizes a series of orientation events for incoming graduate students. Unlike many other American universities, the MIT graduate orientation is not a one-day or one-week event. For instance, orientation lasted over four […]

The bright side of isolation

The bright side of isolation

A few positive aspects of social distancing

May 4, 2020 | Shashank A.

Being a graduate student whose work mostly takes place on a PC, the changes in MIT policies related to COVID-19 have not impacted my academic work by a large amount so far. On the other hand, the social impact of it has been much more profound. From an exponential increase in the discussions (mostly about […]

Learning to Sail

Learning to Sail

A unique recreation activity offered at MIT

December 17, 2019 | Shashank A.

As mentioned in one of my previous blogs, the trio-factors of inability to swim, belonging to a country where sailing is not common, and the presence of the Charles River, always full of sailing boats right next to the campus, instilled a desire to learn sailing in me ever since I joined MIT. But the […]

Giving Back to Society

Giving Back to Society

How I got involved in service activities at MIT

August 19, 2019 | Shashank A.

The ultimate aim of all the jobs the world has to offer in today’s time, whether in the field of entertainment, business or research, is to ultimately serve the human civilization. While none can claim to be better than others, some have a more direct and faster impact. These include service activities aiming towards helping […]

Learn to Swim

Learn to Swim

One of the many free PE classes offered at MIT

June 24, 2019 | Shashank A.

I was brought up in places far from lakes and rivers. The non-availability of swimming facilities in my high school and college led to my inability to learn to swim until I joined MIT as a graduate student. Here at MIT, however, the presence of Charles River right next to the campus inspired me to […]