Christmas in September?
You can’t buy happiness, but sometimes you can find it for free in your neighbor’s trash
There’s an old saying, “you can’t take it with you.” It’s mainly used to caution people against overvaluing money or material possessions because you can’t take them with you when you die. In Boston, the saying could be “you can’t take it with you when you move.” People around here are very familiar with packing […]
I hear you
How I learned to listen in grad school
ME: “…I don’t want to talk about plans. Working inside the lab building feels depressing.” MOM: “Maybe you can talk to the department chair about finding a new advisor? That shouldn’t be difficult.” ME: “Mom, could you stop telling me what to do? I feel really overwhelmed right now” MOM: “I’m not telling you what […]
Trying and failing to buy a house
Why can’t grad students get a mortgage?
We did everything right. My husband and I had excellent credit, did not have debt, and we always paid off our credit cards. We had plenty of money in our savings account. We attended financial seminars and learned all the steps involved in buying a house. And yet, when we tried to buy a small, […]
If you want, add a jump
My rewarding journey of becoming a group kickboxing instructor at MIT
How do you build yourself back up when life gets hard? Some of my friends find comfort in creating art, some in hiking, while some in building relationships. Since I came to MIT, I have found my charging station and creativite outlet in kickboxing. At the beginning of my PhD, I picked up the habit […]
Miss to Mrs. to Dr.
How to plan a wedding in grad school
Congratulations! You’re engaged! Unfortunately, you’re a graduate student. People get married in all kinds of circumstances, but the graduate experience is unique, and you probably find yourself strapped for cash, time, and energy. I’m here to show you that it is possible to have a beautiful wedding despite all the obstacles we face as graduate […]
