The TA Chronicles: Being volunteered as tribute
Coming to terms with my TA assignment
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 there’s one in particular that fills me with a little extra anxiety. I’m talking about none other than the dreaded teaching assistant (TA) assignment. Depending […]
My brat summer turned out to be very demure, very mindful
Settling in as an international student
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 my Forex card to Uber, almost missing my flight, forgetting to pack my toothpaste, and trying to make friends while jet-lagged in a new country. […]
Cooking made easy
I learned how to cook as a grad student, and you can, too!
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 presentation, and I know anything you cook will be good.” My friend and I both think going straight from the lab to the dorm after […]
The mountains you didn’t know you needed
Go to New Hampshire, leave the world behind, return happy 🙂
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 up my phone to turn him down, as I had so many times before, with so many people. There was no question that I needed […]
Anything but not everything
Managing opportunity overload at MIT
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 just one of the bulletin boards included invitations to “learn Quechua in three weeks,” “study in Japan with MISTI,” and “weld your own bike!” I […]
