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The infinite rotation

The infinite rotation

After six failed lab rotations, one last chance to find a home

August 11, 2020 | Matthew A.

Switching labs is, optimally, disruptive. On September 3, 2019, the very beginning of my second year at MIT, my PhD program director called me into his office to explain that I needed to switch labs because one of my co-advisors was a research fellow, not a tenure-track professor, and the other presently lacked resources to […]

Navigating MIT

Navigating MIT

How to Survive in the Forest of Numbers

August 11, 2020 | Hyunjin P.

MIT exemplifies a uniquely analytical and quantitative intellectual approach. It’s a good thing, usually; after all, scientific revolutions like Newtonian physics began when we started putting stuff into quantitative perspective. MIT, however, took it a bit too far.  Humans are, in general, pretty bad at memorizing numbers (with a few exceptions like Akira Haraguch, who […]

Making the switch

Making the switch

My journey of changing labs

July 30, 2020 | Liang L.

A year and a half into my master’s program, I decided to change labs. This may not sound as terrifying, but it means jumping into an ocean of uncertainty. Unlike many PhD programs at MIT, my master’s program doesn’t have the luxury of lab rotations with secure funding from the department. This means that the […]

Best burgers and convos at BBC

Best burgers and convos at BBC

A quirky tradition unfolds the journey of grad school

July 30, 2020 | Olivia F.

The first friend I made in grad school doesn’t go to MIT. We didn’t even meet in Cambridge. Josh and I met at a chemistry grad school visit weekend at Princeton. We instantly clicked not only over our obvious shared interest in chemistry, but also a strong passion for teaching. I spent a good chunk […]

Times may have changed, but MIT will not

Times may have changed, but MIT will not

Looking Back at International IAP Adventures

July 30, 2020 | Olivia Y.

My first year at MIT was filled with opportunities, more than I was able to take advantage of. In just one walk down the Infinite corridor, I could pick out a dozen flyers that piqued my interest. I deliberately slowed down, knowing that I had four to five more years to explore all that MIT […]