I am a chemistry major, and that was a mistake. Chemistry is good, but the MIT chemistry department is neither friendly nor flexible. I have asked the chemistry department for many things over the years, and they have always said no. Questions I have asked include: Can I get help in a class, can I take an independent study, can I get a research job, can I study this really interesting thing, can I rearrange my schedule like this? The answer was always "no" or "we can't help you." At this point, I feel ashamed and guilty every time I ask a professor or department administrator for anything, and I am unsurprised when they say no. Often, the reason given for inflexibility or not helping their students is "if we did this for you, we would have to do it for everyone." The best comeback I can think of is "you SHOULD do it for everyone. X other department does this for everyone!" This argument hasn't worked yet.

I love this place, but you have to really love a challenge, and enjoy an intense, nerdy atmosphere, to survive. It's really not a matter of absolute intelligence, or ability to pass a certain test; it's about wanting to learn, getting up in the middle of the night to look up some fact that's been nagging you, seeing--and saying out loud--the physics flaws in a fast food commercial, and knowing somewhere deep down that no matter how much a particular problem set tortures you or the tests seem impossible, it's the course or the topic that you hate, not the learning itself.

People always told me that the knowledge was made here, but I didn't realize it until I got here. And now that I'm here, I can't believe some of the things that go on around me.

MIT is a lot of work, but it is worth it in the end!

Going to MIT is the best decision i've ever made. if you are given the opportunity, you should definitely at least come visit and see if you like it. there is definitely room for every type of person here, and anybody who works hard enough can survive.

America kicks ass.

MIT is an incredible place, but it is starting to feel stifling. The MIT bubble can be difficult to break out of, but the rewards you get from your years at MIT will be great.

You can do anything here. That's what I love about this place. If you can handle 10 classes, you can do it (no increased tuition). You wanna be involved in clubs, you can do that. You don't see a club you're looking for? You can start your own. The tradition, the cultures of the east side and the west side, it's all something very special. ILTFP.

if you take MIT too seriously, it will be no fun. make sure you look hard at where you want to live.

The opportunities to connect with some of the best minds from all over the world. I wouldn't change a thing. The school is just the right size. I often get an amazed, highly esteemed response when I tell people I go to MIT. I spend most of my time in between my dorm and interacting with people at various places on the campus. College town! MIT's administration is stellar. The biggest recent controversy was James Sherley, a black professor who claimed racism as a major reason in tenure denial. Yes there is a lot of school pride. The numbered majors and quirky pranks (hacks) are unusual at MIT. I'll always remember struggling through freshman year and having to ask for help. The most frequent complaints are around there being too much work or the work being too hard.

Fortunately for all of us, none of them are. I've only seen one person actually wearing a pocket protector and no one with those horrid glasses. More importantly, we do actually have social skills and great friends! Yes we work hard, and yes we are smart, but we are REAL PEOPLE! There are all sorts of people too, people addicted to anything from Rubic's cubes and Starcraft to Project Runway and Gray's Anatomy. And believe it or not, there are people here who don't like math . Though you better be careful , we may end up saving the world while you're not looking...

I love that I can say something incredibly nerdy, but which perfectly describes a situation, and people understand me, rather than laughing at me or just looking confused. I feel like I've found my people here. MIT is often a bit of a vacuum--we don't pay a lot of attention to the news or the events in the surroundign areas--but it's a five-minute walk from campus to restaurants and stores in Central Square or the Back Bay. Getting away is always easy: a ten-minute stroll along the river, or a day trip to New York City. I like the variety of living and eating options here, and the huge degree of choice we have in our living situation. Since we're all so busy, the people we live with are the people who become our friends, who take care of us when we are sick, and who share with us the unforgettable experiences that keep life interesting and help us figure out who we are.

Contrary to what most people think, MIT has a thriving social and activities scene. We have about 40 varsity sports team, which gives athletes of abilities and levels to participate. We also have numerous theater groups, dance groups, just about a group for any activity you can think of. In addition, MIT has a strong Greek system, although it's very different from the typical Greek system at any other college. We have 27 fraternities and 5 sororities. Fraternities hold events every weekend, including dry events. About 25% of the female student body belongs to a sorority. I've found that there is never a shortage of things to do. People are always around in the dorms, always ready to go out and have some fun.

I am a chemistry major, and that was a mistake. Chemistry is good, but the MIT chemistry department is neither friendly nor flexible. I have asked the chemistry department for many things over the years, and they have always said no. Questions I have asked include: Can I get help in a class, can I take an independent study, can I get a research job, can I study this really interesting thing, can I rearrange my schedule like this? The answer was always "no" or "we can't help you." At this point, I feel ashamed and guilty every time I ask a professor or department administrator for anything, and I am unsurprised when they say no. Often, the reason given for inflexibility or not helping their students is "if we did this for you, we would have to do it for everyone." The best comeback I can think of is "you SHOULD do it for everyone. X other department does this for everyone!" This argument hasn't worked yet.

The most recent big controversy was the Star Simpson thing. She made a small oversight before she left for the airport, and we were annoyed that MIT didn't correct the fact that the press made it sound like she was intentionally pretending to be a terrorist. After talking to my cousin, who goes to BU, and hearing about other schools, I've realized that MIT is unique in how much freedom it gives its students. We don't have RAs who report us to the police for the slightest underage drinking, we just have awesome GRTs who try to keep us from going overboard to the point of passing out. We aren't required to pack up and leave for Thanksgiving, between Fall and Spring terms, or during Spring break, which is really nice. Even though I've never been around at those times, it's really nice that I don't need to pack up my whole room. Also MIT doesn't have real dining halls where everyone pays a flat rate for all-you-can-eat meals all term. We have "preferred dining" where you can pay a few hundred dollars up-front to get half-off each thing your buy, but everyone I know thinks that's a major rip-off. I live in a dorm with awesome big kitchens, and I prepare my own meals, which is fun and saves money. It can even save time--when I have five minutes to eat before class, I just pop some oatmeal into the microwave or grab some leftovers from the fridge. I'd never have time to go to the dining hall in that situation. The only bad thing is that our kitchen is common to 35-40 people, who don't always take responsibility for what they make dirty. Dishes pile up in the sinks, and it can get really gross. Since we have a lot of shared dishes, there's no way to know who made the mess and therefore whom to nag to clean it up. So I end up cleaning up after others a lot just to keep the place sanitary. To me having a kitchen to use is well worth the rotting mess it sometimes becomes, but I could see this bothering some people. I spend most of my time in the library, in my dorm room or kitchen, or in class/rehearsal.

Yes and no - Most of the large freshman lecture classes - not at all, but any humanities class or even as you get higher up in your classes - yes. Um my least favorite class last semester was my writing class - it was taught really well but I just hating writing papers. So far my favorite class has been 3.091 - Chemistry because the professor was really cool and it was pretty easy. Students study every single night. you have to do A LOT of work here to survive, but it's definitely doable. Class participation is common in smaller classes like humanities or higher level classes - not so much in large lecture classes. All conversations almost always revert to something to do with physics or politics or math or something - its MIT what do you expect? Students always strive to do their best, but everyone will help everyone out to excel and no one tries to put someone else down for their own gain. And if they do, they don't have a lot of friends. 3.091 was pretty unique just because the professor was crazy and so cool. I have no clue what major I want to be yet which is a little scary. Professors are really willing to help you outside of class if you want to and also if you take the initiative. I mean students and professors don't really talk outside of class about normal things unless it's a professor from a higher level class that doesn't have a lot of people in it. But there are a lot of like "meet the professors dinners" where you can talk to your professors on a more informal level. MIT's academic requirements are pretty rough but definitely doable. Some majors are lighter than others, but all could definitely be done. You can finish every single major by taking exactly 4 classes a term which is the normal load. For the most part education is geared towards learning for its own sake.

Definitely.

At Chocolate City, students leave doors open. If I were awake at 2 AM on Tuesday I could be studying, typing an email, praying, chatting with bros at my house.