MIT Engineering Major

The stereotypes about MIT are that it is an extremely selective school and that it is the best for engineering. The stereotypes about its students are that we are all reclusive nerds that are only interested in school.

The stereotypes about MIT itself are very true. However, the students come from a vast range of backgrounds and while we all love to learn, most of us also love to live.

The opportunity to do hands-on research is the best thing about MIT. The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program provides many undergraduate students a chance to get involved in current research projects and network with professors and graduate students. One thing I would change are the dim lights in the dormitories. They are not conducive to positive thinking when it's 2am and you are still trying to finish your problem set. I love the size of my school because it's not large enough to get lost nor small enough to lose one's sense of privacy. Most of my time on campus is spent at the student center since it has food, computers, televisions, space to meet with study groups, pretty much anything you need. Between Cambridge and Boston there are so many schools and events occurring that I would most definitely categorize this area as a college town. The biggest controversy I've seen on campus was Professor Sherley's hunger strike. Professor Sherley felt that his denial of tenure was racially biased and after his petitions were also denied, he decided to go on a hunger strike in front of the school. I think there is a lot of school pride, but it is not very apparent at first. The pride comes from the extreme workload we all survive and the feeling that we earn our grades in a way that we feel Harvard students do not. One thing that is unusual about MIT is that everything has a number such as course 6 corresponding to the electrical engineering and computer science major and building 1 corresponding to the civil engineering building. The most frequent student complaints revolve around the workload. The joke here is that of the three S's (sleep, social life, and school), you can only have two at MIT.

Some professors know my name. Those are the professors that I actually made an effort to know. My favorite class was Artificial Intelligence because I enjoyed the material and the workload was bearable. My least favorite was computer engineering systems because it was a lot of writing and not very interesting. Class participation depends a lot on the class. It is not very common in a lot of my classes because of the lecture style. However, I have definitely had several classes where it was encouraged. MIT students definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class, sometimes to a fault. Students work together a lot which makes the environment less competitive. The most unique class I took was Hip Hop. My major is Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and my department is one of the largest in the school. My department is very supportive and I love my major. MIT's academic requirements are not too bad and are for the most part necessary for one's major. The education is definitely geared more toward learning than just getting a job.

I have not had a lot of experience with MIT groups. I was a member of the MIT Muses, a female acappella group. I occasionally attended a Black Student Union or Black Women's Alliance meeting. The Black Women's Alliance has a retreat every semester and I attended once. It was a great experience. Honestly, I do not think there is a certain kind of student that would feel out of place at MIT. There are all kinds of groups on campus and if a student is like me, he/she does not have to get too involved to feel part of the campus. Students wear a range of things from pajamas to jeans and t-shirts to more fashionable attire. Different types of students do interact although there is somewhat of a division along racial lines when it comes to the dormitories. Students are from everywhere. There is a large international population but the majority of students come from within the United States. Students come from diverse financial backgrounds. I think most MIT students have a middle class background. Students are politically aware and predominantly left wing. Students rarely talk about how much they'll earn one day.

Whether or not students leave their doors open depends on the dormitory and the section of the dormitory. However, for the most part, people do leave their doors open. Athletic events are not really popular. Theater is somewhat popular. The dating scene exists and there are several MIT couples. I met my closest friends through preview weekend before I came here and through classes. If I am awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I'm trying to finish a problem set that is due later that day. Since people work so hard, they party hard. I do not drink and I find several things to do on Saturday nights that do not involve drinking. Off campus I go to events at other colleges, a lounge, or the movies.

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