#mitrelated

[skeletonstudy]

Hey. What career path are you going to choose after graduation?

Hi Anon! I’m still two years away from graduation, and I feel like I still have a lot to learn about my career options. I know that I enjoy my current internship in data science and machine learning, but I also haven’t really explored other fields, such as software design, electrical engineering, and finance.

I liked my software construction class, 6.005, last semester, so next semester I’m considering taking a web design class as well. At my current internship, we have a software/engineering team that designs the applications that other teams use, so I have a general idea of what they do. I don’t necessarily think that I would enjoy that more than data analysis and teaching my machine to see and talk,  but I think it’s worth trying out possibly.

I did like the electrical engineering parts of my intro to computer science course, which mostly involved building circuits and using currents and voltages to send signals to a program running on the computer. I have this irrational fear that I’ll get shocked really hard if I touch any wire, though, so I’m not sure this path is worth all the stress, haha -_-

Ok, and finally many of my peers who are computer science or math majors choose to go into finance. There are many companies nowadays that combine finance with technology, such as Jane Street, which happens to be a popular choice for MIT students looking for internships and full-time jobs. From what I understand about finance and economics, I don’t think it’s something that I would particularly enjoy doing, but I would like to give it a shot. I will be looking for a finance externship next January, during MIT’s Independent Activities Period (IAP) where students have the month of January free to travel, relax, or work an externship, which is basically a month-long internship.

Anyway, this answer was pretty long but I hope it gives you an idea of my thought process into how I’m formulating my post-graduation career plans. I don’t believe that there are necessarily any established career paths, though. For instance, on the Labs team I am a part of, there is a data scientist who has a PhD in astrophysics, and she decided to switch from academia and research to a completely different path. Overall, I’d like to try as many different roles as possible before settling into one that I truly love and enjoy.

[skeletonstudy]

Hello, i you seem pretty nice and i actually wanted to ask you if you knew how to program before goinf to MIT and if yes how did you get started, what did you make to enjoy it (i know that saying it like that it seems bad but i would like to know) cause i am too in a computer science course in university but even tho i like it i feel like i don't know how to code cause i don't see any progress i should know things by heart now but i don't. well its just that. ahaah and good luck on everything

Hey there! I think it's amazing that you're interested in programming and want to improve! What I like about CS is that there are so many different ways to implement that same thing, so writing programs generally depends on what you personally prefer.In truth, the Python library and the Java library exist because it's hard to remember what different types can do, and Stack Exchange and Stack Overflow are excellent resources as well. Don't be discouraged if you find it hard to pick up on certain things!You're doing an awesome job, so keep doing what you love to do!

[skeletonstudy]

Hey, I'm going to UofT in Canada in the fall. How hard was MIT to get into? Long and hard application process, I'm guessing?

Hey there! Congrats on your college acceptance! I'm assuming it's the University of Toronto? It sounds completely amazing. "Hard to get into" is very subjective, and I would say that everyone has a different experience. MIT was the second college I'd ever applied to because their application deadline was sooner, so in a sense, yes that process was very difficult. Another thing is that MIT doesn't use the Common Application, which is a standard set of questions that many colleges across the U.S. accept. Instead, MIT's app consists of numerous short answer questions, instead of one long essay like the Common App. Each time I revisit my application I cringe a little because I'm reminded of how tough it was to grind these essays out. haha.The most difficult thing, I would say, is being proud of your accomplishments and finding inner confidence. A LOT of people frame MIT (and Harvard/Princeton/Yale/Stanford) to be the"ultimate indicator" that you are a successful student or that you are so incredibly smart that you must be gifted from birth. And this simply is not true! Of course there is the occasional 12-year-old prodigy who has a 5.0, but the vast majority of students simply tried their best in high school and love to learn. I hope this answers your question. It came out a little longer than I excepted. Thanks for sending me this ask, it was really fun to answer! Congrats of UofT again, and I hope that you enjoy it to the max!

[skeletonstudy]

Hey! I'm doing an internship this summer on the Max Planck Institute for extraterrestrial physics, do you think that would make me stand out on the application pool?

Hi! Congrats on your internship! That sounds totally awesome! :))In my opinion, anything that you do that shows passion and dedication will make you stand out. I remember in one college interview, my interviewer said that they could tell I really loved Latin because of the way my face lit up as I was talking about it, and that’s really what I think you should strive for, in college but also in life. Do what you love and naturally you will stand out.

[skeletonstudy]

Hi! Would MIT look down on my application if I only take AP Calc AB instead of Calc AB/BC?

Hmm, I don't believe MIT (or any college) will look down on you for taking a challenging, college level AP class. Be proud of having taken a tough course! However, I think that in order to get credit for the General Institute Requirement, you must get a 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam. Regardless, there is no reason to think lesser of yourself or your course load.