May 2005 - Posts
Turns out that getting the monthly pass was easier than I though it would be. And it was also cheaper than getting it through the website!
I've got some blogging questions, now. In the admin page for the blogs, what are articles? like, are they different from posts? And is something supposed to show up on the "stats" page? it still says " Page views, referrals, etc goes here :)". I guess I started using the blog without learning all the different parts. So, if anyone knows answers to those questions, or knows of the "main" page that could describe all the parts of the MIT blog, please let me know.
Thanks!
-Stephanie
Hello, everyone. First of all, thanks to Jane, Mike, Anisa, Mitra, and Mr. Barkowitz for their help with laptops. I'm still thinking/searching/etc., so keep those comments coming!
Right now, I'm nervous about tomorrow, because it's my first day of work. I went in this past Thursday for paperwork and such, but now I've got to go to the real thing. I mean, tomorrow is Orientation, so it's not like I'm going to be working in the lab too much. I dunno, I guess I'm always nervous of new experiences. Well, my mom and I went out shopping for work clothes last night, so hopefully knowing that I'm dressed correctly will keep me confident. :)
Not much else to say right now. When my mom gets home, I'm going to try to go over to the train station to buy a monthly pass. Silly me, I was on the webiste for NJ Transit a few days ago, and I could have bought it then, but I got all nervous about it, and now it's too late to order them online. So, hopefully it's not too late to get one in person.
Well, I should go get ready to go. Thanks again for reading/commenting on/linking to my post!
-Stephanie
When I started at MIT, I knew I needed a computer. I decided I should get a desktop, because I was afraid of losing a laptop (because I'm careless like that sometimes). Anyway, now, I kinda wish I had a laptop. They just seem so convenient. Plus, it's something I can play with (er, I mean, work with) on my commute, or if I want to work somewhere else (which often times is the case). I've noticed the hardest place for me to get work done is in my room . So, I want to get a laptop. But I have no idea what I want. I mean, I have basic wants/need in terms of specs and such. I figure I want
- relatively cheap (i.e. not much more than $1000
- light enough to carry around campus and such
- wireless
- Decent sized hard drive (30GB is fine, I can still use my desktop
- wireless
Yeah, I know, theres not a lot to that list. And I kinda think I want to try an Apple computer, but I've got a Dell desktop. I've been looking at all sorts of websites, but I think it's confusing me more than anything. I do know that MIT has recomended specs and discounts on certain computers, and a lot more at their Hardware website.
I guess I'm just a very indecisive person, and any advice is welcomed. As for advice I can give to you about computers for school: get what you want, but be aware of MIT recommendations. You need to be able to connect to the MIT ethernet, so either have a way to plug it in or connect to their wireless. Laptops are crappy for watching movies, unless you're traveling, then it's okay. But, if you want to watch a DVD, most dorms have decent TVs and DVD players (though VCRs are getting rarer and rarers). In fact, Next House has a fantastic big screen TV, DVD player, and Surround Sound for our main lounge. It's pretty nice. but there are TVs and DVD players in all our lounges (though you can definitley take over the lounge and study in there, on your laptop, with your wireless!!) I like having a desktop because I can watch stuff on there when I want to be in my room, withough having to deal with weird angles that cause the screen to look weird, like with laptops. But I definitley want a laptop now, because, well, I've wanted one for a while. Lots of times, people want to meet somewhere, on campus or wherever, and if a computer would make things easier, people will have their laptops. Although you can definitley work in an Athena Cluster, but there are a lot of things that are just easier on your own computer. Wow. Well, I've kinda started to just ramble incoherently. If you have any suggestions, or questions, let me know.
Thanks for reading!
-Stephanie
And I was definitley surprised how fast things seemed getting from NJ to NYC. It might have helped that I was on an express train that only had a few stops along the way. Comparing that to my ride home, which was on a train that made EVERY stop. Oh well. I rode a New York City Subway for the first time ever. I swear, I'm not some sort of country bumpkin who lives under a rock. Just usually when I go to New York, it's with my family, and we either walk or take a taxi to wherever we are going. Anyway, I only got on the wrong train once (I wasn't sure which way I was supposed to go), but I made it to where I need to be. Basically had to fill out a lot of paperwork, get a drug screening, and get my picture taken for my photo ID. I gotta say, the worst job ever is the guy who does the drug screenings. They're mandatory at most places now, but this guy just sits in a room with an ajoining bathroom and tells people when, where, and how to pee, and then pours the pee into the sample jars for testing. Oh, excuse me. He pours the urine into the sample jars. There, much better. I also met the other summer intern I'll be working with. He just finished his freshman year at UConn. He's also a materials science major. I'm a little nervous, since this guy is 2 years behind me, and I feel like if he knows something, and I don't, I'll just feel stupid. Oh well. It's bound to happen. But I'm sure there will be times when I understand something, and he wont. That's just how life is.
I finished reading my first book of summer break. It's The Funny Thing Is. . . by Ellen DeGeneres. It's pretty funny, just a lot of short chapters, that definitley makes you laugh. Definitley a good summer reading. Or maybe something to read when you're stressing out at school. Oh man, speaking of which, on my medical forms for work, they needed you to check off any symptoms or ailments that you might have, and then explain them. I checked off the box next to Stress, and for my explanation, I just wrote: I go to MIT. I know, it sounds like it could be snobby. But I guess that was the only explanation I could come up with on the spot. Maybe it will make whoever reads my forms laugh a little. Maybe.
Well, I'm pretty exhausted from running around Manhattan (in heels!), so I think I'm going to go take a nap. Thanks for reading!
-Stephanie
. . .because I have to go to NYC tomorrow! Yep, I get to see what it's like to work in New York City. Commuting every day, like a "real" person. I mean, I had to take the T to work last year when I worked at H.C. Starck. That was a pretty cool internship. I got to work with Tantalum. :) It was my first "real" job, basically because I had to use academic knowledge and it wasn't just a customer service job like you have in high school. Actually, one thing that is cool about course 3 (materials science and Engineering) is that you can choose to either take internships after your sophomore and junior years OR write a thesis senior year to earn your degree. I like the idea of getting paid, building my resume, and learning new things, don't you? Also, since this program is availible, the department actually helps you find a job. Basically, you send in your resume to a man named Joseph Dhosi, and he keeps track of companies and students and basically helps you network. Although, you definitley shouldn't let him (or your department's coordinator) do all the work! Definitley check out job fairs and companies online if you're interested in them, but don't worry, if you're an incoming freshman, it's okay to not have all your career goals in mind. I know I don't! The MIT Careers Office can help you find jobs, practice interviews, revise your resume, and lots more. One site that I actually got most of my interviews through is monstertrak. You can post your resume and information, and search for possible interviews. Of course, for certain access, you need to set up an MIT connected account.
Wow, i didn't mean to ramble on like that. Anyway, my job last year was pretty cool, and this is going to definitley be different.
Well, like I said at the begining of my post, I should be going to bed. Wow, right there I almost lost all of what I had typed because clicked on something and I was taken to another site. . .luckily nothing disappeared, whew. anyway, yes, here I go, to bed. hope all this career stuff is useful!
-Stephanie
So, I just found out that I'll have my tour/paperwork/introductions for my internship on Thursday, then I'll hopefully be starting Tuesday (since Monday is a holiday). I'm a little anxious, since I know the commute is going to be painfully long each day (at least an hour and a half each way), but hopefully since I'll be riding the train, I can get a lot of reading done, and also, if we invest in a laptop, i can arrange music for my a cappella group, Resonance. Speaking of Resonance, I just got a link to see some of the pictures we took for our second cd. here's one of the pictures I really like. We're standing in the Stata Center amphitheatre.
I was told I need more pictures up here. I think that's a good idea. If only I had gotten this blog earlier. . .when something exciting was actually happening. . .I suppose I could post pictures from older events. . .
I've noticed I use ellipsis a lot. I figure that's because I'm never sure what to write about. so please! Ask me questions. I love seeing that 09s are coming across my page. Special thanks to Kevin, who has been one of the people that most people find me through.
I guess possible news from me is that I went to see my little sister perform at the concert at my high school. i gotta say, the band and select choir were amazing. I mean, they were when I was in them too ;) But besides the awesome performances, the other thing I found so cool was the art exhibit they were holding in the cafeteria. There was art on display by many of the high school students. The best parts were chairs painted to emulate a picture by specific artists. Like, someone painted the Van Gogh "Starry Night", another person painted Monet's water lillies, and another Picasso's "Guernica". They were absolutely gorgeous. My parents and I think the school should auction the chairs off (as long as the students dont want them). They would definitley bring in a good amount of money for the art program.
Well, I'm sure that wasn't too exciting to anyone reading, but I guess I am using this a bit like a journal. At any rate, I hope people still read my posts, and I'm always willing to take suggestions to make this journal better.
-Stephanie
I tried to unpack today. Managed to empty out 2 boxes. boo. oh well, I've got a summer to finish!. Started collecting all the stuff I want to read this summer. My Scientific American magazines which I have been setting aside i favor of school work for the past few months, knowing that I'd get the chance to read them once classes ended. Also, I'm planning on reading the DaVinci Code, since so many people have said that it's amazing (and a movie version is coming out next year!). Besides that, some self help books I've been meaning to look over, mostly related to jobs and managing my time. I'll let you know how they are.
I've managed to get 3 new people on the mit blogs in the past few days. You can see links to their blogs on the left. Kevin was the one who told me about these blogs, and I told Anisa, Katelyn, and Sarah about the blogs and they decided to get them. I kind of like having this. It's a lot easir to update (for me) than my webpage, which I dont think I have updated since Februrary (and that was only one of my sites). It's really rather crappy, since I dont know enough complicated html to make it neat looking.
oh, and some people have commented about how I should keep my notes. . .I figure that because I take really crappy notes, and most of the information is online, and I've never looked back at old notes from other classes, I probably won't need these either. Though, I did leave one of my notebooks in the lounge in the hopes that someone will want to use it as a bible. Maybe that's what I'll do, organize my notes as much as possible, then just label them and put them in the lounge cabinet. Some floors have a bible collection, and maybe we can start one too.
I'm excited to see that some 09s have come across my blog, and have commented as well. I hope more people do this! and, I'm just curious, how did you find my blog? I'm still a bit confused about how this whole MyMIT thing is connected to the blogs. . .
Well, so, nothing really exciting is happening around here. Later!
-Stephanie
I really should be packing. Like, I'm supposed to be out of the dorm in less than 12 hours now. and barely anything has been packed yet. I guess I'm a little overwhelmed, I have so many clothes to pack away, and papers to sort through. oh well, I really have no choice, it's gotta be done.
Saw Star Wars III today. Pretty cool. Saw so many MIT people there, kinda funny. Special effects were amazing, yoda was adorable, and battle droids were hilarious (they said the funniest random comments, like "uh oh!" and such, like, very human things, instead of droid-ish things).
I'm debating whether or not to toss all my notes from the term. I'd like to keep them, especially since there's a lot of interesting stuff in there, but I know I'll never use them. And if I were to make a bible for the class, it's not stuff that people couldn't just get online, so I don't know. Oh, and for you 09s, a bible is basically a collection of notes/psets/exams/answers from a class that upperclassmen keep (usually for underclassmen to use). I'll probably end up tossing them, and just maybe store the information somewhere on my computer. takes up a lot less physical space.
okay, enough procrastinating, I swear!
-Stephanie
Oh man, it feels so good to be done. hmm, except now I've got to pack everything before saturday at noon when we're supposed to move out.
but cool things happened today. Went to Jake Ivory's, a piano bar near Fenway. It so cool, you just go and you can request songs, and you basically sing along with and dance to the songs. Lots of fun. The guys there love us. A bunch of friends of mine went a lot over IAP but once classes started up, we really didn't get many chances (since it's only 18+ on Thursday nights). So, since finals were over for us, we got to go again. And the piano players like that we're so enthusiastic, and they feel free to yell MIT whenever and they know we'll cheer loudly, even if they decide to call us nerds or complain that we use atom smashers to make their cell phones not work. yeah. . .. haha, anyway, I managed to watch 2 movies today after my exam (because I was just that lazy). And tomorrow, I'm going to go be a nerd and see Star Wars with some friends. Should be good. Heading home this weekend. a bit weird to think about being away from here and away from most of my friends. Well, my 1.5+ hours commute EACH WAY for work this summer should give me something to do. Maybe I'll get all that reading in. . .
Well, I really should get to bed so I can start packing and stuff tomorrow. Oh, and if you come across this post, please feel free to comment, or ask me something (especially if you're Class of 2009 and you want to know what MIT is really like).
-Stephanie
Getting an MIT blog, that is. I figured I'd join the fun. and by fun, I mean chance to procrastinate. I should be studying for my last final of Junior year (24.900, Intro to Linguistics) but I'm very much not in the mood to study.
Haven't read much about who actually has access to these blogs, I hear anyone in the incoming class of 2009 can read these. Hello class of 2009. Wow, that makes me feel old. I'm going to be a senior next year (class of 2006).
Simple facts about me, in case you're interested:
I'm a Course 3 (materials science and engineering) major living in Next House. I'm one of the RAAs (residence based advisors) for the RBA program here. I sing and do vocal percussion for my a cappella group, Resonance. And my room is always a mess.
that should cover it for now. Time to explore all the options for this thing.
-Stephanie
[Edit: For an updated "About Me", click here.]