Reflections and Images

 The content of this blog post sounds really random and silly, but it is something I find worthy of blogging.  After spending more than a year without using the MIT iPad loaner program, I finally decided to request a loaner iPad, which arrived today. I don't have statistics on the percentage of MIT undergraduates that use loaner iPads, but I am pretty sure that it is probably around 95%. Although iPads are not required and not stated as necessary materials on class syllabi, by this point the professors and instructors kind of assume that you have an iPad to submit problem sets or take home tests electronically. After COVID, MIT significantly changed the problem set submission process. It's crazy to think that in 2019 MIT still had students submit physical problem sets in boxes that are no longer used, even though there was the technology back then to have electronic ones. Now, however, most classes ask for submissions via Gradescope or Canvas. As a result, students now use the...

The main takeaway from today's problem-solving session for 5.13 (Organic Chemistry II) was my instructor's motivational words. She reminds me of my high school biology teacher because she is middle-aged and acts like a strict yet caring mom because she cares about everyone doing well in the class. It's good that 5.13 here isn't treated like a weeder class. She said that if you want to stop feeling bad all the time, do something to stop feeling bad. For instance, do more practice problems so you stop feeling scared about the 5.13 midterm because a lot of practice builds confidence. Even if we may not do that well, at least we will know that we tried our best. There would be no more brooding over the possibility of doing better by living up to one's potential. I know that what she said sounded obvious and not unique, but it sparked something inside of me. For the past few months, I have been feeling bad about how bad I am at time management compared to other people an...