Blogs: By Author

Best Burgers and Convos at BBC

A quirky tradition unfolds the journey of grad school

July 2020
by Olivia F.
Chemistry
The first friend I made in grad school doesn’t go to MIT. We didn’t even meet in Cambridge. Josh and I met at a chemistry grad school visit weekend at Princeton. We instantly clicked not only over our obvious shared interest in chemistry, but also a strong passion for teaching. I spent a good chunk...

According to Plan

How facing and conquering obstacles makes us better scientists

MARCH 2018
by Olivia F.
Chemistry
Many people I talk to at MIT have high expectations for their first year. They’ll ace their classes, breeze through teaching, and have two publications by the time they are a second-year student. A sixth-year student I met, however, summed up reality: “If there’s one thing I learned in grad school...

Finding My Home

Learning to thrive in grad school

FEBRUARY 2018
by Olivia F.
Chemistry
“70 Pacific Street. I guess this is it,” my dad declared as we pulled the minivan to the front entrance. The nine-story brick building loomed over us like Mount Everest. I could feel my heart beat as I walked to the front door, my parents not far behind. A banner with “Sidney Pacific” on the front...