<p>Ask me anything. I'm currently an MIT undergrad. </p>
<p>The closest shower to your room: how many people can fit in it at the same time? It’s okay to stack.</p>
<p>What dorm do you live in? What’s your major? What year are you? What classes are you taking this term? Do you like them so far?</p>
<p>What inspired you to post an AMA on CC?</p>
<p>(I am also an undergrad at MIT. You don’t actually have to answer my questions.) :)</p>
<p>Maseeh Course 6. Don’t want to reveal too much about my identity. My schedule is pretty chill this semester. I guess reddit inspired me.</p>
<p>What’s it like being a course 6er? What are classes like (how are the lectures/projects/group work/individual work/exams/etc)? More specifically, how are programming classes run? What drove you to choose course 6? How’s living in Maseeh like? What do like/dislike about it? Are there any other dorms that you know a lot (or even a little) about? If so, could you discuss them (what are they like/dorm culture/stereotypes/etc.)?</p>
<p>I think that’s it…for now. Thanks for taking time to answer questions!!</p>
<p>I’m actually a freshman, so I can’t say too much about course 6 classes except there is a lot of collaboration. It’s just much easier to get psets done in groups. 6.01, the intro class, is generally disliked from what I’ve heard but its not insanely difficult or anything like that. It’s just recommended to know some python before going into the class. I’m course 6-3, so that’s what I know most about and what I’ll be talking about now. After 6.01, people usually take 6.005, 6.006, and 6.046. 6.005 is software construction and is one of the most important classes for CS majors. There are large projects in this class so students usually spend some time doing no work for this class then work only on a project for 6.005 for 1-3 days with other students. 6.006 is intro to algorithms and is also one of the most important courses. Don’t know much about this but you should take 6.006 and 6.005 before sophomore summer so you can get good internships(you can still get good internships without taking these classes, but you should know how to code and algorithms). I like CS since its super versatile in terms of careers and I’m not too sure what I want to do. Its also really useful in almost every field and you kind of feel empowered after being able to program well and understand computers since they are everywhere. Also great pay, great employment, awesome work environment, not limited to just CS after graduation.
So, I really like Maseeh since it’s in the center of campus and it’s a 1 minute walk from the main MIT building(this is significant during winters when its raining, snowing and cold). It’s the closest to the student center and gym. It’s also one of the nicest looking dorm since its the newest and has great facilities. I think its also the only dorm that serves lunch. The lounges are awesome for psetting too. Some cons of Maseeh is that it might be one of the quietest dorms, e.g. not much noise, no parties (a pro for me since I like having a sort of sanctuary and I go to other places for parties) and that it has no “culture” compared to other dorms(again I prefer this). Baker was my second choice and is more athletic I guess although I would say Maseeh is the second most athletic. Usually, people who like Maseeh like Baker more than other dorms and vice versa. Baker also has some really nice views of the Charles which I’m jealous of and Baker has brick rooms in contrast to Maseeh’s white walls.
So the opposite of Maseeh and Baker, all the way on the other side of the spectrum is Senior House and East Campus. Typically, you’ll find the most nontraditional students in senior house and east campus(a lot of kids dye their hair here). Also, if you like building structures and machines, a lot of kids in East Campus are into that. I would say the MIT culture in terms of hacking and nerdiness is MUCH more concentrated in East Campus and Senior House than in Maseeh and Baker. Maseeh and Baker are more traditional college dorms and if you’re rushing, I think you’ll find the highest concentration of fellow rushing freshman in Baker first and Maseeh second. Simmons is really far away and I think I’ve only been there once. Don’t know too much about it, but they have pretty nice rooms. Next house is also like a 20 minute walk from main campus and I don’t know too much about it either. Most people in macgregor that I know went there because they have singles and you don’t have to be on the meal plan. Maseeh has a mandatory 19 meal plan for freshman and I believe baker has a mandatory meal plan for freshman that is slightly less? Burton Connor is the suite dorm.</p>
<p>I’m a course 18-C sophomore. So I’ve taken a couple course 6 classes (6.01, 6.042) and currently taking 6.006. 6.01 was a fairly good course, although it progresses pretty quickly if you have little Python background. I didn’t enjoy 042 that much, other than the team problem solving, and I’d only recommend it if you have little background with discrete math topics. 6.006 is pretty enjoyable so far, although I have to refresh my Python :)</p>
<p>In terms of dorms, I didn’t want a meal plan, so my top choices were all non-dining dorms. I currently live in New House; even though it’s not a very popular dorm, I like it here. NH is similar to BC and MacGregor in that the dorm is more suite-style (as opposed to floor-wide everything), and the rooms are pretty nice. Location’s a bit annoying, but it only takes about 5-10 min to bike to class.</p>
<p>Is there anything that (any of) you DON’T like about studying comp. sci. at MIT (or in general)? And what’re the difference between course 18-C and course 6? All I understand is that 18-C incorporates a lot more math…</p>
<p>Again, thanks!</p>
<p>What I didn’t like about computer science: The earlier classes do not account for experience well. This means I (someone who had never coded before MIT) was placed on a bell curve along with people who were coding since middle school - I was struggling to get higher scores, whereas people who already knew their stuff were <em>bored</em>. It was lose-lose. Unfortunately, because earlier classes involve some EE integrated in rather than as a separate class, people generally aren’t allowed to skip introductory requirements in course 6.</p>
<p>18-C is a subset of math major, but with some more computer science. Kind of like 18 and 6-3, but closer to 18. I’ll likely be taking 6.005, 6.02, and 6.045.</p>
<p>Also what PiperXP said, 6.01 will definitely be a challenge if you’ve never coded or worked with circuits before. I had programmed before, but not in Python, so I was able to learn Python pretty quickly. However the EE part of 6.01 was quite difficult for me, since they progress pretty quickly.</p>
<p>I heard they do have an intro to programming mini-class during IAP for people with no experience. This was instituted years after I left, so I don’t know how effective it is.</p>
<p>^ They have that, and they also have 6.00. But neither are required introductory courses, and you’ll probably take 6.01 sophomore fall.</p>
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<p>Do any of you find it hard to eat healthy food while at MIT? And how’s the Z Center?</p>
<p>Speaking of food, what are the benefits and drawbacks of a meal plan? Would you recommend going with or without one? </p>
<p>Eating healthy is more of a time issue than about finding food. MIT is very close to Star Market (it was actually right behind my dorm), and there are shuttles that visit other places like Trader Joe’s. I found that there were generally healthy options in the dining halls, but they were very expensive compared to what you got at Star.</p>
<p>You can get Subway, Japanese food, inedible so-called Mexican food (I’m Mexican, I hate the Mexican food in most of Boston), etc in the student center - there’s also a minimart in there. But going to those places is probably less healthy than making your own food. (Except for Subway.)</p>
<p>I like the Z-Center, though I ended up using the Stata gym more often because that’s where a lot of course 6 classes are. Stata’s gym is much smaller, but both gyms are clean and decently equipped. </p>
<p>Awesome! Thanks for your answer, Piper. </p>
<p>I’ve only gone to the gym, like, thrice, and now I do yoga and not at MIT, but when I went to the Z center it was pretty awesome. It’s huge. Huge. There are lots of machines of every variety. There is also a shooting range and an ice rink.</p>
<p>I would not get a meal plan. I also did not get a meal plan. I’m a very picky eater and I don’t like to limit my food to a schedule. I also live in a dorm with massive kitchens. And a grocery store less than a block away. So.</p>
<p>Eating healthy is not difficult. Again, I live right next to a grocery store, so I’m spoiled. But even if you don’t live in Random Hall, Shaw’s is not going to be much farther from your dorm than final exams are from mine. You’ll probably need to plan your grocery trips a bit more than I do but it probably isn’t that bad. I lived in MacGregor for a summer when Random was closed and going to Shaw’s was annoying but not terrible.</p>
<p>Most of the food I eat is not unhealthy. If I’m in a hurry I’ll make eggs or fry chickpeas or eat yogurt. Sometimes we have luxurious steak dinners when fancy steaks are on sale. Sometimes my boyfriend makes tacos. Sometimes I cook more variety of things but lately that has not been the case because I’ve gotten obsessed with tea. We also eat vegetables.</p>
<p>Occasionally, like today, we split a pint of ice cream. And by split I mean I eat it. That’s probably not healthy. And there is wonderful frozen food you can heat up and that is probably not healthy. And pasta is not healthy. It all depends on your choices. Healthy food is not harder to make or acquire than unhealthy food.</p>
<p>However, if your dorm does not have kitchens, cooking will be difficult. I don’t know how hard it is to make healthy choices or how available those choices are in the dining halls. I ate at a dining hall once and there was a lot of ice cream and a lot of toppings and chocolate milk to mix into your coffee. There was also real food but it wasn’t as memorable.</p>
<p>Yeah, if you live in Random, Star Market is literally right behind the dorm. Also, the Trader Joe’s isn’t too far from west campus and there is a shuttle. In terms of restaurants, there aren’t that many great ones, but there is also a Cambridge Grill (which has fairly decent pizza and sandwiches) and Dunkin Donuts in the student center, and a bunch of restaurants in Kendall and Central squares.</p>
<p>Seems like I’ll be fine on the food situation if I go to MIT then :). Thanks for your responses! </p>
<p>There are A LOT of restaurants in Central Square. Central Square is pretty much made of restaurants. And Kendall Square is nice too. Boston and Cambridge have so many small businesses. There is food and culture everywhere.</p>