<p>Inspired by a thread of the same name in the College Life section, I thought I'd ask prefrosh what their fears were starting up at MIT in the fall. Everyone comes in nervous and with their own specific worries. Maybe the upperclassmen/alums/Admissions officer/etc on this board can help you out :)</p>
<p>I’m not admitted (or even applied), but I wanted to ask - do you guys have much free time as students at MIT? I keep messing around with software or electronics projects in my free time, I was wondering whether I could continue at MIT (if I’m admitted 
). Maybe such projects would actually become real work.</p>
<p>Also, is there any club or group that focuses on drumming?</p>
<p>Fear of the unknown. 
I don’t really know how hard MIT actually is and I don’t know how much time I’ll have and I don’t know if I’ll screw up really badly…</p>
<p>but on the plus side, I feel pretty confident right now. Isn’t that how us bright, untried prefrosh are supposed to be?</p>
<p>@nikki93 - Yes, we have free time That whole “work hard, play hard” thing is absolutely true at MIT. As for messing with software or electronics, you might want to look at SIPB for the first and MITERS for the second. You can take a look at Rambax for drumming, but I’m not sure if it’s you’re style. There might be other drumming clubs I don’t know about :)</p>
<p>@Inkling - Hehe, yep ^.^</p>
<p>^No bands/guitarists? 
I. will. absolutely. need. my. guitar. with. me.
If I’m accepted.
:D</p>
<p>^ You could form your own band? I don’t think band would want to become an MIT-recognized club…</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>Wait a minute… there are no bands? [I’m actually asking as I’m still not clear on this point.]
I’ll absolutely have to make one if I get there.
Why not?! I should think that being in a band demonstrates a nice range of interests 
When I found out about them, I thought the acoustics involved in guitars were awesome. That said, I was 8 at the time, but still. It’s science :D</p>
<p>How’s the music scene over there? Do you know a lot of people who play instruments? I’m a huge music fan so I’d never survive without it - and without people who are as interested in it as I am - my friends and I play just about every week. Can get up to every day at times. In fact, I miss my guitar right now. Excuse me while I go play… [note: it’s 12:30 AM and my family will probably murder me in 3 minutes when they wake up, but hell if those minutes aren’t worth it.]</p>
<p>P.S: Sorry for the awkwardness of my obsession. And I was just kidding with that last note - I’m not one of the rock-your-brains-out type electric guitarist, more of an acoustic guitar player myself, but I’ll be dead in 3 minutes regardless.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://miters.mit.edu/]MITERS[/url”>http://miters.mit.edu/]MITERS[/url</a>]</p>
<p>OMG. MITERS looks fun. With access to all those parts… The things you could do… Where does the money for the parts come from?</p>
<p>@Jimmy797 - I don’t know of any bands that are clubs at MIT. Maybe someone else wants to step in with that one :)</p>
<p>But music in general is pretty big. I know plenty of people who play instruments for fun. Some of them join MITSO, our symphony orchestra, or MITWE, our wind ensemble - both of which I’ve heard only good things about. We have a marching band, and Musical Theater Guild, plenty of a capella groups…</p>
<p>Actually, here’s a good list:
[arts@MIT</a> - Things to Do - Groups & Clubs](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/arts/do/groupsclubs.html#music]arts@MIT”>http://web.mit.edu/arts/do/groupsclubs.html#music)</p>
<p>I’m not sure if I’ve seen your type of music around a lot - but if there’s not much at MIT, I’m sure you can find stuff in Boston :D</p>
<p>@nikki93 - Clubs can apply for funding through student government. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if MITERS also got funding through the EECS department or something.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p><a href=“http://tech.mit.edu/V130/PDF/N21.pdf[/url]”>http://tech.mit.edu/V130/PDF/N21.pdf</a></p>
<p>Page 12.</p>
<p>Aha! So I talked to a friend of mine on the ASA (Association of Student Activities, they decide who’s going to be an MIT-affiliated group), and she said that no bands themselves are ASA groups, but the LMC organizes MIT bands. So, here ya go :)</p>
<p>[MIT</a> LMC | Live Music Connection](<a href=“http://lmc.mit.edu/]MIT”>http://lmc.mit.edu/)</p>
<p>On that note, feel free to peruse our ASA listing of student groups =)
[MIT</a> Association of Student Activities (ASA) :: Student Group List](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/asa/resources/group-list.html]MIT”>http://web.mit.edu/asa/resources/group-list.html)</p>
<p>Lots of people are into music at MIT. I have several friends who brought guitars with them and would just play around with them, having sing alongs or whatever. I also knew someone who was in a band he had formed with friends that played in the area.</p>
<p>Becoming an ASA-recognized student group is actually relatively difficult, but you go through the trouble in order to get certain perks associated with it. The thing is, those perks aren’t really helpful to a band. It’s things like getting the ability/right to reserve classrooms and stuff- if you’re a band you’d probably just want to play in the music room of a dorm or something.</p>
<p>There’s nothing stopping you from forming a band, and people do it, it just doesn’t make sense to make it into an official student group.</p>
<p>Well that’s great to hear Thanks for the replies, all of you.
As for the original thread topic: I’m mostly afraid of what I’d be missing out on in my home country if I go to MIT. The colleges and the lifestyle here are pretty spectacular, and I’m sure I’d love it if I stayed, so if I do go to MIT, that’s what my fear is [Just to be clear though, I’m not an upcoming freshman, I’m going to apply this year.]</p>
<p>@Laura
Wouldn’t playing in the dorm get me voted out of the building for disturbances? [Just a random question, I’m sure I’d find another place anyway]
And yeah I don’t think it’s necessary for it to be an official student group. I don’t even really want to form a band, but I do enjoy having people who share a passion for music and/or play an instrument.</p>
<p>^ Depends on the dorm, the time, how loud you’re actually being, and where in the dorm you’re practicing People will just ask you to play more quietly - not throw you out.</p>