<p>I've always loved MIT. Ever since I was in middle school, I've been to MIT many many times and have always loved going there. However, I truly wonder, is it truly right for me? I know it probably isn't true, but I have seen somewhat socially awkward people there, and I know that obviously there's going to be a lot of work, but enough so that I won't have time for anything else?</p>
<p>I just want to know if there are normal kids there who just happen to be smart, hard working, but also love to just chill, relax, and just enjoy life and one another.</p>
<p>The average MIT courseload is four classes per semester, with each class being 12 units. One unit is (supposed to be) one hour of time per week. It doesn’t always work out perfectly, but the idea is that a 48-unit courseload will require 48 hours of your time to be devoted each week between class, homework, and lab.</p>
<p>48 hours isn’t necessarily a walk in the park, but it leaves plenty of hours in the week for anything else you’d like to do. </p>
<p>There are also lots of different kinds of people at MIT, which is why the system of residential choice is so beautiful. You can explore campus and choose to settle down with precisely the kind of people with whom you’d like to live.</p>
<p>Go with your gut instinct. When I was visiting schools, I didn’t end up “feeling” a lot of the campuses, but I could see myself spending four years of my life at MIT, and I knew if I didn’t come here, I would have regretted it.</p>
<p>Yes, it’s a lot of work, but I think if you ask most MIT kids, they all consider themselves to be normal, hard-working (can’t get through this place without being that), and chilled/relaxed on the weekends/when we have down time. I’m having the best time here.</p>
<p>Best thing to do is to visit and talk to the students. Stop random ones on the street, in Lobby 10, out on Killian, and ask them about what their lives are like. You can tell a lot about the school culture and environment by talking to its student body :)</p>
<p>Can’t agree more with you, DM…My interviewer just overthrew my previous impression on MIT, and I also surprisingly found out that the rumored horrible suicide rate should actually be added to Cornell……</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone can be 100% certain of their college choice. At least not me, anyway.</p>
<p>I have to admit that I knew next to nothing about MIT when I chose to enroll, and I think it turned out great. =D</p>
<p>To a certain philosophical extent I don’t think the question in the title as an answer, anyhow. To play the devil’s advocate, how can you be sure that you wouldn’t have a better experience at some other college? This question can’t be answered because unless you can live multiple lives in parallel universes, you’ll have no basis of comparison.</p>
<p>But yeah, to reiterate what someone said above - when you “feel it,” then you should come here (that’s why you should come to CPW!). Don’t second-guess yourself too much. : ) </p>
<p>ps. Keep in mind that all the griping about how hard everything is is also often exaggerated, out of frustration and IHTFP. : P
pps. There are awkward people everywhere. There are college suicides everywhere. The courseload is what you make of it everywhere. It’s unfair to tack these tags on to MIT, and like what numerous people have said above, MIT is such a diverse community - you’ll find your niche. Do you really think all 4,000+ of us are nerds? What a scary idea.</p>