Research Science Institute 2007 Introductions

Pre-College Issues Summer Programs
21

<p>kyle, i resent that. people who go to the waterfall are not pansies. We're just smart and don't want to get blisters all over our feet (and then get lost and miss the bus back to the motel), like someone in your group of 8 did. ;)</p>

<p>At the waterfall, you can jump into the river and play in the ice cold water. It's so much fun. No one thinks about their projects, and its a great time to relax.</p>

<p>The fourth of july fireworks show on the esplanade is also cool. Everyone goes out the night before and sleep there to secure a good spot to see the fireworks.</p>

<p>If you made it to ISEF, you will reach an email from Matt McGann (the lovely MIT admin guy) telling you about a breakfast for Rickoids.</p>

22

<p>Name: George. My last name is in my username.</p>

<p>State: Connecticut. After I finished immediately rejoicing at the letter from CEE on Friday, I laughed and felt lucky to have gotten into RSI - Connecticut is not 1/53rd of the US application pool. Well, I could have been in Rhode Island.</p>

<p>Fields of interest: My RSI app said aeronautical engineering and artificial intelligence, respectively. These are the fields I feel really connected to - but I'm genuinely interested in everything. My ISEF project this year has nothing to do with either.</p>

<p>Research experience: This was my first year in the research program at my school, and I am extremely inordinately glad for it. I had never participated in a science fair before this month.</p>

<p>Test scores: BC Calc: 5, US History: 5, Math iic: 800, US History: 770, PSAT 80:80:78(writing). I haven't taken the SAT.</p>

<p>Awards: MIT/NEST Student Award, 1st Place Connecticut Science Fair, Coherent Inc. Award for Excellence in Photonics, an award from the Connecticut Academy of Scientists and Engineers.</p>

<p>ECs: Debate, Computer Programming, Science Bowl, Trivia Team, Robotics</p>

<p>Why you think you got in: My essays and recommendations above all. I have neither a terribly impressive resume nor overwhelmingly good grades but I have an incredible passion for science and learning and a good ability to communicate, and I think my essays expressed that very well.</p>

<p>Academic and non-academic interests: There are very few things I do not enjoy doing - just about the only thing is school sports (go figure!). But to start: FRISBEE!!! which I play whenever possible. During the other 8 months of the year (New England weather - feh), I program, cook, take pictures (at RSI, you'll probably see me being stupid and walking around with too much camera equipment - I blame science fair money!), play with my computer (Linux is a distraction), become engrossed in the Internet, build model airplanes, build other things, take electronics apart (and reassemble them - sometimes). I enjoy working with my hands, and ride my bicycle often. Did I mention Frisbee?</p>

<p>I am rather ridiculously excited for ISEF. I'm sure there'll be other Rickoids '07 there. Any sort of gathering planned?</p>

23

<p>can't blame Jason for getting blisters. the problem was that he was bent on winning a dollar, because Yazeed had bet him he couldn't make it to the top. he just didn't have any rest time, because the rest of us had started heading down once he got up. and Will and I actually ran down the mountain in record time and made it to the bus, in order to relay the message that we had lost Jason. </p>

<p>moral of the story is: if you're in pain, and disoriented, and all you have to lose is a dollar, it's ok to turn back.</p>

<p>and the fourth of July was fantastic.... staking out at the esplanade for 20 hours before the fireworks....</p>

<p>and the fireworks themselves, with the boston pops playing in the background, everybody curled up with their special someones, illuminated by the colorful, explosive beauty, made everything all the more worth it.</p>

<p><em>sigh</em></p>

24

<p>Name: Winston. AIM = nenyaringofwater if you want to contact me.</p>

<p>State: IL</p>

<p>Fields of interest: 1st: Game theory, 2nd: Number theory</p>

<p>Research experience: Very little, actually. I've done a little work at Northwestern on sand structures, but very briefly. Wasn't a large part of my app.</p>

<p>Test scores: PSAT 238, 35 ACT, and 5s on AP BC Calc, Stats, and World.</p>

<p>Awards: Various math team awards. Some chemistry awards. </p>

<p>ECs: Math team and policy debate</p>

<p>Why you think you got in: I don't think it was my research experience, so it was probably my essays or recs. From what I've seen, I don't think test scores will typically get you "in," just get you "not in."</p>

<p>Academic and non-academic interests: I like pretty much all academic subjects. Non-academic I like math team and debate, lol. Wait, those are academic. Hmm... I suppose I like frisbee. Don't play much but I wish I could play more.</p>

<p>So who wants to start a facebook group?</p>

25

<p>An RSI thread has fallen to the second page?! Oh no! :'( </p>

<p>Anyway, I have decided to resuscitate this thread by posing several (possibly redundant) questions! For Rickoids of years past: How was life at MIT for you? What times of the day did you spend relaxing and what times were generally devoted to "work"? Were you allowed to get off campus and hang out at a cafe or whatever in your free time? Did you guys really wear formal clothes that often? And on a different note, each mentor usually only works with one student, right?</p>

26

<p>Cool MIT life:
Simmons hall is a freakishly cool building. Only problem is it's far from everything.
I could have sushi for any meal any day.
Laverde's in w-20 (the student activity center) has the largest drink selection i've ever seen (they claim largest on east coast).
The tunnels!!! (I had a fetish for exploring those tunnels.)</p>

<p>Ummmm, you work all day, every weekday at mentorship. mine was generally from about 9 to 4. Math people didn't meet up with their mentors for very long and always seemed to have way too much time. Others, who had labs to work in, stayed there for sometimes way too long. one girl in my counselor group would get in trouble for being late to bedcheck (11pm) cuz she was still at mentorship!</p>

<p>as long as you have a buddy, you can go off-campus. you can even go off campus without one too. just don't get caught. hence the amazingness of the tunnel system!!!!</p>

<p>we wore formal clothes for all the guest lectures (2 or 3 evenings a week) and for our presentations.</p>

<p>some mentors had 3 or 4 students (i think this one 80-year-old nuclear engineering guy had 4). some only had one. depends on the subject matter, the size of the mentor's lab, the amount of mentor interest in helping out, etc. I shared my mentor with another guy, but we were both working on completely different projects that he was head of.</p>

27

<p>How much money should we bring?</p>

28

<p>It depends on how much you want to spend on going out to eat or buying MIT merchandise, or making other random expenditures. I think I brought $500 with me in traveler's checks, and between the T, clothes from the Prudential Center, movies (rentals and theater), restaurants, and MIT merchandise, I think I spent pretty much all of it. </p>

<p>Theoretically, of course, you don't need any money at all, if you're willing to always eat on campus and you're not materialistic and you're fine with the movie selection they have at the front desk of Simmons. I guess all you really need is money for an airport cab and quarters for laundry. I'd suggest more, though. Adds to the ease of getting out and having a little fun when you're not sitting in your lab all day.</p>

29

<p>What!? 500 dollars...how expensive. I think I'll bring 50 cents and see how that goes.</p>

30

<p>Should I bring my golf clubs? Is there time on the weekend to golf?</p>

31

<p>Did most people bring laptops, and would it be helpful/unnecessary to bring one?</p>

32

<p>How many roommates does a person have?</p>

33

<p>ok, maybe you don't need 500 dollars, but i wouldn't come empty-handed if i were you. you may miss out on some fun non-RSI-sponsored stuff if you're unable to pay, unless you're really good at mooching.</p>

<p>golf? i guess there's time on some weekends to play golf... not sure where or when you'd fit it in...</p>

<p>i think less than half the people brought their laptops. it seemed like pretty much all the international students did, at least. good if you've got music you like to listen to a lot. you don't need one, because we get access to the athena network there, and there are many many computer clusters on campus for you. (i found some in interesting places in my explorations.) bring one if you want. i sometimes wish i'd had one to bring. would've made things slightly more convenient.</p>

<p>all the rooms in simmons (at least the ones rickoids used last year) are either singles or doubles, so the answer, saidu10, is either zero or one. and if you live in a single, and happen to be a victim of the lovely eugenics attempts of counselors, you might just get a roommate, too. ;-)</p>

34

<p>Thanks for the information, Spudman. If there is anything else you think that we should bring, let us know. Also, are parents allowed to visit on the weekends?</p>

35

<p>In the items RSI sent yesterday, they said no, except by prior arrangement.</p>

<p>George</p>

36

<p>Also, there's a facebook group now - "RSI 2007".</p>

37

<p>Why are we on the second page?!</p>

<p>Was there a humanitarian class last year? If so, how was it?</p>

38

<p>I heard that last year's rickoids read Frankenstein, so I guess they alternate books from year to year. Has anyone started on The Last of the Mohicans? I'm kind of confused about the choice because I don't know how TLotM is related to science at all (although I haven't read it.) I mean, with Frankenstein the connections and "danger of technology" ethical debates make more sense for RSI. Oh well, we'll see what they make out of this one..</p>

39

<p>Every year, all the Rickoids attend a humanities lecture together, because, after all, we can't all be purely science all the time. It's a good idea and a good way to get us all together discussing stuff when it's the beginning and we all don't know people very well. The books aren't always scientificly related. Last year was Frankenstein, the year before was Robinson Crusoe, and I think before that was Soilent (sp?) Green.</p>

<p>They'll tell you all that you need to bring. It's a very complete list of items. and believe me, once RSI gets going, the last thing you'll want is for your parents to visit on the weekends. And if they're the ones who really want to visit, then make sure to tell them that it's frowned upon.</p>

40

<p>i can't believe this thread has gone to the third page. so sad. revival attempt!!!!!!!</p>