tay2011

So, I love MIT academically. I'm interested in brain and cognitive sciences, hopefully teaching and doing research in the future, and I feel like MIT would be one of the best places in the country to start.
I'm worried about it socially, however. I am a nerd in the academic sense; I'm really passonate about science. Socially, though, I'm pretty normal. I don't play any video games (except DDR on occassion), I'm not very technologically savy, and I don't drink. Is there any place for me at MIT, or would Amherst, Dartmouth, Emory, Northwestern or Grinnell be a better choice for me?

Thanks so much for your help!

ever_after

I really hope there is a place for you, because I plan on attending next year and am fairly similar socially. I think I've played DDR once in my life and the kids I was babysitting laughed at me....

In all seriousness though, at CPW there seemed to be a million different social dynamics to pick and choose from.....

milki

I'm not sure but I think mollie majored in Brain and Cognitive Sciences (She actually double majored) so it might be a good idea to ask her.

molliebatmit

Your statement describes a large number of students at MIT. Not everybody is a hardcore gamer or runs some vowel-filled operating system on his/her computer.

One thing about the MIT drinking scene is that there's not a lot of pressure to participate -- there are people who drink, and there are people who really drink, but people who don't drink are respected. It's okay to hang out at an MIT party with a rum and coke, hold the rum.

EDIT: And brain and cog sci was one of my majors, so I would be happy to answer any academic questions as well.

MIT2011Dad

Mollie!
First off, let me thank you for the passion and energy you have been putting in for this forum. Secondly, my daugther has decided today on attending MIT over a few ivies etc schools! As a dad I am excited! - I thought she was a blue baby when she was first born.

Now I came across a comment on the brain and cog sci program that it was an equivalent of the psychology department at most other schools. How much truth is there to this comment? Is there any difference as far as teaching and UROP are concerned? And is there any overlap or compatibility between it and medical engineering? Thanks again.

pebbles

Aww, I love your username

I think Mollie would agree with me when I say the Brain and Cog Sci department is far more rigorous than any Psychology program out there. Generally Psych is taught as a humanities field, Brain and Cog Sci is very science-based.\

Just thought I'd chime in.

MIT2011Dad

Pebbles,
Same thanks go to you as well!!!

molliebatmit

The thing about MIT's brain and cog sci degree is that it's incredibly flexible -- students have to take a common core (intro psychology, intro neuroscience, statistics, and a lab class), but after that, they're basically free to take any courses in the department which strike their fancy.

I chose to take all cellular/molecular neurobiology classes, while jessiehl, another poster on this board, took a more varied set of courses with an emphasis on computational and systems neuroscience. Some people take classes from all the different subject areas in the department, and some stick to one or two areas.

One little-known fact is that 100% of BCS majors participate in UROP -- it's actually a graduation requirement.

There's definitely overlap with medical engineering. Many course 9 classes are cross-listed with HST, the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program, so the classes are suitable also for graduate students studying for a PhD in medical engineering and medical physics.

And congrats to your daughter! I'm glad she's going to come join our crazy little world.

EDIT: Professor Wolfe, who taught 9.00 (Intro to Psychology) when I took it, noted that at MIT, his class fulfilled the humanities requirement, while when he taught the same course at Princeton, it fulfilled the science requirement.

MIT2011Dad

One more question, Mollie. How well did MIT prepare you now that you are in the other graduate school? - What have you had to "make up" for what's missed from your MIT years?

BTW, congrats on your fiance's team winning the AIAA Design/Build/Fly competition! I think the topic was once a focal point in the "complete joke" thread. And once again MIT had to prove its worth.

molliebatmit

Oh, lord, make up? Nothing. Several of the classes in my graduate program feel like sophomore-level MIT courses, and those of us from MIT were encouraged to skip the first-year intro courses, that sort of thing.

MIT's BCS program relies heavily on the scientific literature -- many courses don't have textbooks, they just assign papers -- and being able to read papers and critique them is one of the only skills that matters in graduate school classes.

And thanks! I will pass along the congratulations!

cellardweller

MIT2011Dad:

My daughter is also starting at MIT in the fall majoring in BCS. She will most likely double major in chemistry or biology, simply because of her premed requirements. She chose BCS because of the flexibility of the program, her interest in neurobiology and not least the incredible facilities in the new BCS building. BCS is not a large program so I am sure our daughters will meet up in the fall.