RKxyz

Friends: what is the smartest way to utilise the IAP time at MIT. I would be curious to know what were generally considered the best activities last year or the years before - while I know that perspective on what is best could vary from person to person.

I am specifically interested in paid internships during this period. Is this a good idea ?

Any advise is welcome

- RK

PiperXP

I really your first IAP should be spent doing random and crazy stuff. Get the feel for what IAP is like - attend random programming or blacksmithing classes. Go snowboarding on a weekend. Get night shifted for a week. Build and program a lego robot and feel the heat of the competition.

Internships are nice. Traveling to Spain is nice. But you won't get an idea of what IAP at MIT is - you can intern over the summer, travel to Spain as a sophomore. I wanted to be an EMT but decided to put it up because I wouldn't really have an IAP if I did that =D.

molliebatmit

My favorite part of IAP was being able to set my own schedule. My freshman year, I didn't do anything formal, just ran around to talks and classes and events when I felt like it. My sophomore year, I UROPed part-time and did random stuff part-time. (My junior and senior years I was more sensible and boring and UROPed full-time.)

If you're interested in doing paid work for IAP, you should check out the Externship Program run by the MIT Alumni Association.

jessiehl

There's no general consensus. Here's what I did during my IAPs (if I was doing it again, I would do more during the first two, probably including either glassblowing or blacksmithing, and possibly the EMT class):

IAP 04: Took 18.02A, stayed inside moaning about how cold it was a lot (I'm from the South and it was my first Boston winter), ice-skated a lot on MIT's rink, went to random events and talks and so on, generally took it easy.

IAP 05: Took fencing PE, went to random events and talks and so on.

IAP 06: Did Maslab (one of the big IAP team robotics class/competitions, about the time commitment of a full-time job), where our robot won an award. Played a 10-day LARP. Secured a cool summer job abroad.

IAP 07: Took boot camp and self-defense PEs. TAed for Maslab. Played a 10-day LARP.

rainynightstarz

MIT has it's own rink? that is awesome!

PiperXP

I don't know how to skate =(. I tried to learn last IAP. It was fail, but it was fun =D.

mitsoph

So I was only around for one whole IAP while I was at MIT but had a blast while I was there. I took a few PE classes and thought this was the perfect time to do so. During the terms, it always seems that the classes I want weren't at the best times and I would just tend to go to the gym when I had free time, so having a month where my only commitment was 2 hours of volleyball every morning was great.

And so many people are around feeling a lot less stressed than normal so everyone is up for having a good time. Definitely try out whatever interests you, but I would recommend fun things rather than graded classes.

LauraN

Yeah, the whole point of IAP is to do what you want. Here's what I've done.

Freshman year: EMT class. It consumed my entire life for the entire month. That sucked. But, being in EMS turned out to be an incredibly rewarding experience for me, so it was worth it. It may not be worth it for you. =)

Sophomore year: 2.670 (required Course 2 class, which is sort of obnoxious that there's a required class over IAP), helped TA the EMT class

Junior Year: Italian I (awesome!), working at IS&T

Senior Year (hopefully, if I can get a spot in this class): D-Lab trip (D-Lab is a class where you go through the design process to improve the quality of life in a 3rd world country, then you travel to a 3rd world country and implement your design)

That's the "big picture." Lots of other things happen during IAP that you can squeeze in: like Charm School, and of course, Mystery Hunt. =)