this post is a shout out to MIT and the wonderful people here
i've had to incomplete a lot of classes this semester for personal reasons
but I'm actually really grateful because what it's taught me is that people are wonderful and trustworthy.
my hallmates and friends came to visit me, even though everyone is super busy with classwork and i didn't want to admit to myself i was actually in a life crisis
i gained new friendships with some incredibly strong people
i gained deeper friendships with friends who had gone through a lot, who could empathize with my struggles
my parents turned out to be adults i can trust and confide in, people who came to my side immediately when i needed it
the GRTs and housemasters, my medlinks, even my UROP supervisor, as well as MIT Medical and the S^3 deans have all been actively supportive
my professors, especially for small or new classes that are more flexible, have been amazingly accommodating and sympathetic
i've learned that the professors and staff think of us as people, not as the mythical genius MIT student who thrives on intellectual knowledge and has zero life issues
actually they've completely blown past my expectations in this regard. i don't think the struggles i face are that much more severe than the struggles other students here face, and everyone manages fine.
but i've come to be
okay with who i am
even more so now that i know that my friends believe in me, my professors and staff believe in me, and my family believes in me.
overall, i'm a really lucky person, and the world and MIT is a surprisingly wonderful place that confounds and delights me everyday.
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other things i learned this semester: it's better to consistently show up for class even if you don't consistently get your work done before class, communicate with class staff, don't be afraid to ask for help whether it be for life or academic issues, don't be afraid to commandeer time in office hours even if you don't need the class for graduating (actually, you're paying tuition for it), resources are less strained than i think, it's better to go to class even 30 minutes late to show that you're trying than to give up and go to sleep.
more later, perhaps, as i think of things to add
