Work

I worked in a biophysics lab which was a very new environment a biology-oriented person like me. I had to pick up a lot of new skills very quickly at the start, such as mathematical modelling and bioinformatics. Although I was struggling quite a lot at the start it smoothed over over time as I became more accustomed to the work. It really taught me to not give up on something just because the learning curve seemed too high or I felt like I don't have a chance at succeeding at something. The working environment was also very supportive and quite lighthearted in a way.

Experience

Finding a place to live in Boston can be challenging but I found some quite decent housing options which were also quite close to MIT. I did all of my commuting using the bike-sharing service in Boston. Socializing can be a tad difficult just because I lived relatively far from the main socializing hubs. It did, however, mean that I only went to events I really wanted to go to, as I basically had to bike for 15mins to get there. The MIT Visiting Student association is a great way to meet other internationals at the institute. The MIT outing club, which is opened to everyone (not just affiliates) let me explore the nearby White Mountains and meet even more people. The Boston area is a hive of activity and there are always a lot of different events (often FREE) just about every day of the week. One downside of life in Boston is the high cost of going out for dinners or even just drinks. However, for me personally, I will usually prefer a night in with friends, food, and beer over a night out.

Discover

I feel like this internship taught me a lot about resilience. This started even before the internship, during the visa and sponsorship process, which lasted much longer than I expected and I didn't even know if I would be coming in the end. However I stuck through even though I wanted to give up, and it was very worth it. I got to work with some of the smartest and most inspiring people I know, which made me appreciate what a wonderful opportunity it is to be working at MIT, even just as a visitor. It also taught me a lot about the importance of having a community. Life in the USA can be quite isolating in many ways, so having a social circle one can lean on when times are tough, is incredibly important. My main area of study is Neuroscience, so working in a purely biophysics was very challenging, but also rewarding. I hope to adapt some of the skills I have learned here further on in my career.