What Was MIT Really Like? 🎒

Hey y’all,

You ever meet someone so smart that they distort your perception of intelligence?

This happened to me my freshman year MIT. Throughout high school, I had been the “smart kid.” With solid grades and test scores, I was relatively confident in my abilities. But MIT quickly revealed a whole new echelon of intellectual prowess.

Before I dive into my reflections, I want to tell you about the Khan Squared Podcast! My brother and I recently sat down to yap about our high school lore. If you’re interested in some of our most interesting (and cringiest) stories, give it a watch and drop a comment about your favorite part. Next week, we’ll dive into some of our stories from college. 👀

With that, here are some reflections from my four unforgettable years up in Cambridge, MA.

MIT Was More Collaborative Than Expected

During my first semester, I quickly realized that MIT wasn’t some ruthlessly competitive place. I believe reason is twofold: MIT culls for collaborative students while intentionally dampening competition.

For most people I met, academic passion was a greater catalyst than inherent desire to “win.” Don’t get me wrong, MIT students still have a competitive drive—and I’m sure the world of academia is filled with clashing egos. However, I feel that we’re less abrasive than our neighbors down the river.

I especially felt this my freshman year. Students were more than happy to share resources, help each other through PSETs, and teach each other challenging concepts. I think this was a natural byproduct of the environment. The rigor of MIT is such an alarming jump for most freshmen that they have no option but to push through together.

On that note, I think the institute also does a great job of stifling competition. We don’t have Latin honors, we don’t have class rank, and we don’t receive a + or - next to our letter grades.

Heck, during our first semester, we didn’t even get grades. During freshman fall, MIT has something called “PNR,” which stands for Pass/No Record. If you pass a class, great, it shows up as “pass” on your transcript. And if you fail, it doesn’t even appear.

There’s no record.

MIT Was More Humbling Than Expected

I spent a large portion of my MIT career getting humbled by the humble. Let me explain.

Compared to some nearby schools (I’m looking at you Mahad), MIT has a less pretentious atmosphere. People don’t flaunt their accolades, so I’d leave most interactions feeling like I had just met someone normal.

But sometimes, the clout seeps through, resulting in the most humbling experience imaginable.

For example, I’d sometimes later learn that these people were science fair winners, startup founders, or even IOI/IMO/IBO medalists.

I think I’ve already told y’all this before, but during orientation, I met a junior (or maybe he was a senior?) who had sold his startup for tens of millions of dollars. No joke.

It also took me months to lean that one of my fraternity brothers had multiple IMO medals.

However, the most humbling experiences aren’t just when you hear about the accolades, but when you see them in action. Check out the MIT Integration Bee if you wanna see an example, lol.

Now yes, while these encounters would often leave me in awe, I left them more inspired than discouraged. Being surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the world revealed new possibilities and constantly pushed me forward.

MIT Was More Demanding Than Expected

“Gohar, you didn’t think MIT was going to be demanding?” I did. I had braced every ounce of my body for the sheer academic and extracurricular pressure that I was going to face.

But somehow the pressure was still greater than what I expected.

As Former MIT President Jerome Weisner once said, “Getting an education from MIT is like taking a drink from a fire hose.”

My goal was to make the most of my freshman year, so I overcommitted—joining too many clubs, taking on an extra class, and even deciding to pursue Greek life in the middle of it all.

But MIT felt like a land of endless opportunity. I joined the Undergraduate Association because I wanted to help shape the community. I joined a hackathon organization because I wanted to leverage my coding knowledge. I joined a research journal because I wanted to further my love of writing. And I even joined a dance team… that I quickly dropped.

The list goes on. And even as I dropped commitments to ease my schedule, the pressure from the fire hose never subsided. But I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.

What did you think about this newsletter? DM me on Instagram (@goharsguide) to let me know!

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I’ll see you next week!

Best,
Gohar