MIT Freshman Year Recap — Fall Semester

4 min readJun 20, 2023

Hi, this is Pari! I just finished my first year as an undergraduate at MIT. Through this post (1 of 3), I hope to share some of the highlights from my first fall semester. I hope to divide this blog post into different sections that cover my academic, research, and social experiences at MIT so far.

During the first semester as an undergraduate at MIT, every freshman is on Pass/No Record, meaning we are not assigned grades on the A, B, C, D, F, etc. scale, but instead assigned just a “P” for “Pass” or “NR” for “No Record”. This grading system is implemented with the hopes of offering students the opportunity to spend the first semester adjusting to college life.

Throughout my semester on P/NR, I took the following classes:

18.02 Multivariable Calculus: This was a pretty standard class for advanced calculus. It was fun to meet other freshmen in this class.

5.111 Principles of Chemical Science: This was also a pretty standard chemistry class and was similar to AP Chemistry in high school. Having taken AP Chemistry before, it was easier to learn the concepts in the class, but first unit in this class started with quantum mechanism and orbital wave theory which was confusing. It was also really fun to meet other freshmen through this class!

8.01 Classical Mechanics: This was the first TEAL class I took, meaning that it followed a flipped learning format where we could complete learning sequences weekly at home and then come to class to solve problems and review concepts. Attendance was mandatory and I had lectures at 9 am which was a struggle but it was fun to meet other freshmen through this class as well!

7.03 Genetics: This was the first higher-level biology class I took at MIT. As one of the few freshmen in this class, I was able to meet other biology-oriented majors in this class, but it was sometimes difficult to navigate the in-depth and specialized content in the class. PSETs were every other week and tests were open-note and take-home, but they were still challenging. Nevertheless, it was definitely an interesting and fun class and I enjoyed taking it my first semester!

6.100A: Introduction to Computer Science Programming in Python: This was an introductory Python class and having programmed before, it was an easier adjustment. It occurred during the first half of the semester as a half-term class, so it was nice to have more free time during the second half of the semester. It was also nice to meet other freshmen in this class as well!

During my first semester, I also hit the ground running with my first undergraduate research opportunities program (UROP) at the Broad Institute. It was fascinating to pursue biochemistry research that was cutting-edge and engaging. I vividly remember there being a day when I had learned about Gibson Cloning in my genetics class lecture in the morning and then later in the afternoon, when I was in the lab, I learned how to carry out the same technique! It was profound to be able to apply the concepts I was learning in this way!

Throughout my first semester, I also spent quite a bit of time exploring MIT, Cambridge, and Boston in general. I tried to immerse myself in various communities and meet new people and explore new places.

Here is a photo compilation of some of the highlights from this semester: