BE 20.109(S20) Class blog

The final blog post has come upon us and, unsurprisingly, I still have little to no idea what to actually write about. I suppose a sort of reflection on the class as a whole would be appropriate? Hmmm, but I can also imagine that thing's might get a bit repetitive given that we have already had our feedback session. What to do, what to do? -Ok bet, let's go with that. At first, I wasn't particularly looking forward to 109; those 15 units with 2 4-hr lab blocks absolutely weren't looking like the move. But having gone through the experience, 109 gets the distinction of being one of the few class experiences I would say that I enjoyed: not hated, like 8.01, not more or less apathetic towards, like 6.0001/2, but actually enjoyed. Though those chunks did cut into my availability for lab research, I have received some great benefits from the class, the most helpful of which has been from its written CI-M aspects. Though I have given presentations and journal clubs in th

Jesus H Christ, I am so tired. Objectively, no human has ever been as tired as me. Not one. Not even Nancy from Nightmare on Elm Street when she's staying up for days to not get murdered by Freddy Krueger. Not even that other lady from Nightmare on Elm Street when she's staying up for days to not get murdered by Freddy Krueger. On the positive side, I am not staying up for days to not get murdered by Freddy Krueger. In fact, the lab report keeping me up is quite docile compared to him. Even quite docile compared to many of the assignments in 20.109. It's a summary of a semester's research that accomplished a little less than the whole of Mod1. So, if there's one thing I can be grateful for about 20.109, its that it makes other classes look easy.

I can't believe that today was the last day of classes.  It feels like just yesterday we were sent home from college, and time has stopped ever since.  April absolutely flew bye.  I am very proud to have completed all of the assignments and projects in 20.109 that seemed daunting at the beginning of the semester.  Although, I have mixed feelings about sophomore year coming to a close.  On the one hand, I am very proud of what I have accomplished in my first two years at MIT.  I have learned a lot and am interested in the material that we learn, I have gotten to know an amazing group of friends and peers, and I have participated in fascinating research, both in and out of the classroom.  Because I have loved my first to years of college so much, I am also sad to say that I am half-way through college.  I feel like freshman and sophomore year went by so quickly, and am nervous that junior and senior year will feel equally fast. I'm not sure what my life will look like in 2 more y

Dear Jenny, I’m not really sure what you were thinking when you agreed to be lab partners with me. You knew what my work habits (or lack thereof) were like from 20.110. Yet, you still agreed to be lab partners with me, and for that, I’m forever grateful. I don’t think I could have gotten through this class without you. You dealt with my time difference (so you stayed up 3 hours later than usual), my endless stream of dumb science puns/jokes, and bufoonery. You also took the initiative to get started on the assignments, and that motivated me to try to do the same since I didn’t want to let you (or your grade) down (sorry if I did so anyways, but bless PNR). Anyways, I’m writing this to you on the 109 blogs because I think you deserve to be recognized for all your hard work! Also, here are some of my favorite exchanges with you on Facebook Messenger (I’m pretty sure there was a lot of other great moments on calls, but they’re not recorded*) Your lab partner, Kevin P.S. Can you let me

20.109 was super fun, despite corona!!! I felt like I learned more about what biological engineering was and got an insight into what research in this field entails. Being able to work with new and innovative research techniques was really fun and rewarding. I felt like I learned the biology behind many commonly used lab techniques and was able to add to my toolbox of skills for my professional career. Mod 1: Long hours in the lab and constantly being last in class with Emily was a struggle but manageable because of the great faculty!! I really liked being able to both learn the theory and actually doing the science. It was also cool to see the science we were learning in 7.05 overlapping with what we were doing in 20.109, especially the protein purification section of the module. (My fav module) Mod 2: R is my frenemy, however, I lowkey appreciate its ability. I was able to actually know what RNA sequencing really was. Though run code on R was super frustrating, finally being

Hello world. As I stand here about twenty feet from the summit, a sense of accomplishment washes over me. It's an undertaking few have conquered. Still, at the same time I feel a sense of dread. I made it here, but what about the trip on the way down? Supplies are lower than expected, the crew is tired, and the nights have been getting longer and longer. There's a small chance we might not even have enough oxygen for the next two days, I haven't had the chance to do the math. Why are we even up here? What hubris drove us to try to conquer this majesty of nature? What were we looking for? Looking out across the broken and jagged Himalayas, I feel contemplative. It's about 6:34 am, and the darkness is starting to lift. Wind is strong, but no snowfall. We dug ourselves a little crevasse to shield ourselves from the wind, and we're on the east side of the mountain. 2 more minutes till sunrise. It was a difficult trip up. It was lonely and sad and cold and