grad school vs. undergrad - by Rona Wang

This past September, I started my master’s of engineering. At MIT, the computer science MEng is often seen as an extension of undergrad, but I wanted to compare the two experiences, with the caveat that I’m early in my grad school journey. There are a few major differences between grad school and undergrad. I live in an apartment now. Grad housing was a nightmare—the day the portal opened, the website crashed almost immediately and almost every option disappeared. So I don’t live in a grad dorm. Instead, I live in an apartment with a roommate who works full-time at a Real Job. This is a drastic social shift from my time in undergrad, where I was in an independent living group (sort of like a sorority or fraternity house, but not Greek affiliated). I’m so lucky that my current roommate is a close friend with amazing taste in decor and books, and I’m really happy here. There is simply a big difference between living with one person and living with thirty. Plus, being in an actual apartme

This past September, I started my master’s of engineering. At MIT, the computer science MEng is often seen as an extension of undergrad, but I wanted to compare the two experiences, with the caveat that I’m early in my grad school journey. There are a few major differences between grad school and undergrad. I live in an apartment now. Grad housing was a nightmare—the day the portal opened, the website crashed almost immediately and almost every option disappeared. So I don’t live in a grad dorm. Instead, I live in an apartment with a roommate who works full-time at a Real Job. This is a drasti