The Masochist's Institute of Technologyanecdotes of an ambitious MIT student

I’ve realized in the past few weeks that I haven’t blogged at all these past few months. I’ve made an average of probably 2 posts a month, and even so, they haven’t been particularly informative, nor have I made a conscious effort to achieve the goal of this blog – to give insight and advice on college life. Thus, with the beginning of the new year, I’d like to heavily return to blogging (which kept me afloat freshman year).

One of the things that I’ve always wanted to do is create a blog centered on networking practices. However, I don’t have the time nor the energy to manage more than one blog, so I will speaking more about it here. Social engineering and networking are tactics that intrigue me beyond belief. It is amazing that our connections are such important keys to get us somewhere in life, and I feel that to not take full advantage of them quite a waste.

So important I found this principle, that I spent an hour changing my blog to a new title (“Outshine”) and rearranging my posts so that only the professional, advice-based ones were visible. I had planned to continue personal blogging by setting all of my personal posts to private. After a while, though, I realized that this setup completely violated the reasons why I love blogging so much – to tell others about my life! As such, here I am, back from the grave of MIA bloggers, to once again share my extremely strong thoughts with the world.

A couple of things to which you can look forward:

1. My amazing Portuguese class
2. The lessons you learn from skating
3. The importance of planning ahead (especially with events..)

Things I have learned today:

1. The intermediate skating coach runs us through drills like we’re athletes in training. I just wanted to do some fancy figure-skating-esque footwork, not flail around to build up endurance =(
2. I still speak Portuguese with a French accent.
3. Winter coats are unbelievably warm. I was not cold at all while walking around.
4. Next House feels like an oven when you have the window closed.
5. After winter break, I am no longer capable of sleeping past 7am.
6. My ATS little sibling and AXO sister Christine is awesome at making cookies :D
7. Silk habotai is not as expensive as I thought it was.
8. FIRE+ICE (the restaurant) IS DELICIOUS BEYOND BELIEF.

It’s my last day back in Austin before I head back up to the frigid north for Independent Activities Period. Unlike last year, when I was practically begging to go back after spending IAP at home, this year I’m not particularly looking forward to being back at MIT either. Some part of me really wants more time to embrace the inner happiness that I’ve found while at home, but as they say, “Time and tide wait for no man.”

So on we march through life, never knowing what tomorrow brings, but always keeping our heads up and our hopes bright. Here then, are my tentative resolutions for the first year of the new decade, 2010.

1. Receive no less than a 4.6 for both spring and fall semesters.
2. Apply for and receive an externship for IAP 2011.
3. Attempt to get published (HBR?).
4. Make contacts at a minimum of 5 big-name companies.
5. Make SEBC Marketing awesome!
6. Finally get my site (Vivian-Lee.net) online.
7. Perform with Sekai no Melody at AX 2010.
8. Perform a super-awesome showcase with MITADT.
9. Take ballet classes over the summer..?
10. Attempt to finish writing that novel?
11. Blog more!! (at least once per week!)
12. Carry self with better confidence.
13. Be more social, especially with people outside of my usual living groups.