Lessons of an MIT Education
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Lessons of an MIT Education
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Re: Lessons of an MIT Education
#2This was written in 1997.
"From the Association of Alumni and Alumnae of MIT April 1997"
Re: Lessons of an MIT Education
#3> The world and your career are unpredictable, so you are better off learning subjects of permanent value.
I've been looking for a way to express this idea for years. Doing a core subject at University like Mathematics or Physics can be used in a million different careers.
In a similar way I'd recommend learning say Functional Programming over React or Scala.
Plus I guess learning Category Theory over functional programming too, although I'm not quite sure how true that is.
Re: Lessons of an MIT Education
#4> Lesson Ten: Mathematics is still the queen of the sciences.
> When an undergraduate asks me whether he or she should major in mathematics rather than in another field that I will simply call X, my answer is the following: "If you major in mathematics, you can switch to X anytime you want to, but not the other way around."
You can argue that with Physics as well. However, I have learned in my life, that there is a value in not having the option to "go back". Flexibility comes at a price.
Re: Lessons of an MIT Education
#5> Lesson Ten: Mathematics is still the queen of the sciences. > When an undergraduate asks me whether he or she should major in mathematics rather than in another field that I will simply call X, my answer is the following: "If you major in mathematics, you can switch to X anytime you want to, but not the other way around." You can argue that with Physics as well. However, I have learned in my life, that there is a v…
Relevant XKCD? https://xkcd.com/435/
Re: Lessons of an MIT Education
#6The author was quite harsh on the soft sciencies and humanities and I'm going to attempt a defense. First, he characterises these subjects as merely what, facts to be learned, instead of how, skills to be mastered.
Let's take history, which seems very what, full of dates and names. A great course in history teaches you how to think differently and with deeper context about world events and your country's politics.
I suggest that a society only interested in the workings of machines rather than the workings of people will soon treat people as mere machines. Let the nightmare begin.
Re: Lessons of an MIT Education
#7Has the course number changed? It’s not on the Open Courseware list.
Re: Lessons of an MIT Education
#8> Lesson Ten: Mathematics is still the queen of the sciences. > When an undergraduate asks me whether he or she should major in mathematics rather than in another field that I will simply call X, my answer is the following: "If you major in mathematics, you can switch to X anytime you want to, but not the other way around." You can argue that with Physics as well. However, I have learned in my life, that there is a v…
> "If you major in mathematics, you can switch to X anytime you want to, but not the other way around."
I hear people say that about mathematicians, physicists and even philosophers, yet I've never come across any of them in my career. I suspect it's wishful thinking.
Re: Lessons of an MIT Education
#9Has the course number changed? It’s not on the Open Courseware list. https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/
It is 18.03. He may have just inadvertently flipped the 0 and 3. It is 18.03 now, and was in 2002 :D.
Re: Lessons of an MIT Education
#10> Lesson Ten: Mathematics is still the queen of the sciences. > When an undergraduate asks me whether he or she should major in mathematics rather than in another field that I will simply call X, my answer is the following: "If you major in mathematics, you can switch to X anytime you want to, but not the other way around." You can argue that with Physics as well. However, I have learned in my life, that there is a v…
> "If you major in mathematics, you can switch to X anytime you want to, but not the other way around." I hear people say that about mathematicians, physicists and even philosophers, yet I've never come across any of them in my career. I suspect it's wishful thinking.
Indeed, what is it even supposed to mean? You can become a doctor or a lawyer or whatever just like that because you have a degree in math?