Goals for Spring 2024

Published before 12:20 AM EST on 2/12, or I didn't keep my word

Here’s a long list of things I REALLY want to do this semester. It’s currently 12:01 AM, so I’ve got to write quickly. But I’ve already written the list, so this shouldn’t take too much time.

Classes

8.044 (Stat Mech): Statistical mechanics is a really cool subject about studying macro systems with a huge number of smaller components. Hyped, lotta friends in the class, and I need it for my major.

Modern China: I took Dynastic China last semester with the same guy. Fun and chill. Need it for history concentration. Also I love history

4.032 (Information Design and Visualization): I’ve always wanted to do Data viz stuff. May drop this if I don’t have enough time, because the labs are pretty intensive.

18.065 (Matrix Methods In Data Analysis, Signal Processing, And Machine Learning): Chill, survey course on a bunch of cool things you can do with computers and Linear Algebra.

Writing and Reading the Essay: Pretty intense, but well taught and lots of writing + peer feedback. May drop, deciding between this, matrix methods, and 4.032.

I really don’t want to take 5 classes.

Room

The housing gods blessed me with a massive single this semester. It’s supposed to be a double, and a large one at that. I want it to become a really cool space. I want to

• Build a bar in my room

• Host a few (more) parties

• Modify the light setup to make them sound reactive

Run an Ultramarathon

I’m signed up for one in April. Might end up not doing that because it’s a crazy busy weekend, but I’ll definitely do something. It might just be on my own.

Putz

My hall from East Campus. I want to

• Organize and run a hall retreat (end of April). I’ve gotten pretty good at doing these, and I really enjoy doing a good job at these (making them cheap, efficient, and fun).

• Make a sign/crest for Putz (with LED backlight).

• Go to more Putz events (I feel sorta divorced from some of the new social scene, been too busy).

• Make Saturday build nights a thing. My hall used to build a lot more, now they don’t. I think an organized thing for this would be great. I can get someone else to run this probably.

• Planning 3 mixers. I’m planning 3 mixers with different groups.

• Commonwealth V Putz. My hall is throwing a huge party this year (several thousand dollar budget). I’m not leading this, but I want to help out a good amount.

• Become a keyholder at MITERS

MAIA

I’m on the exec board for MAIA, MIT AI Alignment.

• Run biweekly socials, so people have social groups around the club

• Get lunch with most members of MAIA

• Run less frequent big parties with MAIA and AISST (Harvard’s equivalent)

• Make a crest for the MAIA office (like with Putz)

• Helping run a workshop in early April. Unfortunately this conflicts with Commonwealth V Putz, so will have to resolve this somehow.

I think the work I do for this club is very important.

Webteam

I’m part of this startup. I was there early, but don’t feel a ton of ownership over it. I’d like to feel more tied in with it, and really try and get it to succeed. It’s cool work in an interesting field, and I don’t want to feel like I was “just along for the ride”. I have a lot of specific goals for this that I won’t put in here.

Other

• Start a new hall of East Campus. There’s a hall that’s sortof died out, and I want to get my friend to start a new one in that place. This basically just requires talking to the old members and helping my friend get things rolling. This is important to me because I want more culture when my dorm re-opens

• Two blogposts/month. This is one of my resolutions.

• Painting club. I’m helping lead an effort to allow muraling in my old dorm (East Campus) when it reopens.

Writing day and night like you’re running out of time

This feels like it will be difficult to achieve all of. I feel like my life is racing faster and faster, and I need to race to finish my goals before I Run Out Of Time. I want to go back and edit these, but 12:20 approaches, so I must click submit.