Competition, sanity, and self-worth
The me who wants to win versus the me who doesn’t want to be disappointed when I don’t.
Not being stressed stresses me out
The me who is not getting enough sleep versus the me who wants to get into medical school.
On handling emotions when the world is ending
The me who wants to fight for justice versus the me who can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
But of course I’m not one of you
The me who wants you to know that I was born and raised in America versus the me who wishes you would accept me even if I wasn’t.
Life is not a binary string of successes and failures
The me who hopes I become a success story versus the me who wonders when I’ll quit.
Can professional development align with social justice?
This feels like guilt. Heavy, smothering guilt that I am not doing enough today, and when I finally find the time tomorrow, it will be too late.
Reflecting on my anti-Asian bias
Maybe we were brainwashed by all those European and American history classes.
On floating and drowning ducks
After all, suffering creates bonds; just ask anyone who’s psetted in Stud 5 until daybreak.
A ramble I am not quite qualified to ramble about
Even Among Us, a game with absolutely no consequences, uses the popular vote.
When formality goes out the door
I felt like I had just committed one of the worst faux pas in my life — and it was recorded to be stored on Panopto video forever.
Frustration and empathy are conflicting
Extending empathy to those who are struggling used to be something I defaulted to and something I championed to others.
Trying to untangle my identities, but it’s impossible
“Your personal statement was very interesting and enjoyable to read, but it doesn’t present a clear argument why Joanna Lin would make a good doctor."
Whistleblowing and accountability
What if this was a social experiment from the Media Lab? What if Harvard was pranking us?
Is anything truly irreversible?
In chemistry, we learn that every reaction is reversible, as long as enough energy is supplied to push the reaction towards favorability.
The significance of a year
Scientifically speaking, in some sense, it’s a reminder that even though we’ve traveled one circumference around the sun, we’re back in the same place.
The balance between optimism and realism
If I’ve learned anything from my classes at MIT, it’s that nothing is objective.
A laundry list of decision-making advice
I was left choosing between an adventure of a lifetime or a guaranteed good time with my friends in a city I know and love.
Graduation is not the end
Yes, this is a love letter to The Tech and every staff member on it, because what else would it be?