Edward Andrews (Department of Earth Science and Engineering), MIT Summer 2017

I have just completed an 8-week IROP at MIT, and loved every second.

I was lucky enough to be part of a hard working yet fun-loving research group.  Dedicated work throughout the week was juxtaposed with meals out, the occasional trip to the university bar, and group meetings involving copious amounts of pizza. All of which fostered a strong bond between the group, very useful when sharing a lab!

Much of my work was experimental, which was a welcome contrast from my theory based course. Gaining experience in a lab, and carrying out intellectually stimulating and cutting-edge research gave a great insight into the reality of post-graduate education.

Having the opportunity to travel around New England has been amazing. My biggest piece of advice for anyone part of this scheme in the future is to see as much of it as you can. There are some incredible places just a few hours from Boston. As a group, the imperial IROP students and I organised weekend trips to Cape Cod, New Hampshire and New York, all of which were completely worthwhile.

With all the traveling, it was easy to overlook what a special place Boston is. With friendly locals, amazing food and a ton of history, it’s a wonderful place to be.  Make sure to walk the freedom trail, go Sailing on the Charles River, visit the beaches, gorge yourself in little Italy, and definitely get to a Red Sox game!

"Gaining experience in a lab, and carrying out intellectually stimulating and cutting-edge research gave a great insight into the reality of post-graduate education"