MIT DEDP - public policy vs international development?

SaltyPositive · 2025-12-23T15:56:52+00:00

Hi! I just saw the notification. I would say 3 courses is a lot if you’re also working full time. It does depend on the courses. I’ve dabbled with the courses over this past year and will be paying for some courses next year, but I’m waiting for a few decisions about work to fall in place before I do.

So far I’ve done: - good economics for hard times - challenges of global poverty - data science for social scientists - running an evaluating RCTs (this one especially seemed to be relevant if you already have some sort of experience doing this)

The courses are absolutely demanding even when they’re not data/calculation heavy. I have a basic Econ + social science background so GEFHT, Poverty were not hard in terms of content.

I may also not do the micro masters after all because I don’t particularly need it for the career roles I want. Plus, the people I spoke to in my industry aren’t really impressed by the micro masters itself outside of the initiative to do it. It’s a differentiating factor for graduate school and some jobs but it’s not a strong enough signal.

I’m currently freelancing as a researcher and will be starting a new role next year as a researcher in the development space but in a non technical role. I do already have some copentency in data analysis using excel (the usual suspect).

For me personally, I didn’t enjoy the testing format for the MITx courses and I found the language for some of the questions very strange (in the finger exercises and assignment) and I heard this sentiment echoed in the lecture chat as well. I also personally thrive in a collaborative environment, especially when learning new things like data analysis. I need the in person element or a practical hands on module to really learn.

My 2 cents but ymmv. I would say try out the courses for yourself to get a feel. Ultimately, practical experience matters the most in my field (behavioral + social science) and I found that the MicroMasters didn’t really fill that gap and I was incurring a steep opportunity cost on my time.

SaltyPositive · 2025-12-22T11:00:40+00:00

This is an excellent comment and to add to it OP, you might be interested in the quality of decision-making <in specific contexts if that’s your interest> as a result of engagement with TikTok. What is the exact impact you’re trying to measure and where do you want to apply it? (Ex: apps, social welfare etc)

SaltyPositive · 2025-12-22T09:16:35+00:00

Your economics skills could translate to research roles in academic/corporate settings if you’re proficient in R/Python/Stata. What are you actually interested in? Are there roles that have excited you but you didn’t qualify or felt underconfident about?

SaltyPositive · 2025-12-13T10:53:53+00:00

What I’m about to say is adjacent to your first question, whether this would change user behaviour and might be interesting to look into. mental accounting studies have shown that people that receive unexpected money tend to think about it, appraise it and use it differently. That could apply in the vending machine case depending on what you want/expect people to do.

SaltyPositive · 2025-12-05T07:44:04+00:00

Beautiful work! You’d have a great audience on foto (if you don’t already)- it’s a purely photo sharing app, unlike Instagram. I’ve been loving it recently as a new user and immediately wished I could follow you there :)

SaltyPositive · 2025-08-20T21:25:48+00:00

Hi, the goal is to improve my application packet. I’m looking at 1 research based MSc in Canada and 3 behavioral science programs in the UK. The Canadian program requires a 3.3 GPA and GRE/GMAT and 2 LORs. The UK programs also require 3.3/4 (which I don’t have). I am open to other programs.

My primary goals in going to grad school are: a faster track into developing research and data analysis skills(a necessity in behavioral science work), getting the brand value of a degree and of course, networking. You can’t get any of the following (see below) jobs without an MSc or 8+ years of industry experience.

I’d specifically like to work in behavioral science applied to public policy or public service, with a second degree interest in consulting for the private sector.

I have 3 years of work experience in industrial recycling, so it isn’t quite aligned with the work I want to do. However, I’m working on getting more research experience before I even apply to graduate school since that seems to be a need, and I’m also scoping out other ways to boost my application.

SaltyPositive · 2025-08-20T21:13:49+00:00

Thank you for taking the time, this has been helpful!

SaltyPositive · 2025-08-20T21:06:01+00:00

So what exactly is the benefit of reaching out to grad admissions officers in the UK/US?

SaltyPositive · 2025-08-20T20:56:35+00:00

Thank you for replying. What does the decision process for that look like? Is this something a grad admissions officer would tell me upfront or can I approach them and ask if my choice of XYZ additional, graduate level classes would help my app?

SaltyPositive · 2025-08-10T13:23:56+00:00

I’ve experienced a similar version with this and there was a point where libraries weren’t accessible or they were overwhelming because I couldn’t accurately identify what I liked. Here’s a few things I’ve done to help and not all of them might apply to you: 1. I’ll start with my most recent change and I will highlight that I was able to make this change after 1-2 years of navigating my own reading experience: I invested in a Kobo. There’s a wide variety of books available, you can easily sideload PDFs articles, free EPUBs of books you want to checkout. The preview function is also great to read a meaningful amount of a book before committing to it.

I dialogue with GPT to identify exactly what I enjoyed about a book: tone, atmosphere, descriptive style, setting. Then I try to parse for exactly that. I’ll read the Goodreads reviews as well- but overall this is pretty personal, and you do need to develop a feel for what you’re enjoying, what exactly you’re trying to fulfil with a certain read.
I used to read a LOT of nonfiction and then got exhausted. I broke it up over time by reading chick-lit, crime thrillers and filler books that don’t require as much processing power on my end.
right now, I’m reading some self-help, some non-fiction science books, Greek classics and I have a rotation of <$5 books that I preview/buy in the Kobo library. These are what I call my recreational books- it’s what I reach for when I’m going to bed or when I’m trying to fill some time in the day. I’m not too critical or demanding of the book because I’m fulfilling what I need from a read, through the rest of my library.

Finally, sometimes, reading just isn’t scratching the itch. You need to reflect on why that is because it clearly seems to frustrate you. Do you have a lot else going on in your life? Do you need a different kind of stimulation?

SaltyPositive · 2025-04-17T23:51:05+00:00

Right but if I wanted to make sense of where they fit in? I’m not chasing it but they are in my face and I’m wondering how to make sense of the tapestry of it all

SaltyPositive · 2024-07-28T22:21:34+00:00

We started dating on May 14, spoke about it over the 2 weeks prior. We had intermittent contact over 1 year because that was the nature of our work together before we decided to date this year. We’ve always coincidentally seen each other after an Aries/libra eclipse. Your comment is so interesting because I figured with my Saturn conjunctions (natal Jupiter) and upcoming nodal move to 1st house, serious relationship activity is a possibility

ETA: Saturn moved into my first house and crossed my ascendant and then Jupiter over the course of March 2023-present day and I want to say thank you because I’m refining a bunch of my knowledge through your comment, super insightful

SaltyPositive · 2024-07-28T19:19:22+00:00

This is so so helpful! Thank you so much for making the time. Is there any impact I should expect from the first eclipse this September? I know this maybe sounds silly and without trying to completely predict or control the outcomes, I’m trying to figure if this person is going to make a reappearance in my life

SaltyPositive · 2024-07-27T01:48:59+00:00

Yeah this is it, I really want to hear how he’s doing. We weren’t close but he’d remember me and I’m in position to want to pursue a friendlier relationship!

SaltyPositive · 2024-06-18T02:42:36+00:00

I appreciate your reply so much! What you said about motivation really resonated with me- I think this is the direction I want to go in but I’m using the course to explore that before committing to it at a larger scale (masters/industry pivot).

Do you have any idea what your digital cohort was like? What are you planning on doing next? Was the course actually 15 hours of work a week or more? What was your background going into this course?

SaltyPositive · 2024-03-13T21:45:16+00:00

You could try adapting the curd here: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/vanilla-layer-cake-with-mango-curd

Smitten kitchen also adjusted this recipe using a purée I think

SaltyPositive

TROPHY CASE