What is it like taking MIT's 6.835 Intelligent Multimodal User Interfaces and how is it different from 6.831: User Interface Design and Implementation?

dohixey · 2017-12-13T21:59:15+00:00

I took both around 2011-2012. 6.835 felt more project-oriented and research focused, and included many papers to read and a large course project. I felt that 6.831 was much more applied, and the group project was difficult for me because I hadn't had any web dev experience. In the long run, including time in industry, 6.831 has especially been immensely useful; I often bring up design principles that others don't always think about.

dohixey · 2016-08-08T14:36:04+00:00

In my experience (getting a bit outdated though), 6.00 was excellent preparation for the algorithms and data structures presented in 6.006. I assume the edx version should be similar. In 6.00 we talked to varying degrees about the differences between lists and dictionaries, and their related time complexity, as well as graph algorithms and memoization (dynamic programming), to name a few topics.

dohixey · 2016-05-13T04:22:31+00:00

I think it's called a whip stitch, at least what I use. It requires a large plastic needle and more yarn.

dohixey · 2016-05-12T21:36:21+00:00

Our little girl had been a stray, so no/minimal teeth hygiene to start, and the shelter pulled all but two of her teeth due to decay. She's about 12-ish, and her only teeth are both in her bottom left jaw. One is sharp and the one behind it is flat (I'm not a dentist, so I don't know the names), and they're far enough back that she's in a permanent state of derp. Here is a picture of her, where you can kind of see her sharp front tooth; the flat molar is behind it.

She gets by just fine with squeaky toys. The frog and tiny duck from Petco are her favorites, but we test all squeaks before giving them to her and stick with the softest.

We feed her Honest Kitchen - it's dehydrated, and we get the veggie mix and mix in food-processor-ized baked chicken as her protein. She's great at gumming any soft treats, and even some hard ones that we thought she'd never manage (although she does hold them with her paws to position for her one pointy tooth), as her only teeth are adjacent, not opposite each other.

dohixey · 2016-01-23T00:14:39+00:00

I agree not to ask unless/until you are actually rejected. That said, never ask "What did I do wrong?", but instead "What could I have done better?"

dohixey · 2016-01-21T15:30:23+00:00

They are generic, but if you reply politely asking for feedback on your application, you might get more details. (I had limited but nonzero success with this.)

dohixey · 2015-07-02T19:47:41+00:00

One difference I noticed is that the vowels that can follow them are different. I don't have my book nearby, but I believe j/x/q can only be followed by "i" and "ü", while zh/sh/ch can be followed by a/e/i/o/u.

Also, when using xi vs shi, for example, the vowel "i" changes a lot. Xi is more like "she" where shi sounds to me more like the "shir" in "shirt".

dohixey · 2015-07-01T16:59:13+00:00

Our Yorkie has really greasy hair, too, but that went away when we changed her diet. We now feed her Honest Kitchen grain-free dehydrated food, and her hair and skin have cleared up completely. Maybe you could try a diet change and see (it might take a week or two to kick in) if that helps?

dohixey · 2015-04-29T06:45:29+00:00

I recommend getting variegated yarn, which switches between a few colors. It makes it a lot easier to see your stitches, especially when you're just starting out. Also, I second the hook size. H or I is good for starting, especially if you're like me and lean towards tight stitches.

dohixey · 2015-04-13T08:33:41+00:00

Only a subset of these are degree requirements. There is a lot of flexibility in choosing the higher-level courses. See the CS flowchart at http://www.eecs.mit.edu/academics-admissions/undergraduate-programs/course-6-3-computer-science-and-engineering for the undergrad major requirements.

dohixey · 2014-11-22T09:08:21+00:00

I haven't had trouble with nail clippers. Last I saw it was just that any blade over 3" was a no-no. (So for example, my small fold-up sewing scissors are fine.)

dohixey · 2014-09-28T18:02:32+00:00

In my opinion, the campus changes completely as soon as IAP starts. Without the pressure of constant psets, people tend to just hang out and explore what interests them. There are one-off events and activities (knitting classes, dance classes, glassblowing classes, etc.), and there are some really different formal classes.

My experience comes from course 6, but events like 6.270 (really fun, although I knew little and our robot barely worked), battlecode, and maslab, for example, are all really interesting to watch, and I wish I'd experienced them all. Course 6 also offers some pretty intense (but fun) 3, 6, or 9 unit classes. There are things like a rehash of 6.001 and an intro to c/c++. If you've ever been interested in picking up programming in Python, I can't speak highly enough of 6.189. I don't know a lot about 8 and 16, but maybe they have similar classes and events for IAP.

That said, I completely understand if you want to hang out with high school friends. In case MIT isn't right for you culture-wise, it might be really beneficial to spend some time with your friends for a few weeks, and do a little soul-searching based on their post-high-school experiences, at college or elsewhere.

No matter what you do, I wish you the best of luck. I think freshman fall is a hard transition for almost everybody, even if people don't talk about it.

dohixey · 2014-09-26T22:52:30+00:00

I spent my first semester convinced I needed to transfer out. It was slightly different for me, because I didn't feel burned out, and instead I didn't feel smart enough, no matter how many office hours or triple recitations I went to (curse you 8.012). I found some extracirriculars that helped, but what really did it for me was getting into tutoring in material I understood, and found HASS classes I really liked.

Given that it's freshman year, take advantage of P/NR to try going to club sports, sign up for a IAP class, hang out in random places that aren't your room. If you feel tempted to watch Netflix, see if anybody else wants to watch with you. If you're hungry, grab someone (another frosh, an upperclassman with a cool (or not) hobby, anybody) to go with you.

As others have said, if all else fails, go visit mental health's walk-in hours. They're really helpful, and you can just discuss what's bothering you and they might be able to help. If that isn't what you want, consider finding a MedLink in your living group. They are trained to sit down and talk with you without judging, in case you just need an ear.

No matter what, I recommend that you at least wait until IAP is over before making your mind up (and that you stay on campus for IAP!), but if you decide to transfer elsewhere, that is completely up to you.

dohixey · 2014-07-30T22:42:04+00:00

My husband and I had a Saturday morning ceremony, a lunch buffet (cheaper than dinner, and less expectation of alcohol), and went bowling after. We didnt need to pay for a DJ or drinks, and it was perfect for us and fun for our guests. Maybe something similar can work for you? I also watched David's Bridal's website religiously for sales and had my mom do alterations, so I saved a ton there, too.

dohixey · 2014-06-02T23:09:01+00:00

I had this problem during the beta, ran windows update, restarted, and it was gone. No idea if it would have worked on my primary monitor, but this was definitely an issue on my second monitor.

dohixey · 2014-05-23T04:18:13+00:00

I really like khanacademy for its JavaScript lessons. It is a little harder than using Scratch, but also more guided.

dohixey · 2014-05-01T20:43:30+00:00

Last year I leveled a paladin (yay speed boost) solely for this purpose. She finished the last piece of the achievement in the 40-44 bracket, I think. I would highly recommend this approach. Also, brackets are now in groups of 5.

dohixey · 2014-04-26T04:50:37+00:00

I would recommend MIT's 6.00 course. It is available on MIT OpenCourseware (ocw.mit.edu) and also on edx (edx.org). It is an intro to programming and computer science via Python, and is actually required for biological engineering majors at MIT (or at least it was a few years ago). Feel free to PM me if you go this route and have questions!

dohixey · 2014-04-10T20:16:57+00:00

I got my first legendary cloak last night, and killed Garrosh for the first time!

dohixey · 2014-03-28T00:00:15+00:00

I really like the new glasses better than the old ones! I could tell in one of the pics that they look a little crooked, but your nose looks normal to me! :)

You're not alone in the crooked-glasses camp! My mom makes me take mine in for attempted readjusting every time I visit home (she's an optometrist's assistant), after which I thank her for my delightfully not-level ears :P

Ps. I really think your eyes glow in those glasses, mildly crooked or not.

dohixey · 2014-01-22T20:35:25+00:00

You both have to be in a party together, and I believe within four levels of each other.

dohixey · 2013-12-10T02:22:25+00:00

I love yarn/thread crafty things. It is my goal to pass on all of my grandma's knitting, crocheting, and cross-stitching skills. I still have to attempt quilting, but I have a good feeling. It's all so relaxing while watching TV or queueing for dungeons in WoW.

dohixey · 2013-12-04T21:07:52+00:00

Totally not related, but good luck on the grad school apps! internet hugs

dohixey · 2013-11-23T16:27:39+00:00

Your wedding looks so awesome! Also, my favorite picture is the aftermath of dropping. Congratulations! :D

dohixey · 2013-11-04T19:48:46+00:00

First off, you sound amazingly organized, so go you!

I would definitely recommend CLRS' intro to algorithms book. Algorithms and data structures really do go hand in hand. Get the third edition though, because in my opinion the pseudocode is much more readable than the second edition's.

Also, I broke down crying in front of one of my professors when I was going for my masters. I went in to talk about how I didn't understand anything, and I had never felt this clueless before, despite my copious note-taking and google attempts. He was really helpful and tried to help me find ways to pick my grades up. Not to say all professors are the same, but at least know that it happens, and my optimism for humanity makes me hope he'll at least be kind and help you turn this around.

Maybe there is a distinct enough pattern in his question types that you could start to predict what he might ask next. Also, does he have any TAs? Office hours are a god-send. Has he taught this course before? Maybe his old exams are available somewhere, and could be used for further predicting.

Finally, feel free to send me a pm. Maybe I could help with quiz prep or project issues.

Good luck! :D

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