Independent Activities Period (IAP) 2016
For over four decades, IAP has provided members of the MIT community (students, faculty, staff, and alums) with a unique opportunity to organize, sponsor and participate in a wide variety of activities, including how-to sessions, forums, athletic endeavors, lecture series, films, tours, recitals and contests. The topics are endless, including engineering, skill development (presentations, teaching, communication, leadership, research), patents, start-ups, data management, figure skating, dancing, music, and much more. Some sessions require pre-registration.
Date: January 4 – 29
Browse Listings here
Improv Comedy Workshop to Improve Your Presentations (sponsored by MIT GECD)
This event is open to undergrad and grad students and postdocs. Have you had that awkward moment in a presentation where someone asks a really weird question? Has a student in class posed an off-the-wall idea while you are presenting? Do you fear what a committee member may ask in your thesis defense? This improv workshop will help develop skills to respond to such situations. We will be doing improv comedy exercises to develop a comfort with engaging others. Participants should expect to participate in improv comedy exercises with attendees. Fun will be had by all…we hope.
Date and Time: Tuesday, January 26th, 3:00 – 4:00pm
Location: Building E39-040
Registration via CareerBridge.
The Art of Behavioral Interviewing (sponsored by MIT GECD)
Learn how to develop and enhance your interviewing skills! While your technical skills will get you the interview, it is your behavioral attributes that will get you the job. This workshop delivered by Bob Dolan will cover topics such as types of interviews, sample interview questions, appropriate dress, and important tips to think about before, during and after the interview. The intended outcome is to help you prepare and develop a strategy for a successful interview. In addition, sample behavioral and academic interview questions will be provided along with tips on how to answer these tough questions.
Date and Time: Wednesday, January 27th, 1:00 – 2:45pm
Location: Building 4-149
Registration via CareerBridge.
Negotiating Job Offers (sponsored by MIT GECD)
The Negotiating Job Offers workshop presented by Bob Dolan will examine the many variables that exist during the evaluation and negotiation process of Job Offers. Knowing how, when and why you should negotiate will be reviewed. Salary vs. Total Compensation will be examined. Strategies on the negotiation process will be discussed along with “Should You Negotiate?” and “What Can” and “What Can Not” be negotiated. These strategies can be used throughout your career.
Date and Time: Thursday, January 28th, 2:00 – 3:00pm
Location: Building 4-149
Registration via CareerBridge.
Educating Students: A Constant Balancing Act (organized by MIT TLL)
The Teaching & Learning Lab (TLL) will kick off it’s Spring 2016 DUET Seminar Series with a talk by Susan Ambrose, co-author of How Learning Works: Seven Research-based Principles for Smart Teaching, which has been widely praised for integrating fundamental research in the cognitive sciences and practical application. We will raffle a few copies of her book after the talk! We need to balance intellectual exploration & discovery with professional preparation & practical skills in the education we provide to our students — because of the changing nature of the workplace and the continuing skills gap noted by employers across industries (the very skills that we “believe” are foundational in what we do/teach). Dr. Ambrose will discuss a variety of the “balances” we need to consider, including disciplinary content and intellectual skills; intellectual skills and professional skills; HOW students learn with WHAT students learn, among others. She will also offer suggestions about how we might achieve these balances.
Date and Time: Thursday, January 28th, 2:00 – 3:30pm
Location: Building 4-231