Student Profile: Sindre Ottoey

Advanced Study Program Student

National Origin: Norway
Educational Background: Pursuing M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Why did you want to take a course through the Advanced Study Program at MIT?

I am currently pursuing a five-year integrated M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and have been planning to take a year abroad since I was a freshman there. I ended up applying to MIT because of the high academic standard, and ASP was the best way for me to enroll as a non-degree student and take credits here.

How is the overall learning experience at MIT and with your classmates?

The students, TAs, and professors are in general very dedicated in the work they do, and have inspired me to do the same. The classes have been challenging, but the learning outcome has also been great. You are forced to really understand the material to complete the homework and do well on tests. Although the environment can seem very competitive, collaboration with classmates has been a key factor to understand the material. I also like working on group projects here, everyone contributes and shares their knowledge.

How will your time on the ASP program influence what you are planning to do post-program?

Next year I will have to return to Norway and finish my Master’s thesis, but my experience from ASP will definitely impact what I will do post-graduation. In particular, taking classes at the Department of Chemical Engineering has been an eye-opener to the vast amount of applicable areas chemical engineering can have, which has made me consider career opportunities in fields I had not thought about previously.