Newsletter

The Unofficial MRSD Survival Guide

The MRSD Program is intense – between the Capstone project and the abundance of coursework, the concept of work-life balance is beyond us. But beyond the grind, we have a growing and evolving set of shared experiences that define what it means to survive (and dare I say thrive) here.

This FAQ is our way of capturing that spirit and the things we’ve experienced. For those of you who are entering or in the program, this serves as a guide for anything you don’t already know. For those who have already survived, this is a reminder of the chaotic and fun times that brought you to where you are today.

University & Program

Where should I look for more information about Robotics Institute?

Check out the RoboGuide: https://roboguide.ri.cmu.edu/

I want to make money to pay for this program. What are my options, and what does the pay look like?

  • Research Assistant: Reach out to a faculty member with funding to discuss possible opportunities to work as an RA. 
  • Teaching Assistant: Reach out to MRSD faculty, whose classes you’ve taken. Also, check your emails for faculty seeking teaching assistants for other courses. Students have been TAs for SCS courses, Business courses, Communications courses, and more.
    • Pay is set to $22/hr
    • There is a time cap of 12 hours per week
  • After your internship, continue it! Your company needs to be flexible on your hours, otherwise, this won’t be feasible. It also helps if the company is based in Pittsburgh. This could be especially fruitful if you’d like to work at this company post-graduation.

Is it better to take notes by hand or on a laptop?

  • Depends on the class, but generally, most students use tablets nowadays for handwritten notes, and they are especially useful for math-heavy or diagram-heavy notes. Markdown and Notion make reviewing a lot easier.
  • Bonus: Save all lecture slides because you lose access to most classes after some time after the course ends.

How do you balance coursework, capstone, and job hunting all at the same time?

  • Uhhh.. you don’t. You just rotate between what you’re most behind on
  • In seriousness, something that works well is blocking time in your calendar for different objectives, the same as time blocked for lectures (if you attend those).
  • Blocked hours help with consistency and turn into a routine. Treat them seriously.

What are some of the best study spots on campus?

  • Sorrells
  • RI Commons
  • The conference rooms next to RI Commons (use Skedda to book: https://robotics.skedda.com/booking)
  • That one conference room on the A Level that is rarely used
  • That one conference room on the 4th floor next to that picture of a ship
  • In the back row of your MRSD Project Course or Robot Business Courses where no one can see what you’re doing
  •  

Career

When should I start looking for internships?

As early as Fall Break (October), but in the last two years, most postings don’t come up until January. Many startups post closer to Spring.

What resources are available for the internship/job hunt?

What are some aspects of industry/industry shifts you’ve noticed?

  • There is a preference for specialists over generalists, so if you know definitively what area of robotics you want to work in, you can take courses to focus on that.
  • The last couple of years have seen a major shift to learning approaches to all verticals of robotics, so get some exposure to it!

Campus & RI

Where is the closest escort stop from NSH?

  • The last shuttle stop is at 10:45 PM on weekdays but 11:00 PM on weekends! Depending on where you live, you can’t take the escort until after the last shuttle!
  • Last Escort is 4:15 AM

Robolounge never has forks. Or plates. Where can I get some?

GHC 8th floor Kitchen is usually stocked with plates, bowls, to-go containers, forks, spoons, knives, and chopsticks. They also have hot chocolate packets, teas, and creamers.

The courts are never free when I want to play basketball or tennis. How can I check this?

https://athletics.cmu.edu/recreation/Court_Reservations

Tell me something I may or may not know about the CMU Transportation Service.

You’re allowed one guest on the CMU Shuttles and Escorts. This is especially useful if you or a friend leaves their ID somewhere!

What are some unwritten rules about the RoboLounge?

  • If you choose to put food in the fridge, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK! Store or restaurant-bought food should be labelled, otherwise it may (very likely) disappear. Labelling doesn’t guarantee safety.
  • Plug the game controllers in to charge after you’ve finished using them!
  • The game room door is prone to self-locking, so keep that in mind.
  • You can never be good at pool on a regular table and the RoboLounge table at the same time.

Food

I don’t want to spend too much money on food, what should I do?

  • CMU Food Pantry
  • CMU Schatz Dining offers limited free meals through the CMU Food Pantry 
  • Use apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, or chain-specific apps for their deals. Places like Uber Eats often have BOGO deals, and if you pick up then it takes away the service cost. Domino’s and Subway frequently have BOGO or heavily discounted deals!
  • Check out the CMU Free Food WhatsApp group
  • Use the Block Market on Discord (I shouldn’t say more)
  • Eat your friends’ food
  •  

What are some good off-campus spots to get food?

  • Noodlehead: Thai Food, Shadyside, everyone talks about it, and it has reasonable prices
  • Reva: Indian food, East Liberty, especially the vegetarian options (but expensive)
  • People’s Indian: Indian food, Bloomfield, especially the non-veg options
  • Chicken Sandwich Places:
    • Bird on the Run: East Liberty, Tom’s (MRSD ‘25) favorite sandwich place
    • Chik’N: Oakland, near campus and reasonably priced
    • 98K Hamburger: (Yes, the name is misleading) Squirrel Hill, Shara’s (MRSD ‘25) favorite
  • Peppi’s: Deli style sandwich spot known for cheesesteaks, Strip District, Madhusha’s (MRSD ‘25) favorite sandwich place
  • Cappy’s Bar: Irish Burger Place on Walnut Street, Leo’s (MRSD ‘25) favorite restaurant
  • Cilantro & Ajo: Venezuelan food, Lawrenceville, Sruthi’s (MRSD ‘25) favorite restaurant
  • Bigham Tavern: BBQ / American, Mt. Washington, Shrudhi’s (MRSD ‘25) favorite restaurant
  • Meecha Matcha: Dessert Place with everything matcha, Squirrel Hill
  • Cafe Moulin: Great Crepes!

Pittsburgh

What are some fun activities to do in Pittsburgh?

  • CMU Art Pass: As a CMU student, you have access to the arts pass (https://www.cmu.edu/idplus/services/artspass.html). All of these are great (and free options). Phipps Botanical Garden and the Carnegie Meuseum of Art and Natural History are super close to campus. The Heinz Museum is one of the highest-rated museums in the country.
  • RAD Pass: The CMU art pass doesn’t have everything (like the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium), so check out the RAD Pass, accessible through the Carnegie Library Membership (free). This is great if you have visiting friends or family as well, since tickets are given in bundles of 2-4. (https://radpass.org/)
  • Check out Point State Park in Downtown
  • Take the incline up to Mt. Washington to see the famous view of the city (Sunset and Nighttime are recommended)
  • Go clubbing at Cavo in the Strip District
  • Go bowling at Arsenal in Lawrenceville
  • Rent a canoe and paddle down the river
  • Watch a movie at Manor Theatre in Squirrel Hill
  •  

Does Manor Theatre have a student discount?

Yes, it does! ($11.00 becomes $8.00)

What are some of the best yearly events you’ve experienced in Pittsburgh?

  • Picklesburgh
  • RI Semi-Formal
  • Kennywood (through GSA, 2x a year)
  • Ice Skating in the Winter

What is something you NEED to survive in Pittsburgh?

A rain coat, winter coat, snow boots, umbrella, and maybe a waterproof backpack cover. It rains all year long in Pittsburgh, so you’ll use these regularly!

How long does it take to become a Yinzer?

Once you start saying “yinz” unironically. It nominally takes two semesters!

Pittsburgh

I’m stressed out the wazoo. What should I do?

  • Detox in the Robolounge for a bit – find a fun game on the game consoles or play a game of pool if you’re trying to cut down on screentime
  • Go for walks – it is easy to forget that there’s more to CMU campus than NSH and GHC. Stroll through the cut, walk to Shenley, basically get some fresh air and some sun (weather permitting). While you’re at it play a sport outside with your friends (i.e, Football or Frisbee)
  • Turn milestones into smaller achievable goals and celebrate the little victories with a sweet treat or whatever you like
  •  

What mental health services do I have access to?

Final

Any parting thoughts or suggestions to the students of today?

Make friends, explore Pittsburgh, and take pictures! Two years will go by much faster than you expect, and most of it will be a blur. Take photos to reminisce on and to prove you lived through MRSD. 

Do YOU have any wisdom to share? Submit a Question and Answer, and it may be included in the next edition of the newsletter!