A 49 on a First MIT Exam, and the TA Who Predicted Double
An MIT alumnus recalls scoring 49 out of 100 on a first chemistry exam in 1980, and the teaching assistant whose encouragement preceded a perfect score on the next quiz, according to MIT Technology Review.
The writer, whose name was not given in the account, described the 49 as a soul-crushing experience and said he can still picture Pawlowicz, who earned his PhD in 1987, returning the paper. The remark, the alumnus wrote, was something to the effect of "I expect to see you double your score on the next quiz!"
The message landed. Studying at MIT, the alumnus wrote, was not like studying in high school. He scored 100 on the following quiz and graduated with grades good enough to get him into graduate school. He summed up the sequence as an initial kick in the seat of his pants followed by a kind hand helping him up off the ground.
The alumnus said he reconnected with Pawlowicz recently and received a charming note in reply. He wrote that it felt good to let the former teaching assistant know how much his encouragement had meant, and concluded that a good TA can have a lasting impact.
The account appears in the magazine's alumni profiles section, which directs readers to www.technologyreview.com/alumni-profiles for further installments.