- January 31, 2022
A student focusing on transportation systems, Mark did not expect the potential applications of his MIT studies.
Reaping the benefits of specialized studies
During IAP, Civil & Environmental Engineering junior Mark Mockett taught classes at Oak House School in Barcelona. Most of the classes Mark taught were in math and physics for students in the equivalent of 11th and 12th grades in the United States. Supported by the talented teachers at the school, Mark filled a niche of being able to work with small groups of advanced students on topics outside the class curriculum. From an exploration of the inner workings of derivatives to elementary differential equations, Mark covered a lot of ground.
Outside of work, Mark spent afternoons and evenings exploring Barcelona’s narrow lanes and famous sites. As a civil engineering student focusing on transportation systems, he took a natural affinity to the Metro system in Barcelona, relishing the opportunity to explore the city and wider Catalonia region on foot and by train. Mark even found an opportunity to bring his specialized studies in transportation to the classroom in a lesson on the applications of the Poisson distribution to queueing models.
Overall, Mark benefited from the opportunity to explore the challenges of teaching and being immersed in another culture. He recommends the experience to any MIT student wishing to go outside of their comfort zone.