Location: Cambridge, MA
Number of Respondents: 4

          Lotus Development Corp. is located in urban Cambridge, MA, just a short walk away from MIT. One respondent did indeed walk to work. Another took public transportation, while the two others, who lived off of the MIT campus, drove to work. Despite the different modes of transportation, all respondents reported a commuting time of about 35-40 minutes. The students reported no difficulty in finding housing in the Boston area despite the fact that Lotus provided no assistance or subsidy in this respect. Many interns found the Boston area to be fun and exciting over the summer, although one respondent found it to be downright boring.

          Most students worked in product development and had their projects assigned to them either before they arrived or upon arrival at the company. Some students indicated that they had a significant degree of latitude in determining their summer project. Group size ranged between 3 and 15 people. Most felt that their role in their group's work was somewhat important. On average, students were happy with their current assignment. Some felt that they were overqualified and that their projects were not very interesting, while others felt that their projects were very interesting and challenging. There were also those who felt perfectly qualified for their project. Switching groups between years is very easy, and students are somewhat encouraged to do so.

          Attire at Lotus was casual, and the hours were very flexible. The students felt that for the most part, their co-workers were competent and treated them with respect. All of the interns worked in cubicles and has access to equipment that was somewhat out-of-date. There were few student interns at Lotus and most respondents reported a small amount of interaction between students. All respondents agreed that Lotus provided few opportunities to encourage student interaction. One unique social function that Lotus did hold was a series of open houses with other research labs within the company.

          Lotus does not pay any medical or dental benefits, but does pay for fifth year, 1st term tuition. Salary was slightly above average.

          Most students had a good impression of the company and their groups, and almost all would choose Lotus for 6A again if given the chance. However, few interns expressed interest in working there after graduation.

"I've been worried about having the projects be boring, the equipment suck, and the bosses be annoying, but I found that the Research Group is much more fun than other groups there."

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