Brown University

Resident Assistant

June - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I absolutely loved my coworkers, both my boss and the other RA's. The friends I made while working there were definitely the best part

What I wish was different

Their two-week training program meant for dealing with certain problems that might arise from the interaction of different students often felt like they were making us pacify the aggressor/racist/homophobe in the situation.

Advice

Bring a fan. I know it's only two months and you probably won't use it again but you will die otherwise in that New England heat.

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Teacher

June - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

This was though the Math Teaching Experience for Undergraduates and I love how organized and we'll planned this experience was. I leaned a ton about teaching math and got to apply that in a real classroom setting

What I wish was different

Not much besides minor logistical things

Advice

If you are interested in math and have even thought about teaching then this is a worthwhile experience

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Medical Research Scientist

May - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

Very friendly and informative. Wants you to suceed

What I wish was different

N/a

Advice

Bring a blanket

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June - August 2018 • Walpole, ME

What I liked

I liked how hands on it was. Research experience is very important when applying to graduate school.

What I wish was different

I wish I had done research in another field. I'm not big on entomology.

Advice

If you think you want to go into research as a career, do as much as possible in as any fields as possible. This experience was not my favorite, but now I know that I do not want to work with invertebrates.

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Planetary Astronomer

June - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

I think it's very important to apply for everything you're interested in, even if you don't think you're qualified. you may be surprised!

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June - August 2023 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I love the group of people I was able to work with and learn from. Throughout my time as an intern, I was surrounded by many different ideas and perspectives stemming from various levels of experience. I found this atmosphere promoted mutual respect for diverse opinions and brought out the best in me. Overall, I found the experience to be very supportive, collaborative, and productive.

What I wish was different

I would not wish for anything to have gone differently.

Advice

I would advise future research assistants to be inquisitive and respectful. There is so much to learn not only from seasoned researchers but also from less-experienced individuals. As a result, it is important to practice humility while also expressing confidence in your ability to contribute.

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Research Assistant

June - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

What I wish was different

The hours were very difficult. I did not realize how exhausting a 9-5 job is. However, it did give me a taste for what my career will be like in the future.

Advice

It is important to start research as an undergraduate student in order to prepare yourself for graduate school. Research experiences for undergraduates are excellent ways to get a better idea of what graduate school is like and how to prepare for it.

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Leadership Institute Assistant

June - August 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

The people I met and skills I learned on the job

What I wish was different

I wish my supervisor had been more organized and schedule less hectic

Advice

Be open minded and kind to others

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Research Assistant

June - August 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I learned how to more effectively use the vast amount of research resources that are available to students at my university. I gained a deeper insight into my topic of research, mass surveillance throughout U.S. history and got to be involved in cool projects (outlining a book and working on curating an online course).

What I wish was different

I wish there was one other student to do my work with, as I was the only intern in the entire project.

Advice

Don't be pressured that you have to find an internship at some large, fancy company! For someone who is interested in aspects of the technology field, it is easy to feel that you must work for a big company out West or be in D.C. I was pushed out of my comfort zones doing research at times and learned a lot on the job... many skills that have helped me so far this academic year and I know in future opportunities. Working with professors also enables you to make really strong connections on campus.

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Chemistry Research Intern

June - August 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

Collobrative, stimulating and complex research with renowned scientists.

What I wish was different

I would have love to stay longer.

Advice

Apply to many summer programs. They are very competitive but simultaneously, incredibly rewarding.

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I learned so much about research and aspects of the biochem world that can not be taught in a classroom. Everyone in the lab was very welcoming and ensured I learned the proper techniques.

What I wish was different

Possibly due to the nature of our research, there was a lot of wait time that was filled with reading literature on our topic. I thought research would have been more hands on with less down time.

Advice

I think research is a truly great experience for anyone in the sciences. Doing research in full time lab is something that can not be reproduced in the classroom, and it has enhanced my experience in the classroom as well, as I am more familiar with the concepts the professors talk about.

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Undergraduate Researcher

May - August 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

The experience I acquired was beneficial in terms of building a senior research project. I loved my fellow researchers.

What I wish was different

I don't feel the pay was scaled to account for my experience level.

Advice

Be willing to ask questions and be willing to go to talks that get put on through the summer!

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Residential Assistant

June - August 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I enjoyed meeting new people and working with everyone. I also enjoyed being in the presence of high schoolers who were so eager to learn.

What I wish was different

Advice

It's a great opportunity to gain some experience in handling conflicts between people and other social interactions which are applicable to every day life.

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NSF Math Teaching Experience for Undergraduates Fellow

June - July 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I have undergone other summer teaching experiences before and have found that none of them have compared to the TEU program. The program’s dedication to high quality, innovative math education is one that other teaching programs, often run by so-called "non-math" people, fail to muster a fraction of. The pedagogy classes at Brown were completing eye-opening while the teaching experience with the local high schoolers was wonderful. Moreover, unlike other teaching fellowships, the TEU program takes care of its fellows. We were paid $3,500 and our course books, housing, meal plan, and travel were all paid for. Moreover, over we were given a free membership into the National Council of Teachers in Mathematics (which includes a TON of resources and benefits) and are being paid to fly out to California and stay in a nice hotel to attend the national conference in April. Even more essential, the work during the program is reasonable and they stress self-care. This was the first teaching experience where I was actually able to sleep.

What I wish was different

I wish it was longer than 6 weeks because I kind of wished it never ended. That said, making $3500 in 6 weeks was pretty incredible especially considering that other teaching fellowships are unpaid.

Advice

Be inclusive with the other fellows. There are only 12 of you so it's important that no one feel isolated during your time at Brown.

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Biology Research Intern

May - July 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

Flexible schedule, nice to be here on campus

What I wish was different

Advice

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June - September 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

The lab environment was friendly and supportive. Brown University's resources and facilities were impressive, and the trainings were all reasonable. Accessible transportation to Brown-affiliated locations.

What I wish was different

N/A

Advice

Take advantage of all the seminars and networking opportunities!

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Resident Assistant

June - August 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

Good pay, had a lot of time to relax because workload usually wasn't heavy. Met some great people, got to bond with great residents.

What I wish was different

I wish I had gotten an side internship or planned a personal project because I definitely had the time.

Advice

Make the most of your time there - explore Providence and Boston, engage with residents and other RAs, and don't be afraid to use your time off early on.

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Biology Research Intern

May - July 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

Great experience with molecular biology techniques. Learned how to plan and troubleshoot own experiments.

What I wish was different

I wish the work had been more accessible to an undergraduate level; too often protocols were far too arduous and novel to expect an undergraduate researcher to precisely and accurately follow through and troubleshoot.

Advice

As an undergraduate, make sure you are aware of what kinds of protocols you will be following and that expectations are high yet reasonable.

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Residential Advisor

May - August 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

A lot of freedom during the day to write, relative freedom during workshops too.

What I wish was different

There was not a lot of respect for RA's privacy outside of work hours, and the training was immensely disrespectful timewise (multiple presentations were coordinated on similar topics due to lack of coordination, 12 hour days etc.