The opportunity to do a master's level economic research project, learning to utilize stata.
What I wish was different
I wish we had more time to complete our projects.
Advice
A NSF REU is the best summer experience you could hope for.
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Data Analyst Intern
May - August 2019 • Washington, DC
What I liked
Everything
What I wish was different
Advice
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
May - July 2019 • Worcester, MA
What I liked
Lots of new experiences for my first research position. Flexible schedule and great mentors.
What I wish was different
I wish that mentors were available more to answer questions and also understand those undergrad researchers are not well experienced in the field.
Advice
Be ready to work individually more with a mentor guiding you to reach the goal.
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Polar Researcher
July - August 2019 • Arctic Bay, Nunavut
What I liked
The atmosphere of the trip was learning based and comfortable. Data was collected responsibly and ethically, and all data was shared between groups when requested.
What I wish was different
I wish there had been more time to conduct more research.
Advice
You can learn anything you want to learn if you are dedicated and persistent.
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NSF student researcher
June - August 2019 • Kent, OH
What I liked
It was a good experience to learn about research, graduate school, and working in a lab setting. I got hands on experience with multiple lab machines and had the opportunity to learn about lab techniques.
What I wish was different
I wish I would have liked my research topic a little more.
Advice
Lab work requires a lot of time. Some days I was in the lab from early morning until late at night.
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
May 2019 • Hartford, CT
What I liked
I got chance to go University of Arizona and did research there for a month, which was an amazing experience.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Research Experience for Undergraduates Fellow
June - August 2019 • Orono, ME
What I liked
I was able to use my research and academic knowledge in a new setting which opened my network circle and made me a better scientist.
What I wish was different
Advice
If you are able to do an REU, do one. I would recommend applying to multiple and reapplying if you don't get one. It's an invaluable experience.
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Chemistry Research Intern
May - July 2019 • Morgantown, WV
What I liked
There was all lot of team bonding events outside of research and the research itself allowed me to encounter things that I wouldn’t have at my home institution
What I wish was different
I would like it to all be the same.
Advice
It is okay, to make mistakes and be confused about you’re next step just keep trying and thinking then you will eventually get it.
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Undergrad Research
May - July 2019 • Carbondale, IL
What I liked
It was structured and I received a lot of help throughout the program on the research project.
What I wish was different
I wish the program had started after Spring Term at Kalamazoo College ended. I had to leave campus early and take finals at Carbondale, which was really stressful.
Advice
Start your applications early and apply to as many REU programs as possible to get into one of them.
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Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Intern
May - July 2019 • Richmond, KY
What I liked
I loved having the opportunity to participate in graduate-level research with great professors at Eastern Kentucky University.
What I wish was different
I wish the internship was longer than 10 weeks.
Advice
REUs are fantastic internships. Apply for as many as you can and spend time on your applications, as they are very competitive.
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
May - August 2019 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
Working with the professor, learning really advanced concepts
What I wish was different
I wish the research was more structured!
Advice
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Undergraduate Researcher
May 2019 • Fayetteville, AR
What I liked
I was able to create my own project and conduct research over ten weeks. I presented the results at a conference and I will be submitting a paper soon as well.
What I wish was different
I wish my project is different, but projects can be discussed with faculty mentors before starting.
Advice
Apply for any National Science Foundations Research Experience for Undergraduates! They're a great experience and wonderful on a resume.
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Tutoring Intern
June - July 2018 • Kingsville, TX
What I liked
It was great exposure to be able to work with a variety of students from different backgrounds.
What I wish was different
I wish we had been allowed to teach more of our STEM content.
Advice
This experience is not only good for the interns to learn to work with students, but it's also a great program for the kids.
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Undergraduate Researcher
May - August 2018 • Fort Collins, CO
What I liked
I gained valuable experience in a research lab setting, which will help me greatly as I enter into graduate school. I also liked the outdoor life in Fort Collins; it was a great place to spend the summer.
What I wish was different
Advice
Apply early and apply to many REU programs, they are very competitive. Don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions!
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Laboratory research internship
June - August 2018 • Buffalo, NY
What I liked
I had learned a lot of knowledge from the research. Many of the works were related to my classes that I can applied with what I had learned from the previous lectures.
What I wish was different
I wish to get some more hands on experiences.
Advice
It is a great chance to get to know about research, which is the main daily life of graduated students. If you have any plan for pursuasing master or PhD degree, this will be a excellent start.
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Biology Research Intern
May - August 2018 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
This cohort offered me the opportunity to live and work beside undergraduates from around the country as well as learn from the mentorship of full time professors and researchers at the University of New Mexico. I learned valuable lab and field research techniques, as well as science communication methods.
What I wish was different
I would not change this experience.
Advice
I do not think that enough students at Villanova are aware of or apply to National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates. They are competitive internships offered across the country geared towards students who are interested in pursuing graduate school for science (not pre-med). I would love to see more students share their network of researchers to help the next generation of scientists navigate the world of research.
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Biology Research Intern
May - August 2018 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
This cohort offered me the opportunity to live and work beside undergraduates from around the country as well as learn from the mentorship of full time professors and researchers at the University of New Mexico. I learned valuable lab and field research techniques, as well as science communication methods.
What I wish was different
I would not change this experience.
Advice
I do not think that enough students at Villanova are aware of or apply to National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates. They are competitive internships offered across the country geared towards students who are interested in pursuing graduate school for science (not pre-med). I would love to see more students share their network of researchers to help the next generation of scientists navigate the world of research.
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Engineering student research intern
May - August 2018 • University, FL
What I liked
I enjoyed the people I met:
- I had two fellow interns from the program who were also my roommates for the 10 weeks we were in Florida; we became very good friends.
- I enjoyed befriending the graduates students and workers. They guided me and gave great advice.
- I really liked my advisor, he is the one who assigned me my project and he is also the one who would tell me what to do.
I appreciate gaining experience in an enormous post-processing laboratory.
I appreciate that I completed a research paper, research poster and did a research presentation.
I enjoyed learning about hurricane data collection towers (what my project was about).
I loved being in a new environment, I loved that I lived on campus and got to have limited access to the University of Florida's student services.
I loved hanging out with my roommates and co-workers, we drove to different places (Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, the beach, snorkeling, etc.)
What I wish was different
I wish there was more structure to the NHERI REU program. I liked how there was structure towards writing the research paper but at Florida, I expected there to be a set day-to-day schedule and instead, there were days where I felt lost and unproductive. I didn't like how most of the work for the research paper, research poster and research presentation was done in the last two weeks of the program.
Advice
Become friends with your co-workers.
Be open to doing things with your co-workers outside of work, try new things.
Fill out your time sheet at the end of every day so you don' t forget what you did.
Ask your co-workers about their work experience.
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
June - August 2018 • Ellensburg, WA
What I liked
This was a part of the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program. It was a great opportunity to gain experience in research, working with a professor and other undergraduates in a field that you are interested in. During my time, I did both field work and lab work and learned a lot about how scientists study the past environment. I also am going to get to present my research at the Northwest Climate Conference in October and the research will eventually be published in a scientific journal. I would highly recommend it!
What I wish was different
Advice
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Undergraduate Researcher
May - July 2017 • Athens, GA
What I liked
NSF REU programs are a great way for undergraduates to get summer research experience and test out different fields of interest. You also get great mentorship and sometimes even get publications from a summer's worth of work.
What I wish was different
Advice
Apply to everything you can. Apply to things you don't think you're qualified for as well as things you maybe think you are overqualified for. You never know where you'll end up fitting best, and it can't hurt to try different things.
