Stanford University

undergraduare researcher

June 2019 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

The weather is so great and the campus is so beautiful. The engineering buildings were so modern and stylish as well. Work was very flexible with an advisor as hands-off or on as you like.

What I wish was different

About everything on campus closes by 8 which is very annoying if you're used to having dinner late.

Advice

Don't be afraid to make mistakes but PAY ATTENTION to what you're doing in lab.

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Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow

June - August 2019 • Palo Alto, CA

What I liked

This experience was incredible in every aspect. My research project, PI, and lab group made my research experience extremely enjoyable and allowed me to constantly learn and grow as a researcher. The program itself was extremely beneficial to my personal and professional success, as it incorporated daily workshops, networking opportunities, and multiple field trips and activities.

What I wish was different

Nothing.

Advice

Apply to multiple REU programs, network extensively during your time there, and enjoy the experience as much as possible.

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Camp Counselor

May - August 2019 • Palo Alto, CA

What I liked

The pay

What I wish was different

The bosses

Advice

They try and take every penny they can take from you. Typical Schedule is 8am-4:30. If they “dismiss” at 4:19 you must write down that time. They fire you if you don’t comply with their strict rules. Directors are so wealthy and take advantage of their young employees desperate for money

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Residential Counselor

August - September 2019 • Palo Alto, CA

What I liked

I enjoyed working with kids both inside and outside of an academic environment and hearing about all of their interests. I loved talking to new students everyday as well as other counselors throughout various programs.

What I wish was different

Nothing! It was a great job that always kept me active. I wish I had heard about it sooner.

Advice

This job can give you skills in helping deal with younger students as well as learning how they think and resolve conflicts between them.

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Biology Research Intern

July - September 2019 • Koror, Airai

What I liked

Amazing hands-on field research experience; really great connections with the other undergrads who participated this summer.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been told a bit more about what to expect from this internship.

Advice

Be prepared to work really hard - the field work components of this project were very intensive and there are not many days off or breaks. At the same time, it's extremely rewarding if you love marine biology.

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Undergraduate Researcher

June - September 2019 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

Researching!

What I wish was different

I did not have a physical place to work when on the grant, so finding random spots to work was hard.

Advice

Make sure to reach out to your mentor; they give great guidance.

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Astronomy Research Intern

June - August 2018 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

My research group, location, food.

What I wish was different

I wish I had a car so that I could sightsee more.

Advice

Dreams do come true.

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Cancer Researcher

June - August 2019 • Palo Alto, CA

What I liked

It was great to experience a new part of America in a professional level cancer lab.

What I wish was different

Nothing.

Advice

Make sure and take all the pre-reqs beforehand.

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Biology Research Intern

June - August 2019 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

Very supported internship. Not left to figure out things for myself

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Your experience will differ depending on who your supervisor is. Make sure it’s clear that they shouldn’t overwork you

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Residential Counselor

June - August 2019 • Palo Alto, CA

What I liked

It was a beautiful experience. I was able to live on the Stanford Campus expense free, refine my leadership through facilitating groups of high school age student, make connections with fellow coworkers who go to different university’s across the nation, and bring together groups of people from all around the world and build a community and a shared experience

What I wish was different

I wish there was a bit of time between when our UCSC quarter ends and this job begins (I believe I had 5 days in between the academic year closing and this job starting)

Advice

To grow you have to be challenged and this is a great capacity for that because it’s hand on working with humans in a controlled environment where you can try different tools to refine your communication, conflict resolution, group facilitation, decision making , and all those other skill that fall into leadership. Working with people can be one of the most fulfilling things in life, and this job is exactly that

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Data Scientist Intern

June 2019 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

Amazing learning curve

What I wish was different

Advice

Stack overflow is your best friend

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Biology Research Intern

June 2019 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

I loved my mentors and the flexibility of the lab schedule. It was a great opportunity to learn fundamental techniques in microbiology.

What I wish was different

I wish there were more guidance with interpreting chemical spectra or a more consolidated library of compounds for me to access since I haven’t done a ton of GC-MS.

Advice

For any research experience, it’s great to get a thorough understanding of the work flow before you do it. Ask to see protocols sooner rather than later, or see if you can shadow a grad student for a day or two when they’re going to do stuff so you get a handle of what it could be like.

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June - August 2019 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

I liked learning about the different experiences of Ph.D. students. It ranged from being really passionate about their interests to finding a lot of meaning in their contribution to their field.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have come up with my own project. I learned a lot of skills helping my mentor on his project, but I wish I could have worked on a project more in line with my interests.

Advice

Do research on something that you like! It makes the process more enjoyable, and you are more likely to be engaged with your work.

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Physics Intern

July 2020 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

It was fun

What I wish was different

Wish it was even more fun

Advice

If you want fun, this is the job for you

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Research Assistant

June - August 2019 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

Fun, large-team environment. Intellectual challenge and stimulating area of work.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more time there.

Advice

Radar systems are fascinating and highly complex - but can often be broken down to simple physics.

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Independent Researcher

July - September 2019 • Berlin, Germany

What I liked

Being abroad and fully indulging in a new culture

What I wish was different

More money

Advice

Definitely apply for as many grants as you can for research! You're bound to get some!

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Researcher

May - October 2019 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

I loved getting experience in a field that I'm extremely interested in, and having the time to discover the things that I love about research.

What I wish was different

I wish I would have has a more organized experience.

Advice

I would come in with an open mind and a positive attitude.

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Residential Counselor

June - August 2019 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

I was a residential counselor with Stanford's Summer At Stanford Program for high school students. It was very fun to work and live with children and college students from all around the US! I enjoyed teaching Creative Writing courses and watching the students work progress over the course of the camp.

What I wish was different

Because it is a summer camp where you live with the students, you often end up working sixteen hour days, which can be exhausting.

Advice

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Life Science Research Professional 1

June 2018 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

Stanford is an amazing environment full of inspiring and kind people. There are infinite opportunities to learn and grow here, whether in your professional career or in side projects.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more structure in improvement plans and ability to move upward in position/pay, especially since living in the Bay Area is so expensive.

Advice

Make the most out of your time here. Talk to people, learn about future opportunities, attend seminars/classes.

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Chemistry/Biology Researcher

June - August 2019 • Stanford, CA

What I liked

I had the opportunity to go to a big school and see if this was the kind of environment I would like for graduate school. I got to do pretty cool research and get an introduction to computational chemistry.

What I wish was different

There were a lot of people in the summer research program and a lot of people in the lab I worked in. There were also a lot of mandatory meetings for career development or grad school information, which took time away from my research.

Advice

Everyone should do a summer research experience before graduate school so they can figure out if they like it or not. This summer helped me figure out that I don't like big schools so I could narrow down my choices for grad school.

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