http://wpi.edu

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Undergraduate Research Assistant

May - August 2023 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

I enjoyed learning from my fellow researchers as well as my professor. I also enjoyed working on a product that Would be used in the classroom, it felt like it mattered more

What I wish was different

I wish more if my teammates were in person with me. It made work seem more daunting and individual when we were seperated.

Advice

Understand your professors expectations and set a schedule that would allow you to achieve that and more. So when you inevitably run into an issue your have extra time to take Carrie of it.
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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May - December 2023 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

I enjoyed gaining new laboratory skills.

What I wish was different

I would have appreciated a more organized schedule and better communication about scheduling.

Advice

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Summer Research Assistant

June - September 2022 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

I liked the many different options and opportunities with doing this research. The projects I worked on were all something I or other students have come up with, and had a big focus on the integration of engineering and social issues. Specifically, we developed project based learning modules for young minorities to open up STEM as a potential future. It felt impactful, and the work was rewarding.

What I wish was different

I wish we were able to give our project more exposure. The time constraint limited how far we could develop this project. Additionally, our research project was brand new, and we could not get much further than the beginning stages of testing our demo.

Advice

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Undergraduate Researcher

June - August 2021 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

I liked the independence of doing my own research after learning how to perform all the relevant tests I needed.

What I wish was different

I conducted research in a biology topic, but I'm majoring in Chemical Engineering so I wish it could've been more relevant to chemistry.

Advice

Be willing to learn new things and understand that any data you collect is useful in one way or another.
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Intern

May - July 2021 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

I loved the design of the program. We had career/ personal development sessions and a design competition between the interns.

What I wish was different

Advice

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SOAR Fellow

May - July 2021 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

I liked that I was able to complete the work remotely and work one-on-one with professors at WPI to get a tailored experience.

What I wish was different

I wish it had lasted for a few more weeks of the summer

Advice

Be prepared to have a daily check in with a supervisor and make sure you have ways to avoid becoming distracted when you work fully remotely.
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Student

May 2020 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

I enjoyed the ability the create my own projects and pursue them.

What I wish was different

That it was in-person but couldn't be because of covid

Advice

Follow through on your projects, create the change you want to see
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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May - August 2020 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

This job was very time-flexible and I could work entirely on my own schedule.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Summer Research Intern

May - August 2020 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

I got good experience in a data science job

What I wish was different

I wish I had more time and I went in a little more prepared

Advice

The time you put in is what you get out, so really focus on a strong start to the project.
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Facilities Maintenance Worker

May - August 2019 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

This type of job experience that I otherwise would not have and the people I worked with. They're very funny and understanding. Work facilities!

What I wish was different

I got fired. I'm still a good worker tho. I promise 😁

Advice

Don't try to finesse too much.
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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June - October 2019 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

The topic of research was really interesting to study. The project itself was really fun to work om from start to finish.

What I wish was different

I wish that I had gotten the chance to work with more people, the projects were teams of two with a weekly meeting that included everyone.

Advice

Choose a project that you are passionate or interested in, because it makes the overall experience more enjoyable and beneficial.
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Program Coordinator

May - August 2019 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

Working with other students on a team and learning professionals skills

What I wish was different

More clear expectations of time to be spent on projects. I believe some of the job had unwritten expectations that I should spend extra unpaid hours and this would have been nice to be aware of before applying.

Advice

This job was great experience with many helpful mentors.
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research intern

May - August 2019 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

Learned a lot, very hands on, got to make decisions during the research process

What I wish was different

Wish there was more time to do more research in other areas, however that's never possible with a summer internship.

Advice

Be confident in your own abilities and trust your professor.
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Summer Custodian

June - August 2019 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

It was pretty laid back work, and the people I worked in were awesome.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been able to pick up more than 6 hours per day of shifts.

Advice

Just do your job well and you won't have any trouble getting along with everyone, including superiors.
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Research Assistant

May - August 2019 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

Was able to make my own schedule of experiments for the week, and was able to get trained on useful equipment for analysis

What I wish was different

Advice

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May - October 2019 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

I loved the community of summer researchers. There was a lot of support.

What I wish was different

Be more active with the other undergraduates and graduate students!

Advice

Participate and be fully conscious in everything you participate in.
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Data Science Intern

May - August 2019 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

I like the flexibility of research.

What I wish was different

I wish it was more of a team based environment.

Advice

Be passionate about your research, and it won’t feel like work.
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REU

May - July 2019 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

I got to meet students outside of Davidson with similar interests as me, as well as mentors within my field of work. I got a lot of practice working in a research-oriented environment and presenting information in weekly presentations.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more opportunity to work with the other students, as we only got to work in pairs rather than the total group of 9 students.

Advice

Being open about how difficult times can be in intensive programs like this is okay, and helpful in the long-term.
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Computer Lab Assitant

May 2019 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

I liked how it was flexible hours and I got to help people troubleshoot their computer instruments. I got to learn a lot from my boss and it is a job I do throughout the school year as well.

What I wish was different

There isn't much I wish were different. I wish I was able to do more hours.

Advice

One piece of advice I would recommend is to always research problems you don't know and then try to solve it.
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Undergraduate Research Assistant

October 2018 • Worcester, MA

What I liked

All the hands-on experience I gained!

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

If you're interested in what your professor's research is in, ask! You never know where that conversation will lead you!
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