Why I am at Duke, and not at the beach.
So everyone has reasons for participating in summer research, or else we would have decided to spend our summers at the beach instead of applying for Howard Hughes. Contrary to popular belief, there are many reasons why one might choose a summer research job over a summer at the beach. Maybe you want to decide whether you like research or not. Maybe you enjoy the intellectual stimulation of doing research. Or maybe you simply think that summer research will look good on your resume.Here are some of my reasons for participating in summer research, and what I hope to get out of my summer experience. A lot of them are pretty standard, but if I tried to make up something cute, original, and funny, it probably wouldn't be as true. These are without a doubt the most important goals I have for the summer.
My expectations about this summer are that I will...
1. Learn more about virology and the scientific problems the lab studies. If I fully understand what I’m studying, in depth, I will make helpful insights and good decisions in lab. Furthermore, solid background knowledge in virology and immunology will help my lab career later on.
2. Gain procedural knowledge. How do you pipette? How do you use a FACS machine? How do you grow a cell culture? These skills are best learned through experiential education, so I’d better take advantage of my Howard Hughes internship by learning as many lab techniques as possible!
3. See how I like working full-time in a laboratory. Is lab science something I want to do for a job later? Though I will not decide for or against becoming a scientist during just this one internship, Howard Hughes can definitely give me a good idea of what a full-time lab job is like.
4. Get busy, work hard, and come up with some good data. A lab internship is no fun at all if you are bored and don’t have enough to do! I’d much prefer to spend what little time I have working hard on my experiment, studies, and lab technique.
5. Keep a thorough, up-to-date lab notebook. I’ve had problems with this in the past, as I tend to not write down my exact experimental procedures in full. An incomplete notebook is poor science, and I must learn to keep a better record.
6. Get to know my lab mates. Everybody in my lab is incredibly interesting and intriguing, and each has their own fascinating story. Furthermore, every one of them knows so much about science! The more I get to know my lab mates, the more I learn from them and enjoy their company. I'd also love to get to know my fellow Howard Hughes researchers, who are just as funny and interesting.
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