When you spend the better part of a summer engaged in full-time research you’re bound to experience substantial personal growth. Perhaps you’ll refine your critical thinking or organizational skills. Maybe you’ll develop a sense of self-reliance or self-discipline that you didn’t know was missing.

Many students don't realize the full impact of their summer research experience until its been over for several months or even years. As a bonus, when your mentor writes a recommendation letter for you, they will likely include some of the ways you demonstrated this personal growth to strengthen their endorsement.

At the very least, you’ll likely discover your pain tolerance for a type of research, and possibly if your career path should include it.

Want more tips for thriving during your summer research experience? Check out 10 Things to Expect From Your Summer Undergrad Research Experience and On why it’s so important to 5 Survival Tips for Summer Research