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Tips & Tricks
No matter what STEM experience you're part of, the start of a research project is as exciting as it is awkward--and sometimes nerve wracking. If you start feeling a little overwhelmed, read the whiteboard above a couple of times for an insider's perspective.
Just because you can't recycle something, doesn't mean you should throw it away. For example, make a tapeball with your old lab tape! Whether you've recently started benchwork, or are a year plus in, it's never too late to start a monument to your hard work and dedication.
And if others in the lab are feeling creative, you can express yourselves by making tapeball people when the PI is at a faculty meeting.
No matter the discipline, scholarly activity, or type of research you pursue, to make your research experience the most rewarding you’ll need to invest yourself in it. Use these 6 tips as part of your overall strategy.
There are numerous chores that need to be done in a research lab, and it's tempting to rush through them just to get done.
Instead, adopt the philosophy that everything you do in the lab is important, and deserves careful attention to the correct procedure.
Even if you've been working in the lab for a while, when you start a new project there will be unexpected glitches and hiccups--especially in the beginning.
When starting independent project it can be especially frustrating. For many undergrads (and new grad students), the beginning of an independent project is both a badge of honor, and a badge of shame.
As you decide which research opportunities to apply to, avoid automatically dismissing a lab solely based on a model organism. This is important for two reasons:
1) Depending on the project, you may never even see or touch the actual organism—even if you’re in the lab for several years. This is because much research is done on pieces and parts—tissue samples, proteins, or isolated and purified DNA.
One of the biggest mistakes scientists at all levels make is planning to do too much in too little time. We all believe things will go faster, be easier, and take less time to accomplish than they actually do. Setting research goals is important, but so is adjusting them when needed. NEVER let yourself feel that you failed for reevaluating what is reasonable to accomplish. It's simply part of EVERYONE'S research experience.
What you do in the lab when you aren’t doing research matters. A lot.
To extract the most from your undergrad research experience, you'll need to make your time in the lab matter.
When you’re waiting to finish a technique, or have a little extra time, there are a variety of things you can do to make your research experience more rewarding.
Every research kit contains a protocol manual with a troubleshooting section that explains the most common mistakes made with the kit at the research bench. If the kit procedure fails, the first thing most scientists do is turn to the troubleshooting section to determine if the reason could have been Operator Error.
Over the course of your undergrad research experience, you'll have opportunities to develop a strong sense of self-reliance. The more you choose to do so the more rewarding research experience you'll have, and the stronger your recommendation letters from your research professor will be.
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