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June 2015
Smart phones, when used appropriately, can give you a distinct advantage in the lab.
For example, rather than standing with the freezer door open trying to memorize which enzymes your lab has, use your phone to take a photo. Likewise, take a photo instead of jotting down the catalog number of each research component you need.
Then, head back to your desk where you can plan your experiment without needing to return to the freezer multiple times to double-check, or search for that piece of paper that you just had a second ago.
The first 30 minutes of designing a poster is the most fun. After that, it’s an exercise in boredom, too many lattes, and a frenzied rush to finish it up by the deadline.
If you’re designing your first poster, plan at least 30 hours from start to finish—it always takes longer than it seems like it should.
For tips on creating any poster, check out: http://www.undergradinthelab.com/node/48
Establishing good habits at the bench ensures that you don't have to remember all the little details and can focus on the big picture of your experiment. So, label everything during an experiment. Even if it's just a tube of water, and even if you'll only need it for a few minutes.
It is only through the conscious practice of time-management, and prioritizing the activities that are important to you, that you will achieve a solid academic/life balance.
Take time at the end of each semester to ask yourself, "What worked for me, and what didn't?" Then, to help keep your priorities in check without becoming overextended, cut low-value activities, only continue with ones that make you happy, and make finding time for yourself a priority.
If you're offered the opportunity join a lab as an observer, know that it's important to be genuinely enthusiastic and work hard starting on the first day.
Many labs offer an observe to learn position instead of putting undergrads on research projects right away. Although officially it's done to let the student determine if they would be happy in the lab, at the same time the other lab members are deciding if the student seems like a good fit.
Undergrad research is more than benchwork or fieldwork. The skills you learn will help prepare you for any career path because an in-depth research experience will present numerous opportunities to develop personally, professionally, and academically.
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.
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