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August 2015
Your lab is a bubble. You work with a team of people with supporting, overlapping, or related projects. You might use different techniques, methods, or approaches than your labmates, but overall you’re all working towards common objectives, and trying to solve a few big questions with the science. It’s good to be in that bubble.
Every time someone writes a letter of recommendation for you, it’s important to send a thank-you email expressing your gratitude. It doesn’t need to be a long email (in fact you want to keep it under six sentences), but it should be sincere.
For the maximum benefits, send the thank-you email the same week the letter is done. However, if someone wrote a letter for you last summer and you didn’t know to send a thank-you email, get it done today. It can still count.
Although there are more, here are three reasons you should send a thank-you email:
Note: This tip won't work for all research environments. In some labs, there is no-phone policy. Usually, it's because the work being done is easily compromised by having a phone around (because the phone cannot be sterilized) or because having a phone distracts the researcher in a way that is a safety hazard. So, this tip only applies to students who have discussed the lab's cell phone policy with their in-lab mentor or PI, and are allowed to use the phone.
If you find yourself in the enviable position of getting to choose between two research positions, don’t let the fear of missing out prevent you from making a decision.The best strategy is to start by considering each position individually without comparing them to each other.
After yesterday's post, Tips on Being a Good Labmate, (http://www.undergradinthelab.com/node/92) we received three inquiries asking what it means to invest in a research project.
One undergrad asked if it meant to design a project or come up with their own research question. Another asked if it meant starting a crowd funding campaign to pay for supplies. Although these will certainly show dedication, and be great if you do them, most undergrads will demonstrate their investment in other ways.
In the lab, regardless of who your mentor is, you'll work with others as part of a team. If you’re lucky, your mentor will spend a few minutes explaining lab rules, policies, and essential aspects of lab culture. Even so, you’ll most likely be challenged with learning most of it as you go.
How well you get along will your labmates will have a direct impact on how much help you receive from others, your letters of recommendation, and how much you enjoy your time in the lab.
Hey Pre-med undergrads...you do know Student Doctor Network, right? (http://www.studentdoctor.net)
If you're not already, get in the habit of visiting the website regularly. It's a great resource with articles and forums that will help you stay on track, learn success strategies, and learn from others about their mistakes so you can avoid making the same ones.
Thinking that graduate school might be in your future? Admissions Committees often use an undergrad's success in a research program as a measure of potential future success. Do research, and start it as early in your undergrad career as possible. And do your best to get at least one full-time summer research experience in before you graduate. (Two is better, three or four is epic!) With research, the more experience you get, the more success you tend to achieve—personally, professionally, and academically.
This fall, we plan to write a blog post about...well, undergrad blogs. We plan to include a variety of information on why they are important, and how they can help you enhance both your communication skills, and your letters of recommendations.
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