Cornell University

Undergraduate Researcher

May - August 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

Independence of research, learning how to structure graduate school level research projects, access to instruments Hillsdale does not have, learning about the life of graduate students in chemistry research, good hours

What I wish was different

Not the best location

Advice

Make the most of your experience by really taking ownership of your project and making connections with faculty and graduate students, who are valuable mentors as you work through the graduate school application process and determining if graduate school in chemistry is right for you.

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Summer Scholar

May - July 2019 • Geneva, NY

What I liked

Working in central New York during the Summer was amazing. The research labs at Cornell Agritech are of the most advanced I've been able to work in. Professors really care about the students doing research here, and this program leads to great opportunities for graduate school in this field.

What I wish was different

I wish that I would have had longer than the nine months provided for the internship.

Advice

Always apply to multiple experiences like this so that you can have a backup, as they are quite competitive. Also, always attempt to network if you are very sure about a certain school or project that you would like to complete.

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Undergraduate Researcher

June - September 2017 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

Pay (included room and board + a stipend) and abundant free time and free food.

What I wish was different

There is little formal structure to the REU and what professional development is provided is pretty useless, and I didn't get placed in a lab remotely close to my field.

Advice

Don't be afraid to demand what you need to succeed

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Police Intern

May - August 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

I was closely involved and included in serious police work including investigations of major crimes. I was given liberty to work independently on case notes and to conduct important work for the department both on a variety of computer systems and out on the streets. Despite being able to work with little oversight, I was held to a professional standard and worked hard because I was motivated to by the environment I was immersed in and the people working beside me. I felt like I was helping people of various backgrounds and being exposed to many different kinds of people.

What I wish was different

Nothing which comes to mind. I was able to help people in the ways I wanted and reach out them in a way which I believe furthered positive relations between law enforcement and the people they serve.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask questions, there are aspects of police work which cannot be learned in a classroom.

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June - August 2018 • Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo Province

What I liked

A chance to engage and build relationships with communities I had not encountered before.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Hotel Intern

May - August 2017 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

The program exposed me to a high standard of service that the company holds to each of its guest, and I learned all of the operations of running a hotel. It prioritized educating the workers in communication with fellow employees. That is a very crucial skill to work on as a young professional.

What I wish was different

If there was a more frequent rotational program throughout the departments of the hotel.

Advice

Communication is key in any position. A common theme that existed between Food Service, Rooms, Accounting, and Management was the importance of communicating properly and effectively. No matter what discipline I was involved in at the hotel, the important part was that I needed to let managers and team members know of the information they needed to help the Statler Hotel succeed as a whole.

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Research Assistant

June - August 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

The biggest highlight of my research experience was diving head first into a different flavor and form of research. Back at my home institution I am a part of an experimental soft matter physics lab. What I did this summer is completely different: computational solid state physics. I was really scared at the beginning of the summer when I heard I was going to be working on a computational solid state project because I identified fully and truly as an experimentalist and had never taken a solid state class. However, the most rewarding experience of this program thus far has been realizing that I am a physicist capable of successfully and meaningfully conducting research outside of my comfort zone.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been less afraid to stick my neck out and take risks in lab and socially.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask questions. This is just as much of a learning experience as it is a job.

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Financial Audit Intern

June 2018 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

I liked the people I worked with and the broader Alliance For Diversity Internship Program through which I met many other students and campus leaders.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May - August 2018 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

I liked that I was able to work on my own project.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Intern

June 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

I liked that I got to work closely with people who had a lot of experience in the subject matter and with the actual equipment and machinery. It made me feel like an actual engineer.

What I wish was different

That there was more comfortable transportation between Cornell and Houghton.

Advice

There's nothing like actually having hands-on experience in possible careers you might want to go into.

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Condensed Matter Physics Research

May - August 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

This experience was excellent for students interested in going to graduate school for some area of science or technology. We were each placed in a research group under a principle investigator (PI) who was a Cornell professor and paired with a current grad student who served as a mentor. I thought this was a good setup because I became completely immersed in my research group, learning a lot from the students, post-docs, and professors I was working with, and was given hands-on applicable tasks. This was a great way to get a taste of what grad school in this field would be like and make some great connections. I also really liked how this program offered numerous talks and seminars for students to attend and many connecting and networking opportunities.

What I wish was different

I wish there had been more time to finish the project I was working on and see it to the finish. 10 weeks is not enough time for some projects, especially in experimental research where a lot depends on equipment functionality and availability.

Advice

I would strongly advise students pursuing scientific research to have at least one experience like this before they graduate, where they have the chance to fully delve into a "real-world" research project and see if this is a career they are interested in pursuing. Whether you enjoy it or not, you will at least have narrowed down potential career options, AND you will have hopefully made connections with some great people along the way.

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Research Assistant

June - August 2018 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

Don't be afraid to talk to every single person you meet. You never know who is willing to help you out!

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Field Tech

June - August 2018 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

Working outdoors, hands on problem solving.

What I wish was different

More structure, better idea of a research project and timeline going in

Advice

Plan ahead!

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Undergraduate Researcher

June 2018 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

Independence, Hands-On, Related to my field of study, Flexible Hours

What I wish was different

Longer Summer to have more time for the projects.

Advice

You are more capable than you think. Take chances, but be responsible. Don't compare yourself and your experiences to others.

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Research Assistant and Communication Intern

May 2018 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

I gained research experience and on-farm experience that complemented the coursework from my major. Additionally, I am an agricultural sciences major and felt it was important to work on a farm at some point. Additionally, I was able to split my time between the research experience and working in the program's office and do communication related work for my other major.

What I wish was different

I would have liked to have more variation. The tasks became monotonous.

Advice

I was worried about staying in Ithaca for a summer, but am glad that I did. I would recommend any younger students that if you're thinking about staying in Ithaca a summer, then go for it!

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June 2018 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

It was a great experience engaging in research in a subject I enjoyed (circuit design). I knew the professor from a previous class so it was a great learning experience about how to do research and the field.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Senior Information Specialist

June 2018 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

I loved having the opportunity to stay and work in Ithaca over the summer. Beyond that, I also appreciate this job for its incredible flexibility and fun and engaging staff.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June 2018 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

Being able to be fully immersed in research

What I wish was different

Arrangement of timing of experiments

Advice

You have to be patient, sometimes things don’t work out how you want them to

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Psychologist Research Assistant

July 2018 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

I enjoyed working closely with other research assistants and with my graduate student supervisor who gave me lots of good one-on-one advice for applying to graduate school. The work we did varied day by day so I was always learning new skills and trying new things. I also liked experiencing Cornell over the summer.

What I wish was different

Advice

If you’re trying to get into research, I would advise you find a lab that interests you. This is important because you’ll be putting in a lot of hours in the lab and it will be very tiresome if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing. You’re also more likely to stay in a lab you enjoy, which is good because the longer you stay in a lab, the richer your experience will be. It’s also better for graduate school applications to stay in one lab for a long time than do brief stints in many labs.

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