Brown University

Undergraduate Research Assistant

June - August 2023 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I love the group of people I was able to work with and learn from. Throughout my time as an intern, I was surrounded by many different ideas and perspectives stemming from various levels of experience. I found this atmosphere promoted mutual respect for diverse opinions and brought out the best in me. Overall, I found the experience to be very supportive, collaborative, and productive.

What I wish was different

I would not wish for anything to have gone differently.

Advice

I would advise future research assistants to be inquisitive and respectful. There is so much to learn not only from seasoned researchers but also from less-experienced individuals. As a result, it is important to practice humility while also expressing confidence in your ability to contribute.

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Student Researcher

June - August 2023 • Providence, RI

What I liked

Meeting people from lots of different schools and homes, getting to explore mathematical research, getting to live in Providence, and having room, board, and travel all paid for.

What I wish was different

I wish it had been 10 weeks instead of 8 perhaps

Advice

Make connections with your professors and they'll make connections for you!

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Resident Assistant

June - August 2022 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I felt like I was compensated fairly and also enjoyed working/engaging with high school students in a fun and meaningful way.

What I wish was different

More organization! There were a lot of things that I felt were hectic or just completely fell through that could have been avoided with more support structures in place and more intention.

Advice

Just be open. To anything and everything.

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June - August 2021 • Providence, RI

What I liked

It was good research

What I wish was different

didnt like being remote

Advice

Work hard play hard

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Research Assistant

May - August 2021 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I liked being able to engage with an academic interest of mine in a non-classroom setting, engaging one on one with a professor.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

The environment was very conducive to learning. People were always willing to answer questions and help out, even after hours. Very cool and meaningful work.

What I wish was different

I wish I had put in more effort to get more of a background in Machine Learning to complement my work.

Advice

Dive in! Don't be afraid if you don't know too much, just start doing and be open to learning.

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Resident Assistant

June - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I absolutely loved my coworkers, both my boss and the other RA's. The friends I made while working there were definitely the best part

What I wish was different

Their two-week training program meant for dealing with certain problems that might arise from the interaction of different students often felt like they were making us pacify the aggressor/racist/homophobe in the situation.

Advice

Bring a fan. I know it's only two months and you probably won't use it again but you will die otherwise in that New England heat.

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Teaching Assistant

June - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I enjoyed having a close relationship with the professors (I was a TA for three classes), and well as working along side students. I was challenged to be independent which required me to master the material and have confidence in my abilities.

What I wish was different

I wish I had realized how much work and time outside the actual work hours it would require. Lots of time spent preparing, grading, and making presentations.

Advice

Be confident in your abilities to be a mentor!

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Research Intern

June - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I loved my lab and the overall experience and feel for the program. I would highly recommend people to apply.

What I wish was different

I wish we would've had more opportunities to network amongst other divisions.

Advice

Don't knock it until you try it. I was hesitant first about my lab but it ended up being one of the best experiences I've ever had in a lab setting.

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Biology Research Assistant

June - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.3 billion people live with some form of visual impairment. Before potential treatments for visual disorders become available, they must be tested on model organisms, like zebrafish (Danio rerio). At Brown, I worked to develop a novel assay, which captured the visually-guided behavior of zebrafish larvae, in response to both visual and acoustic stimuli. This assay was utilized to determine if vision loss in zebrafish larvae was achieved after exposure to UV radiation and forms of visible light. In the future, this assay could be used to test treatments for visual disorders and measure the loss and recovery of vision in the zebrafish larvae. My favorite part of this research was learning how to run behavioral assays and working with the zebrafish (they are a great model organism to work with!). I also enjoyed the people who I worked with. They were extremely supportive and guided me through learning how to conduct experiments on my own. I was very passionate about this research since in the future I hope to become an optometrist and this research has the potential to evaluate treatments that I may prescribe to my patients in the future.

What I wish was different

I wish the research program had been longer. It felt like once I began to learn how to run multiple experiments per week and became more proficient at the techniques it was time to leave. I am so thankful for this experience though!

Advice

Make sure to apply to any positions which look interesting to you! Have confidence in your abilities and you can find an internship that you are really passionate about. Do not doubt your abilities and make sure to apply to any positions even if you think you will not be accepted, because you never know.

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Medical Research Scientist

May - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

Very friendly and informative. Wants you to suceed

What I wish was different

N/a

Advice

Bring a blanket

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I learned so much about research and aspects of the biochem world that can not be taught in a classroom. Everyone in the lab was very welcoming and ensured I learned the proper techniques.

What I wish was different

Possibly due to the nature of our research, there was a lot of wait time that was filled with reading literature on our topic. I thought research would have been more hands on with less down time.

Advice

I think research is a truly great experience for anyone in the sciences. Doing research in full time lab is something that can not be reproduced in the classroom, and it has enhanced my experience in the classroom as well, as I am more familiar with the concepts the professors talk about.

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Research Assistant

June - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

What I wish was different

The hours were very difficult. I did not realize how exhausting a 9-5 job is. However, it did give me a taste for what my career will be like in the future.

Advice

It is important to start research as an undergraduate student in order to prepare yourself for graduate school. Research experiences for undergraduates are excellent ways to get a better idea of what graduate school is like and how to prepare for it.

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Planetary Astronomer

June - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

I think it's very important to apply for everything you're interested in, even if you don't think you're qualified. you may be surprised!

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Teacher

June - August 2019 • Providence, RI

What I liked

This was though the Math Teaching Experience for Undergraduates and I love how organized and we'll planned this experience was. I leaned a ton about teaching math and got to apply that in a real classroom setting

What I wish was different

Not much besides minor logistical things

Advice

If you are interested in math and have even thought about teaching then this is a worthwhile experience

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Teacher Assistant

June - July 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I like the environment, the new skills I learned and the students.

What I wish was different

I wish it was a little longer

Advice

Always take time to listen to what people have to say, you will never know what you will learn by keeping quiet and listening, truly listening.

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Catalog Librarian

June 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

The people are great.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more training.

Advice

Be patient.

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UTRA Helper

June - August 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I liked working with grad students and a professor who could give me professional advice and show me what their own lives were like, so I knew what I might either look forward to or avoid.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been working more in a group setting, I sometimes felt a bit isolated.

Advice

If you're bored, there's probably a way to make your job more interesting — and whoever your boss is will probably like the changes you make, because you're going to be more passionate and work harder on things you find interesting. So, unless it is a very planned and set out job description, take opportunities to do creative things or deviate from the set job description because you could create something your boss really likes.

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Key Assistant

May - September 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

Flexability

What I wish was different

Wish it had been more constant workload instead of crazy ebbs and flows.

Advice

Know that it ebbs and flows and be prepared

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Leadership Alliance FYRE Summer Intern

June - August 2018 • Providence, RI

What I liked

I was able to work with young adults from a plethora of cultural background. I learned so much outside of my work environment because of the people in my cohort.