By Erik Choi, Peer Research Ambassador

Being an undergraduate student researcher requires dedication and commitment, so it’s natural for people around you to question what you spend your time doing.

How many times have you been faced with the question, “what do you research?” or asked to tell someone about your research? These can be daunting questions. Do you give them the full-length response just to witness the puzzlement on their face as they get lost in the jargon of your research? Or do you give them an oversimplification that doesn’t do justice to the nuances of your work? It’s a tough conundrum that illustrates how research can be a double-edged sword: its incredible versatility gives it interdisciplinary breadth that simultaneously makes it difficult for an individual to be an expert in all areas of research.

The ability to talk about your research in a succinct but informative way is an integral part of being an undergraduate researcher. This is where the research elevator pitch is important. Your research elevator pitch should be a 30-second to 2-minute debrief of your work that encompasses the workings and importance of your research. It explains what you study and contextualizes its greater relevance to others outside of your niche. It doesn’t need to be memorized; in fact, you should be ready to tailor your pitch to your audience. It is more so a general blueprint you can follow when you need to talk about your research. Continue reading →

By Paul Isaac, Peer Research Ambassador

If you’ve been to the OUR website and are reading this blog post right now, you’ll probably realize that we have a LOT of resources aimed at helping students get into labs and explaining how to reach out to faculty, but what actually happens once you actually get into a lab? In truth, your first week of research will likely be stressful, disorienting, and will heavily influence your enjoyment and connection to the research you’re pursuing.

To this end, I’d like to offer some tips to help you make the most of that critical first week. That being said, as a biological researcher most of these tips best apply to biology and STEM labs, but many of them should be universal to any field of research. Continue reading →

By Anabelle Bergstrom, Peer Research Ambassador

As I write this, it is the first few weeks of 2023. With a new year comes new plans, new experiences, and of course, New Year’s Resolutions.

It seems like no matter where you are or who you talk to this time of year, there are constant reminders to set goals for the next 365 days. Like many of you, I am a massive planner and love setting goals. I also love taking advantage of any opportunity that is put before me. I am constantly bombarded with new opportunities and research ideas that I just can’t seem to shake. What is the deadline for this opportunity? How can I fit that into my schedule? If I just push myself a little bit more this semester, I can fit all these opportunities in and make my goals a reality! Continue reading →