By Lina Layakoubi, Peer Research Ambassador

As thousands of new students are welcomed to UConn, the excitement is palpable on campus. With each new student comes the beginning of a new journey, and though this transition can be fantastic, it is also a time when many students are facing new challenges and anxieties. I can say from personal experience, your first few weeks at UConn will probably be a little chaotic, but within this chaos you will find new passions and overcome new challenges. I want to share some tips that can make your transition less stressful!

1)  Settle In

At this point you’re probably just discovering UConn’s seemingly endless resources. Maybe you’ve left the Involvement Fair with a list of ten clubs you want to join, or you just opened Blackboard and have no idea how to post a discussion board. It may seem like everything is moving at lightning speed and information is being thrown at you from all sides.

If you’re anything like I was, you might be feeling stressed about making the most out of every minute. My best advice at this point is to slow down and take a breath. I promise none of the clubs or activities or dining hall “specials” are going anywhere. What’s most important now is acclimating yourself. Regardless of if you’ve lived away from home before, being a part of the UConn community is a major lifestyle change. Try and find the things that work for you and establish a routine. I remember my first semester on campus, I felt like I was being pulled into activities left and right. It took me a long time to feel settled and I think I caused myself unnecessary stress trying to do everything at once. Taking some time to settle into a routine gives you a chance to take small steps towards making new friends, learning new study habits, and discovering activities. Freshman year is about exploration. It’s about taking your time and figuring out what works for you and what you want out of UConn. Calming yourself down and settling in is the first step to having a great first year! Continue reading →

By Fariha Fardin, OUR Peer Research Ambassador

Being involved with research is an invaluable opportunity that I think everyone should take advantage of during their undergraduate years. I can definitely say that being involved in undergraduate research has been transformative for me academically, but also honed my skills and set my career trajectory on a promising path. As I reflect on my own experiences, here are ten insights I wish I had known before embarking on this exciting endeavor (in no particular order):

 1)  The Power of Inquiry

The old adage “Don’t be afraid to ask questions” holds true, though I’ll admit even I hesitated. It can be very intimidating when you’re surrounded by graduate students and professors who are very clearly extremely knowledgeable and busy. However, overcoming that intimidation and seeking clarification can open up opportunities for deeper understanding and more analytical thinking. Continue reading →

By Elisa Shaholli, Peer Research Ambassador

Sometimes it may feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day for all we have scheduled for ourselves: classes, clubs, self-care, assignments, work, meals, and more! With days where an overwhelming lineup of activities are on your schedule, research may feel like another stressful activity in a long list of ‘to-dos.’

Throughout my time at UConn, there are a few different strategies I’ve found helpful for those days where chaos seems to outweigh balance, and which have helped me with time and stress management. Compiled below are my top four pieces of advice on juggling research amidst a busy schedule, so that not only will you be able to enjoy the research process more by having a greater mental bandwidth for it, but also it will help alleviate current and future stress! Continue reading →

By Alexandra Goldhamer, Peer Research Ambassador

With all of the research opportunities available at UConn, it can be difficult to determine which experience would be best for you. One of my majors, molecular & cell biology, is more in line with bench research. My other major, human rights, relates more to qualitative research. Further, my minor in mathematics sparked my interest in quantitative research. I have diverse passions that I have been able to explore through coursework on different subjects. However, when participating in research during the academic year, it is important to commit your time and resources to a particular project in a particular lab. This allows for your knowledge, strengths, and techniques to grow in a particular subject that will inform your particular career goals. So, how do you know what’s the best fit for you?

Attend conferences and workshops

Early on in my undergraduate career, I attended both the Mathematics Continued Conference and some of the presentations that were put on by the STEM Seminar Series that focused on molecular biology. I knew I was interested in these topics and this was confirmed by reading about faculty members’ research interests on their department websites. During both of these experiences, I evaluated 1) how interested I was in each of the topics, 2) what it would mean to make small contributions to these fields, and 3) if I would enjoy the day to day tasks that lead to the end goal of small discoveries. I found myself fascinated by the biology presentations, and was intrigued by the fact that any contribution in this field could potentially have an impact on clinical outcomes. Although I was still curious about what the day to day experience would entail. Continue reading →

By Stephanie Schofield, Peer Research Ambassador

The minute we step into college, there is an aura of both stress and also of relief. The stress, for many, comes from this daunting, new academic environment we are exposed to. The relief, on the other hand, is from knowing we’ve finally made it. We all fought so hard to get here, many of us spent our high school years trying to earn good grades and also get heavily involved in extracurricular activities to boost our applicant profile. Now that you’re here, extracurriculars don’t matter anymore, right?

Well, not necessarily! Of course it can depend on the major, but many of us here are either pursuing a job after college or graduate school, like myself. In my last blog, I mentioned my own example of taking a gap year to gain more experience before entering graduate school. People who know me and/or have reviewed my resume and CV before are reading that last entry and last sentence rolling their eyes. Why on earth would I need to gain more experience when I have so many opportunities and experiences already under my belt? For me, it’s not that I need to, but more so, I want to. Continue reading →