You might think a pre-pharmacy student would want to be working in a lab on drug discovery and most of time you would be right! But with me, things were different.
I have a passion for sociology that I discovered when I was fulfilling my gen-ed requirements my first semester. And after taking a Methods in Social Research course, I knew that the best way to for me to continue pursuing sociology and pharmacy was through research.
So, you want to get into research, but you probably don’t know where to start? Here are a few tips to give you an idea of what you’re in for! Continue reading
As someone who has engaged in research and creative activity, I have learned that marketing yourself and your work is a key step in the process itself. An important way to do this is through an elevator pitch, or a short but impactful statement describing what you do and why you do it. This elevator pitch is the first impression of your research or creative projects that you’ll share with your peers, mentors and employers, so you’ll want to make it attention catching and easy to understand. Continue reading
If you are ready to embark upon the exciting and rewarding journey of presenting your research – congrats! Whether complete or in-progress, take a moment to acknowledge all of the hard work you have put in to make it this far in your undergraduate research career. Now is time for the fun and creative part – displaying your research. Continue reading
Toward the end of their undergraduate career, most students find themselves wondering about what’s next – the job market, graduate school, etc. Some students, however, have their hearts set on medical school, dental school, veterinary school or other professional programs from day one. The decision to apply to these programs is not an easy one- between the financial burden, mental and emotional burden, and the time commitment going forward, it is easy to get lost amongst the application cycle. I want to offer a few specific tips and tricks about the application process that I learned along the way. Continue reading
If you are finishing up research, are a senior, or are in the honors program, you may be starting a research thesis soon. I currently am beginning to compose my honors thesis for the research that I have been doing for the past three years. This definitely sounded like a daunting task, however hopefully this blog post can eliminate some of your fears and help you tackle and get started on your thesis! Continue reading
I recently applied to graduate programs to pursue a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Throughout the application process, I struggled with the challenge of condensing a year’s worth of research into the small space on the application and on my resume, and with explaining my research within the time allotted during the interview process. I also faced the dilemma of whether to apply for formal research opportunities in these new programs.
If you find yourself in this situation, here are a few tips that helped me: Continue reading
When joining an established professional environment, it can be difficult to understand how to fit in while also receiving the resources and support you need to succeed. It is even more difficult as an undergraduate in an environment full of grad students who have very different needs and priorities from your own.
How can you simultaneously learn how to exist within this already established environment, learn your own work style, and ask for these resources in an environment where you are so far down in the hierarchy? Here’s what worked for me. Continue reading
We’ve all heard the saying, “everyone makes mistakes.” But when you’re the one who’s to blame, it’s can be harder to remember that you’re not alone. Over the past two years working in a lab at UConn, I’ve made many mistakes and been forced to face the consequences. In this post, I share with you some of my biggest ones in the hopes that we can all feel a little less alone the next time we mess up. Continue reading
Since finishing a research apprenticeship with a faculty mentor I have wanted to start my own research project, but I have struggled to figure out how. I’ve known for a while that I want to explore ways to utilize photography to help with environmental efforts to preserve natural parks and resources in the West, but it seemed like an enormous project to even begin. I became overwhelmed as I tried looking into past studies, professors on campus who work in this area, and even explored internships, yet it just was not coming together. Continue reading