Did I make a good decision?

[Psychology 76]

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I know the whole "asking the internet for advice" thing is not the best way to go about making decisions so just so you know I did ask many other people before I made this decision. I was just curious what SDN thought 🙂

So I am looking for research experience this summer. I'm a junior and I plan on applying to Phd programs involving neuroimaging research.

I got accepted into a funded REU but I would not be guaranteed to be doing neuroimaging research and the only faculty person who did neuroimaging research was doing it in a topic I wasn't super interested in. Most of the research of this REU is neurobiology related (i like more of the cognitive and systems approach). but they picked me over 350 people and it was paid so it was a tempting offer.

However, if I turned down this REU, I could work in two different and very awesome labs doing neuroimaging in topics I'm interested in this summer. One of them is local and unpaid. One of them is far away and unpaid, but the professor would generously pay for housing during my stay. Both labs have outstanding faculty members and I'd be very involved and get a lot of educational value (not sure how involved i'd be at the REU)

So, I picked the two unpaid labs instead of the paid REU. I am pretty tight with money but I'd be able to barely make it work.

Do you think I made the right decision?

 

[psich]

I know the whole "asking the internet for advice" thing is not the best way to go about making decisions so just so you know I did ask many other people before I made this decision. I was just curious what SDN thought 🙂

So I am looking for research experience this summer. I'm a junior and I plan on applying to Phd programs involving neuroimaging research.

I got accepted into a funded REU but I would not be guaranteed to be doing neuroimaging research and the only faculty person who did neuroimaging research was doing it in a topic I wasn't super interested in. Most of the research of this REU is neurobiology related (i like more of the cognitive and systems approach). but they picked me over 350 people and it was paid so it was a tempting offer.

However, if I turned down this REU, I could work in two different and very awesome labs doing neuroimaging in topics I'm interested in this summer. One of them is local and unpaid. One of them is far away and unpaid, but the professor would generously pay for housing during my stay. Both labs have outstanding faculty members and I'd be very involved and get a lot of educational value (not sure how involved i'd be at the REU)

So, I picked the two unpaid labs instead of the paid REU. I am pretty tight with money but I'd be able to barely make it work.

Do you think I made the right decision?

Setting the financial aspect of the decision aside, it sounds like the research experience you will get from the two unpaid labs will be better for you instead of the paid REU. Since you chose the unpaid opportunities over the paid REU, we can assume that money is not as important to you compared to experience. Are you having second thoughts about your decision? I'm not sure how our opinions will help since you've already made your choice...

 

[Psychology 76]

Setting the financial aspect of the decision aside, it sounds like the research experience you will get from the two unpaid labs will be better for you instead of the paid REU. Since you chose the unpaid opportunities over the paid REU, we can assume that money is not as important to you compared to experience. Are you having second thoughts about your decision? I'm not sure how our opinions will help since you've already made your choice...

I just always 2nd guess myself. I tend to over think things way too much and I suppose I wanted some reassurance 😛

 

[PsychStudent82]

I just always 2nd guess myself. I tend to over think things way too much and I suppose I wanted some reassurance 😛

I would agree. I would say it sounds like you made a good decision keeping what you really want as the end goal in mind and not getting lost in the idea of money!

Good Luck!
Have a fantastic summer!