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So, I'm thinking about doing research, but I was wondering if anyone has done it already. What did you like ? Dislike ? Did you learn alot from it ?
Has anyone done research here and if so what did you like about it ?
- Thread starter doc001
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Did research throughout undergrad. Loved it, and learned alot. Most importantly that I dont want to do bench research as a career 😀
I enjoyed learning and getting exposed to research, collecting and publishing data, playing with bacteria.....
Research helps but its not a panacea, just do what you enjoy and you will be fine. No one should do research only because they think it will get them in med school.
I enjoyed learning and getting exposed to research, collecting and publishing data, playing with bacteria.....
Research helps but its not a panacea, just do what you enjoy and you will be fine. No one should do research only because they think it will get them in med school.
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I did it for 2+ years. I really enjoyed it. It was fun to work with people, participate in the discovery of new knowledge (add to science), travel for free (well, on others' dime, haha, for conferences and such), etc.
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i've been doing it for about a year now...love it. i'm lucky enough to be in a lab and working on a project where i pretty much set my own pace (read: i don't have to deal with grad students telling me what to do all the time). i also learned it's really relaxing in a way...after a hectic day of crap pre-med neuroticism/worrying just sitting down at the bench and doing procedures that are step-wise and tried and true methods is kind of a nice calming thing....
i know, i'm weird. but i just remember the first time i came in after hours to do a gel purification...it was sooo nice and quiet and i could actually just concentrate on one step getting done at a time instead of stressing over everything else.
on the other hand, it pushes you to really learn stuff from your classes that you otherwise might have just regurgitated on a test and forgotten about. the times where you're waiting for something to run in the lab you can use to study, which makes you feel ultra productive.
also, you feel super mature for being one of the cool science people who does research...and younger students think you're a grad student.
the only thing i dislike about it (but it can go either way depending on how you look at it) is i sometimes want it to go faster...like i'll finish this one section of my project and draw some conclusions and present them to my PI and i'll be like ok.......so what can i do now? and he's like ummm idk let's think about it. and we'll talk for like 10 min on directions we can go an i realize...it's really a work in progress. this isn't like a lab course where you have an ultimate goal. this is like the expansion of the universe--it can go annnyyywhere (yeah i'm a dork).
so yeah, i think it's awesome, but i was lucky and found a lab that i fit perfectly into. that's what you need to look for to get the same exp. i know people who've had exact op. exp than mine in labs with people they just don't get along with doing things they have no interest in.
i know, i'm weird. but i just remember the first time i came in after hours to do a gel purification...it was sooo nice and quiet and i could actually just concentrate on one step getting done at a time instead of stressing over everything else.
on the other hand, it pushes you to really learn stuff from your classes that you otherwise might have just regurgitated on a test and forgotten about. the times where you're waiting for something to run in the lab you can use to study, which makes you feel ultra productive.
also, you feel super mature for being one of the cool science people who does research...and younger students think you're a grad student.
the only thing i dislike about it (but it can go either way depending on how you look at it) is i sometimes want it to go faster...like i'll finish this one section of my project and draw some conclusions and present them to my PI and i'll be like ok.......so what can i do now? and he's like ummm idk let's think about it. and we'll talk for like 10 min on directions we can go an i realize...it's really a work in progress. this isn't like a lab course where you have an ultimate goal. this is like the expansion of the universe--it can go annnyyywhere (yeah i'm a dork).
so yeah, i think it's awesome, but i was lucky and found a lab that i fit perfectly into. that's what you need to look for to get the same exp. i know people who've had exact op. exp than mine in labs with people they just don't get along with doing things they have no interest in.
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I've been doing research for about a year now...in medicinal chemistry...
I'm sort of 50/50 about it.
What I don't like about it: I feel a lot of the time like I am just cheap labor and I do a lot of repetitive things and have just recently (after a year) started to see the fruits of my labor. That is one thing for me that is really frustrating about being an undergraduate researcher (we ARE cheap labor)
What I do like about it: I'm actually DOING science. When I start to get closer and closer to finding what I'm looking for it's very exciting. Also, the people I work with in the lab are all awesome.
Research can be a good or bad experience and I honestly believe its what you make of it.
I'm sort of 50/50 about it.
What I don't like about it: I feel a lot of the time like I am just cheap labor and I do a lot of repetitive things and have just recently (after a year) started to see the fruits of my labor. That is one thing for me that is really frustrating about being an undergraduate researcher (we ARE cheap labor)
What I do like about it: I'm actually DOING science. When I start to get closer and closer to finding what I'm looking for it's very exciting. Also, the people I work with in the lab are all awesome.
Research can be a good or bad experience and I honestly believe its what you make of it.
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I've learned a ridiculous amount, more than I could have imagined from the research I have participated in (1 semester so far). I have learned about applying for grants, different techniques to run gels, i.e. western blot, zymography, tissue culture, antibodies, different microscopic skills, animal dissection, animal injection, animal iv injection, and so much about the topic I was researching and all of the pathways involved and all about the cells.
I enjoyed getting results, it always is suspenseful. I also enjoyed the learning and just working with the PI because he is absolutely amazing. I also enjoy the other students in the lab, they are very knowledgeable and are just really cool people.
The only thing I dislike is that there is a ton of down time while running gels and what-not. I should be more efficient with it and study more. I didn't like how little I knew coming into the research, it makes one feel inept being behind everyone else. I also dislike going through the forms when you are ordering animals and when you are working with/killing them. Also don't like how much equipment costs, antibodies are also ridiculously expensive. I feel like I have to always be super cautious not to break anything.
I enjoyed getting results, it always is suspenseful. I also enjoyed the learning and just working with the PI because he is absolutely amazing. I also enjoy the other students in the lab, they are very knowledgeable and are just really cool people.
The only thing I dislike is that there is a ton of down time while running gels and what-not. I should be more efficient with it and study more. I didn't like how little I knew coming into the research, it makes one feel inept being behind everyone else. I also dislike going through the forms when you are ordering animals and when you are working with/killing them. Also don't like how much equipment costs, antibodies are also ridiculously expensive. I feel like I have to always be super cautious not to break anything.
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hahahaha right and BigDye is like 1500/vial. don't drop it OR expose it to light for too long!!!
science aint cheap
science aint cheap
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I did a year of research and hated it. It was a DNA-manipulation based research project. It honestly felt like I spent 80% of my time waiting for water to boil or cool down.
Not to mention that the project didn't work(that's why it's research, I suppose). I don't think I'll ever pick up research again.
Not to mention that the project didn't work(that's why it's research, I suppose). I don't think I'll ever pick up research again.
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I've been doing research for ~2.5 years now. I have really enjoyed it and am actually going to the NIH for this upcoming year to continue research.
From everyone I've had the chance to talk with, the experience depends on both you and the personnel in the lab. I came into a lab where every was really laid back and have helped me. I was also not made to wash dishes or make reagents all the time... I clean/make my own things.
After a year or so of helping the graduate students a little bit, I was given a project of my own and have been able to work on it for the last 1.5 years. I am hoping by the end of my experience that I will have a publication or two submitted or in preparation.
From everyone I've had the chance to talk with, the experience depends on both you and the personnel in the lab. I came into a lab where every was really laid back and have helped me. I was also not made to wash dishes or make reagents all the time... I clean/make my own things.
After a year or so of helping the graduate students a little bit, I was given a project of my own and have been able to work on it for the last 1.5 years. I am hoping by the end of my experience that I will have a publication or two submitted or in preparation.
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I'm someone who hates lab and lab work for classes.
But, research, I love research. You do real science and learn real stuff.
You see how it works and how you work.
It's not boring; it's exciting beyond belied: the process of discovery.
But, research, I love research. You do real science and learn real stuff.
You see how it works and how you work.
It's not boring; it's exciting beyond belied: the process of discovery.
