Okay so I'm going to be a junior in the fall and am kind of nervous. if it matters I have a 3.74...
Freshman year: worked in biochemistry lab
Summer: did research at state medical center, poster, no publication
24 hours of volunteering at recreational therapy center for kids (I have been doing this since high school but my job didn't allow me to contribute more time
Sophomore: Continued work in biochem lab but was university funded and produced a poster
Began to volunteer at cat shelter (i mostly do it for therapy to keep me sane) roughly 70/80 hours?
Peer Mentor for incoming freshmen to the honor's program
Wellness Advocate, worked with student health center to promote sexual, mental, and physical health amongst the student population. Became CPR, first aid, and suicide prevention trained also learned how to administer rapid HIV tests
Summer: 1 month study abroad China (does this even count lmao), working in a different lab at the med center for the summer, volunteering at the therapy center with adults, volunteering at a non-profit community technology center, helping adults with computer issues and teaching kids the bare basics of coding
Junior year:
so I'm trying to figure out what I want to do. I for sure am working in the school's HIV clinic and continuing to be a mentor and volunteering at the cat shelter.
a couple of other things I could do are possibly be a TA for a genetics class or intern for a community-based health outreach (to be determined what exactly).
I am debating whether I should continue to work in the biochem lab. For one thing, I think my boss is done with me after he got a year without paying me as I was university funded, and now I would come back without that funding. Also, the postdoc who does the more human-based research is leaving and I'm not sure I could contribute my best work to protein analysis. Also the other undergrads in the lab stay in the summer, but I go home, mainly because I like the experiences I can get doing research at the medical center. I think commitment is important, but also isn't getting new experiences? But then those students can work their best without the stress of school and build strong relationships with the prof.
I could also contact a behavioral research lab on campus because I have a psych minor and was really intrigued by biopsychology.
I am kind of stubborn about volunteering and only feel like doing it when I actually think I make a contribution. For this reason, I resent volunteering at the local hospital because I know they mostly do clerical work, but I always could.
Also is it terrible if I have no shadowing and might get like 10 hours this summer? It's super hard to get shadowing opportunities at school and now that I work full-time in the lab for the summer I feel bad leaving to shadow some mornings.
I am just feeling kind of down because I turned down a full time opportunity to work at the therapy center this summer for the lab position bc it paid more and I thought it "looked better" and then I could use the hours there as volunteering. But I wish I had worked there because I love the kids so much and I could actually socialize...I am worried that I'm not staying true to myself and just trying to look good to make up for my GPA but then here I am wondering what activities to do..yikes!
Freshman year: worked in biochemistry lab
Summer: did research at state medical center, poster, no publication
24 hours of volunteering at recreational therapy center for kids (I have been doing this since high school but my job didn't allow me to contribute more time
Sophomore: Continued work in biochem lab but was university funded and produced a poster
Began to volunteer at cat shelter (i mostly do it for therapy to keep me sane) roughly 70/80 hours?
Peer Mentor for incoming freshmen to the honor's program
Wellness Advocate, worked with student health center to promote sexual, mental, and physical health amongst the student population. Became CPR, first aid, and suicide prevention trained also learned how to administer rapid HIV tests
Summer: 1 month study abroad China (does this even count lmao), working in a different lab at the med center for the summer, volunteering at the therapy center with adults, volunteering at a non-profit community technology center, helping adults with computer issues and teaching kids the bare basics of coding
Junior year:
so I'm trying to figure out what I want to do. I for sure am working in the school's HIV clinic and continuing to be a mentor and volunteering at the cat shelter.
a couple of other things I could do are possibly be a TA for a genetics class or intern for a community-based health outreach (to be determined what exactly).
I am debating whether I should continue to work in the biochem lab. For one thing, I think my boss is done with me after he got a year without paying me as I was university funded, and now I would come back without that funding. Also, the postdoc who does the more human-based research is leaving and I'm not sure I could contribute my best work to protein analysis. Also the other undergrads in the lab stay in the summer, but I go home, mainly because I like the experiences I can get doing research at the medical center. I think commitment is important, but also isn't getting new experiences? But then those students can work their best without the stress of school and build strong relationships with the prof.
I could also contact a behavioral research lab on campus because I have a psych minor and was really intrigued by biopsychology.
I am kind of stubborn about volunteering and only feel like doing it when I actually think I make a contribution. For this reason, I resent volunteering at the local hospital because I know they mostly do clerical work, but I always could.
Also is it terrible if I have no shadowing and might get like 10 hours this summer? It's super hard to get shadowing opportunities at school and now that I work full-time in the lab for the summer I feel bad leaving to shadow some mornings.
I am just feeling kind of down because I turned down a full time opportunity to work at the therapy center this summer for the lab position bc it paid more and I thought it "looked better" and then I could use the hours there as volunteering. But I wish I had worked there because I love the kids so much and I could actually socialize...I am worried that I'm not staying true to myself and just trying to look good to make up for my GPA but then here I am wondering what activities to do..yikes!
