Volunteering in a research lab

[Dr. Josh]

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Has anyone encountered this problem?

I volunteer in a research lab where all Asians work. There seems to be an extreme language barrier. We can not communicate at all. I do not understand a word they say and they don't understand me. Sometimes they even talk in their native language with me right there. The lab seems rather slow and there is a lot of "down time". Maybe this is typical in labs waiting for proper timing of tests and experiments. So I try to use this time to ask questions and learn more but they don't even know what I'm asking. Sometimes I'm asking for an explanation and they say "ah hum, ah hum". It wasn't a yes and no question. 🙁 I realize this was a mistake but I made a committment so I don't want to just give up but I'm really not learning much and I'll never use them for a reference because we don't communicate. Is this typical of labs or was it just bad luck where I ended up?

I thought I was interested in research and wanted to see what it was all about. Surprisingly this has not totally turned me off. How would you all handle this?

 

[Tonic1025]

Has anyone encountered this problem?

I volunteer in a research lab where all Asians work. There seems to be an extreme language barrier. We can not communicate at all. I do not understand a word they say and they don't understand me. Sometimes they even talk in their native language with me right there. The lab seems rather slow and there is a lot of "down time". Maybe this is typical in labs waiting for proper timing of tests and experiments. So I try to use this time to ask questions and learn more but they don't even know what I'm asking. Sometimes I'm asking for an explanation and they say "ah hum, ah hum". It wasn't a yes and no question. 🙁 I realize this was a mistake but I made a committment so I don't want to just give up but I'm really not learning much and I'll never use them for a reference because we don't communicate. Is this typical of labs or was it just bad luck where I ended up?

I thought I was interested in research and wanted to see what it was all about. Surprisingly this has not totally turned me off. How would you all handle this?

Maybe you could ask them to explain something by writing it down on paper? It might be easier to understand/communicate this way.

 

[otemd]

I find this to be common at least in my experience. I just quit a research job where I experienced this same problem to the nth degree. There was never enough work to do, and the communication was terrible. After 6 months, I was over it, and decided to quit and look for better opportunities.

 

[remo]

Since you are not getting paid you should at least get something out of it. If you can't get an LOR or a publication then look for something else. Don't quit until you have the other job lined up. Try to leave on good terms. Make up a good story as to why you have to "move on".

 

[Dr. Josh]

Since you are not getting paid you should at least get something out of it. If you can't get an LOR or a publication then look for something else. Don't quit until you have the other job lined up. Try to leave on good terms. Make up a good story as to why you have to "move on".

I was actually hoping to learn something about research. Isn't that enough to be worth my time?

Actually I'm on break between semesters and was only planning on doing this for like 6 weeks with the option of coming back during summer break.

 

[nimotsu]

Yes, I had this problem as well.

They have almost any pirated video or CD you want, but you aren't going to learn that much in such an environment. They basically want to get their degree as fast as possible here and then go back to China.

 

[JG198]

I was actually hoping to learn something about research. Isn't that enough to be worth my time?

Actually I'm on break between semesters and was only planning on doing this for like 6 weeks with the option of coming back during summer break.

Yes... Ideally you do research because you want to learn more about it and because you like it NOT FOR AN LOR AND/OR PUBLICATION as our friend remo. If you are in it for that, I would suggest leaving research. If a PI suspects that you are "interested" in research only to get an LOR/Publication then he/she will not be content with you and you can just forget about a LOR

 

[Thundrstorm]

I suggest sticking with it as best you can for these 6 weeks, and then finding another lab for the summer. Is there a postdoc or grad student in the lab or an adjacent lab who could adopt you and help you out a little? I also think asking them to write things down could be helpful.

 

[21JumpStreet]

Has anyone encountered this problem?

I volunteer in a research lab where all Asians work. There seems to be an extreme language barrier. We can not communicate at all. I do not understand a word they say and they don't understand me. Sometimes they even talk in their native language with me right there. The lab seems rather slow and there is a lot of "down time". Maybe this is typical in labs waiting for proper timing of tests and experiments. So I try to use this time to ask questions and learn more but they don't even know what I'm asking. Sometimes I'm asking for an explanation and they say "ah hum, ah hum". It wasn't a yes and no question. 🙁 I realize this was a mistake but I made a committment so I don't want to just give up but I'm really not learning much and I'll never use them for a reference because we don't communicate. Is this typical of labs or was it just bad luck where I ended up?

I thought I was interested in research and wanted to see what it was all about. Surprisingly this has not totally turned me off. How would you all handle this?

I ran into that problem many years ago. I was assigned to someone working on her second PHD. There was such a foreign language barrier that I could barely make out what she was saying. After trying really hard to make it work, I terminated and found another lab to work in. Communication was so difficult that we couldn't even make out when one was going to the bathroom or going to eat lunch.

 

[riceman04]

Has anyone encountered this problem?

I volunteer in a research lab where all Asians work. There seems to be an extreme language barrier. We can not communicate at all. I do not understand a word they say and they don't understand me. Sometimes they even talk in their native language with me right there. The lab seems rather slow and there is a lot of "down time". Maybe this is typical in labs waiting for proper timing of tests and experiments. So I try to use this time to ask questions and learn more but they don't even know what I'm asking. Sometimes I'm asking for an explanation and they say "ah hum, ah hum". It wasn't a yes and no question. 🙁 I realize this was a mistake but I made a committment so I don't want to just give up but I'm really not learning much and I'll never use them for a reference because we don't communicate. Is this typical of labs or was it just bad luck where I ended up?

I thought I was interested in research and wanted to see what it was all about. Surprisingly this has not totally turned me off. How would you all handle this?

It is becoming typical...I am refering to the lang. barrier and all

 

[dilated]

Has anyone encountered this problem?

I volunteer in a research lab where all Asians work. There seems to be an extreme language barrier. We can not communicate at all. I do not understand a word they say and they don't understand me. Sometimes they even talk in their native language with me right there. The lab seems rather slow and there is a lot of "down time". Maybe this is typical in labs waiting for proper timing of tests and experiments. So I try to use this time to ask questions and learn more but they don't even know what I'm asking. Sometimes I'm asking for an explanation and they say "ah hum, ah hum". It wasn't a yes and no question. 🙁 I realize this was a mistake but I made a committment so I don't want to just give up but I'm really not learning much and I'll never use them for a reference because we don't communicate. Is this typical of labs or was it just bad luck where I ended up?

I thought I was interested in research and wanted to see what it was all about. Surprisingly this has not totally turned me off. How would you all handle this?

Pick a lab with at least one american you can tolerate. Then you two can be coconspirators in deciphering what the hell the Chinese guys are saying. Seriously though, in my lab I liked and respected the Chinese guys but with the language barrier it was impossible to relate to them in any way. Would have been lonely without my Americano compadres.

 

[remo]

Yes... Ideally you do research because you want to learn more about it and because you like it NOT FOR AN LOR AND/OR PUBLICATION as our friend remo. If you are in it for that, I would suggest leaving research. If a PI suspects that you are "interested" in research only to get an LOR/Publication then he/she will not be content with you and you can just forget about a LOR

My take on the original post was that he wasn't learning anything either. I was not saying an LOR or publication would be the only reason to do research. But if you are not learning anything and not getting paid and not getting an LOR and not getting a publication then what is the point?

 

[otemd]

What would be wrong with doing research for publications? I told my PI that I wanted a publication and he was thrilled. People don't just do research for the sake of doing research. You do research so that you can make discoveries and formulate ideas that will be good enough to be publishable and thus further science in your specific area. I think it is naive to equate the weight placed on publication with some stingy desire. Publications are the gold standard of research.

 

[JG198]

What would be wrong with doing research for publications? I told my PI that I wanted a publication and he was thrilled. People don't just do research for the sake of doing research. You do research so that you can make discoveries and formulate ideas that will be good enough to be publishable and thus further science in your specific area. I think it is naive to equate the weight placed on publication with some stingy desire. Publications are the gold standard of research.

I understand that publications are important in research. However, it is also unrealistic to come into a lab you know nothing about and expect to get published within a year (unless a project is already well underway). There are PhD candidates who spend years trying to collect enough good data to publish ONE paper and graduate.

I am not disagreeing with you but I think that people should know that getting published requires that you spend a lot of time working on your project.

By the way, any PI will be excited if your goal is to publish because it will make their lab look good. A good PI will tell you that it won't be easy to do.