Monday, August 20, 2012

Keira- Summer Reflection


This summer was a great learning experience for me. In addition to getting to play with lasers all summer, I learned to use really complex, valuable pieces of equipment such as the confocal microscope. The process of designing and carrying out experiments is different in a research lab from the classroom lab. There are more opportunities to make mistakes when performing an experiment that did not come out of a lab manual, but its also much more fun to be actively discovering new information. The most important skill I learned this summer was how to interpret data and look for patterns. My mentor was particularly adept at teaching me how to interpret experimental results. He gave me the opportunity for me to analyze the results on my own but also offered the support of his vast knowledge. I felt as though I was actually "doing" science this summer; it was inspiring and really fun. I would recommend applying for this internship to any community college student with a passion for science. It is great experience to prepare for graduate school and help you decide if you want to go to graduate school. I particularly like learning actively rather than out of a textbook and this internship was a great opportunity for that. 

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