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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