The CESTA center is so supportive and helpful-- they created a great environment for me to learn and explore what I was curious about despite us being a whole continent apart. They helped facilitate discussions with my research group to make sure that I was getting the most out of the experience and learning new skills while also helping my project achieve its goals. Through CESTA, I also had access to many professionals that could help me when I was stuck in my project (especially the computer science side!)
What I wish was different
I wish I'd had an actual advisor from CESTA with more knowledge in computer science that could've helped me figure out what skills I wanted to develop. My research group was amazing but didn't have much programming experience (hence the need for me) and weren't able to help me figure out what the options were or what I wanted to accomplish, simply because they too didn't know what was out there.
Advice
Don't be afraid to reach out for help or advice! It's ok not to know how to do something, otherwise there'd be nothing to learn and the experience would be boring. I learned a lot by reaching out to people and it made the whole experience a lot more fun.
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Research Intern
June - October 2019 • Stanford, CA
What I liked
There were a lot of opportunities to shape your work to your interests.
What I wish was different
I worked remotely, so I didn't get the same sense of community that other summer interns did.
Advice
Take advantage of all the opportunities the internship offers.
