Whitman College

Undergraduate Research Assistant

May 2018 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

I liked the independence I had after learning basic techniques to run my experiments. I could work at my own pace, and it was a great place to learn what skills are needed in scientific research and helped me develop techniques as well as speaking and writing skills.

What I wish was different

I wish I did a better job of keeping a lab notebook because there are times where I have to refer to past experiences and some information is missing because I didn't write it down

Advice

The more time you put in, the more you get out of it. Ask questions when you need to.

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Summer Research Intern

May - September 2020 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

The flexibility and creativity of the work.

What I wish was different

I wish that there were more employees to collaborate with rather than it being a one on one kind of experience, although that also offered it's benefits.

Advice

You don't necessarily need to know a lot of nitty-gritty details about sustainability topics to excel.

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Fly in leader

June - July 2019 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

I enjoyed being in a work environment that prioritized a positive attitude

What I wish was different

More organization and training for new leaders

Advice

Give the fly in job your everything while you're doing it even though it's exhausting. It's worth it and it makes a difference to so many students

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June - August 2018 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

The people I worked with, the variety of work I did, the skills I gained

What I wish was different

I wish it had been longer than 7 weeks

Advice

Ask questions!

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Student Researcher

June - August 2019 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

The bio research I was doing was real. It felt great to know that my work was going towards something greater than just fulfilling my thesis.

What I wish was different

I didn’t feel well prepared for the role. Primarily due to my background in ecology, I felt unprepared to tackle research in neurobiology.

Advice

As a student researcher, speak up when you need help.

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Geology Assistant

May 2019 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

I enjoyed getting experience in the lab doing research on a project I knew would make an impact.

What I wish was different

I wish that I had more time to be able to get out in the field and go outside to collect samples or be able to work with equipment.

Advice

I would advise others to really appreciate the little things you learn about lab work and envision what a career in geology might look like.

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Fly in leader

June - July 2018 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

Engaging with incoming first years who are the first in their family to go to college! It was incredibly rewarding to give back to a program that I benefited from.

What I wish was different

The job is very hands-on and draining. I wish that I had allocated more time in these weeks to rest up.

Advice

As a Fly-In Leader, it is essential to understand how much you mean to the incoming first-years. You are their image of Whitman as they transition from high school to college which is an awesome responsibility.

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Biology Laboratory Assistant

June - August 2018 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

I love doing research! The atmosphere was great and I learned a lot!

What I wish was different

Advice

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Curatorial Intern

December 2019 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

The opportunity to work with artists and learn to put shows together, of course! I had a lot of flexibility in when/how I worked, and the support of a great team at the college.

What I wish was different

We got off to a slow start my first few months, so most of my real work has been during quarantine. It would be good to have our physical shows more visitable, but what are you gonna do, you know? I am proud of how far we’ve come since the start of the year, with the website and each of our shows.

Advice

Start slow and try things out! Four shows was good for our first semester, especially factoring in the need to build the gallery’s website from scratch. The expectation with this job is that the curator is relatively new to the curation side of things at the start, so focus more on learning the skills you need and asking questions than trying to have everything down right away.

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Research assistant

June 2018 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

Being involved with research was extremely rewarding and engaging!

What I wish was different

I would have liked to have had more coworkers.

Advice

Be self-directed. Stay disciplined with your time and look for ways to be proactive with your research project.

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Research Assistant

June - August 2018 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

The work environment was friendly and low-stress, the schedule was relatively flexible, and of course, the commute was a short 5-minute walk!

What I wish was different

Due to the nature of research, I didn't always get as many breaks as I needed, but I was able to plan for these ahead of time.

Advice

Don't be afraid to connect with professors and visit them often, because doing so could land you a research opportunity like this one!

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Garden Intern

May - September 2018 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

Working outside, freedom.

What I wish was different

Larger Budget and longer hours.

Advice

Work in the Garden it is fun and relaxing!

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Undergraduate Researcher

June 2019 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

The research. It was a great opportunity to learn and get paid as an undergrad.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Physics Intern

June - August 2018 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

I liked the opportunity to work alongside my professor to troubleshoot my experiment. I also enjoyed working in applied physics because it gave me the chance to apply concepts I had learned in the classroom.

What I wish was different

I wish I had moved through the experiment quicker, sometimes it felt like I was stuck on very specific issues for too long.

Advice

I learned the importance of taking good notes. Because I made concise, well organized notes, it was easy for me to refer back and avoid making the same mistakes.

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June - August 2018 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

Useful research experience, friendly work environment, interesting work.

What I wish was different

Some more professional experience would have been nice. The whole experience was extremely casual, might have been specific to the lab I was working in.

Advice

Set goals for yourself so you don't get distracted. Looking busy is easy but progress is better.

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Student Researcher

June - August 2019 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

I liked the freedom of doing research at an undergraduate institution. I had more control over the direction of my research. It was also a positive and supportive work environment where i learned a lot.

What I wish was different

I wish I had a longer time period to conduct my research. I felt like I had to cut things off earlier than I would've liked.

Advice

Be curious about everything. Talk to other researchers about what their field is and what kind of techniques they're using. There is always more to learn and being familiar with a broad scope of techniques and research styles can only help.

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Summer Conference and Events Crew

May - August 2018 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

it was a flexible working schedule and fun woring environment.

What I wish was different

Advice

Wear close-toe footwear.

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Louis B. Perry Summer Researcher

May - August 2018 • Burlington, VT

What I liked

I liked gaining significant geosciences lab experience .

What I wish was different

Advice

Utilize the resources and opportunities provided by your academic department/advisor.

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Research Assistant

June - September 2019 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

I liked getting to experience what it's like to do research for a professor - especially doing politics research regarding something I'm already very interested in.

What I wish was different

I wish that I had gotten to meet with my professor more and have more consistent checkins and a more horizontal relationship in terms of work allocation, discussions about the research, and input from me to my professor. Additionally, I wish I would've been more disciplined with my time and stuck to a stricter schedule.

Advice

Try to get into a routine! Balancing your days out with certain goals of what to get done and breaking up your time is very helpful.

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Chemistry Research Intern

May - August 2018 • Walla Walla, WA

What I liked

I liked getting to work on my own and make decisions about how to tackle a problem I encountered in lab. Working for professor Machonkin allowed me to get crucial work experience, get paid, and start my thesis research all in one summer.