Undergraduate Research Network
There is Not One True Path... (Part I)
There Is Not One True Path... (Part I)
Author: Se Jeong (swj3af@virginia.edu)
Date: 1/21/2013
Hi folks! I am very excited to introduce Part I of my research blog series here at URN’s Lab
Notebook. I guess an introduction is in order here before we proceed. My name is Se and I am
basically nearing the lifespan as an undergraduate here at the University of Virginia. To speak
more clearly, I am a fourth year psychology major that works at the Human Immune Therapy
Center at the Medical School area.
For this segment, I want the main takeaway point to be this: There is absolutely no one true path
in becoming an undergraduate research scientist!
As an example… the immunology lab that I am in currently is my third research lab. Okay –
we’ll be doing some time travelling from here so hang tight!
The first lab that I joined was during my high school research/science fair days, approximately
five years ago. I worked at a brain tumor lab at Virginia Tech to complete a science fair project
and that is when I ‘fell in love’ with research.
Let’s skip forward a few years… I finally arrived here at UVa and I was amazed at all different
opportunities that were presented to me. There were so many departments and labs that I could
work with – sometimes there were just too much that I was overwhelmed by the number of
choices.
The lab that I chose here at UVa was also a brain tumor lab at the Medical School. However,
all was not well. I was placed with a post-doctorate to work and assist on his project. This
was pretty typical. You are usually assigned a post-doc or a graduate student. What was not
typical was the atmosphere of the lab. The five post-docs were very competitive and not a day
went by without any of them getting into a bickering match. This was definitely not the lab
environment I was looking for – granted, they were doing some amazing research and science
but the atmosphere was just filled with anger and bitterness. I did learn a lot of molecular biology
techniques in this lab; but I had to quit after eight months into the lab because the situation of the
lab was too hostile for any undergraduate to learn effectively.
After a few months of laboratory shopping, I found a lab at the medical school that was
interested in utilizing the human immune system to combat cancer. After about two years, I’m
still here! The lab atmosphere is probably one of the best that I have ever been in – everyone in
the lab is cordial, respectful and most importantly, just content on being here every day.
Folks, the important lesson here is: We are undergraduates – we are here to learn, not be engaged
in hostile post-doc-to-post-doc bickering.
Sometimes finding the right lab is hard. Don’t be stuck with the idea that you must stick with one
lab here at UVa as an undergraduate. If you work in a lab and find yourself asking “why am I
here” or “I feel like I am not being treated well as an undergraduate”, then please, do yourself a
favor and find a new lab.
There are so many opportunities and labs around here that you will end up finding the right lab
sooner or later. There is no one right path in becoming an undergraduate researcher. You learn
from trial and error and experiences in finding the right way there.
Thanks and signing off for now,
Se
Notebook. I guess an introduction is in order here before we proceed. My name is Se and I am
basically nearing the lifespan as an undergraduate here at the University of Virginia. To speak
more clearly, I am a fourth year psychology major that works at the Human Immune Therapy
Center at the Medical School area.
For this segment, I want the main takeaway point to be this: There is absolutely no one true path
in becoming an undergraduate research scientist!
As an example… the immunology lab that I am in currently is my third research lab. Okay –
we’ll be doing some time travelling from here so hang tight!
The first lab that I joined was during my high school research/science fair days, approximately
five years ago. I worked at a brain tumor lab at Virginia Tech to complete a science fair project
and that is when I ‘fell in love’ with research.
Let’s skip forward a few years… I finally arrived here at UVa and I was amazed at all different
opportunities that were presented to me. There were so many departments and labs that I could
work with – sometimes there were just too much that I was overwhelmed by the number of
choices.
The lab that I chose here at UVa was also a brain tumor lab at the Medical School. However,
all was not well. I was placed with a post-doctorate to work and assist on his project. This
was pretty typical. You are usually assigned a post-doc or a graduate student. What was not
typical was the atmosphere of the lab. The five post-docs were very competitive and not a day
went by without any of them getting into a bickering match. This was definitely not the lab
environment I was looking for – granted, they were doing some amazing research and science
but the atmosphere was just filled with anger and bitterness. I did learn a lot of molecular biology
techniques in this lab; but I had to quit after eight months into the lab because the situation of the
lab was too hostile for any undergraduate to learn effectively.
After a few months of laboratory shopping, I found a lab at the medical school that was
interested in utilizing the human immune system to combat cancer. After about two years, I’m
still here! The lab atmosphere is probably one of the best that I have ever been in – everyone in
the lab is cordial, respectful and most importantly, just content on being here every day.
Folks, the important lesson here is: We are undergraduates – we are here to learn, not be engaged
in hostile post-doc-to-post-doc bickering.
Sometimes finding the right lab is hard. Don’t be stuck with the idea that you must stick with one
lab here at UVa as an undergraduate. If you work in a lab and find yourself asking “why am I
here” or “I feel like I am not being treated well as an undergraduate”, then please, do yourself a
favor and find a new lab.
There are so many opportunities and labs around here that you will end up finding the right lab
sooner or later. There is no one right path in becoming an undergraduate researcher. You learn
from trial and error and experiences in finding the right way there.
Thanks and signing off for now,
Se