Throughout my undergraduate degree I was very fortunate to be able to conduct research in a number of summer projects. I'd got involved via opportunities advertised through my university, as well as connections made from laboratory practicals! One summer I measured weight loss and other parameters before and after using a sleep app with a lecturer at the University of Lincoln. This was a dry lab which lasted two weeks and gave me some great experience of using body fat/muscle analysers, and patient interactions. For 2 more summers I worked with Arden Biotechnology looking at Clostridium perfringens in horse faeces then chicken breasts. This gave me the chance to refine microbiological techniques, have industry experience and experience report writing.
My experiences really got me thinking about the pros and cons of summer projects!
Pros:
✨ Gaining scientific experience! I was able to develop techniques I'd not tried at university, and refined techniques that I'd briefly touched on during practical sessions. This allowed me to really get to know what I enjoyed. Also, another benefit of industry experience is you may get to use machinery that you've not used in education.
✨ Understanding the working of a company or university. With my experience I was able to sit in meetings, give progress updates, help take deliveries and learn about keeping on top of stock. These are really valuable skills when progressing in your career!
✨ Network and develop with professionals. Depending on where you take on your summer project you can meet a range of professionals from different backgrounds. This can come with different advantages from gaining an insight into different scientific careers, to networking with professionals, or simply understanding how your work impacts a business!
Cons:
❓Cost. Not all summer projects are paid, which could lead to having to take on extra work to be able to pay for living during the project. Always check and see if there are any sources of funding available to you
❓May be unexpected. You may not fully understand what you have to do in the project, or it may be different to what you applied for. Thankfully this didn't happen with any of my projects, but ensure that you know what you'll be doing and always ask questions!
❓They may be competitive and difficult to get. During my 3 summer projects, 1 was advertised through my university, and the other 2 were offered through people I knew at the company. I'd really recommend contacting companies or university academics you'd like to work with in the area you're interested in, to see if they are offering any experience, projects or internships!
I really would recommend to any student with time on their hands during summer who is able to , to try and gain some experience in an area that interests them!
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