Cornell University

Undergraduate Researcher

June - September 2023 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

The opportunity to perform research with incredibly talented and motivated professors and students like those at Cornell is an incredible experience.

What I wish was different

Some of the research was performed asynchronously which created some confusion

Advice

Always strive to learn something new

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May - July 2022 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

For a new research program, Cornell did an excellent job with organizing everything. I enjoyed dedicating all my time to full-time research, which is exactly how I envision my career.

What I wish was different

I wish my rent was covered, but everything else was great.

Advice

Be willing to try new things and don't be afraid to ask question!

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Programming Assistant

June - August 2022 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

housing, meal plan provided

What I wish was different

increased pay

Advice

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Cornell Researcher

June 2020 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

Learning new things working with professionals and attending seminars they had planned.

What I wish was different

I wish the experience was in person and covid 19 wasn't a thing.

Advice

I would recommend to read the literature very early so you hit the ground running.

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High Road Fellow

June - August 2021 • Buffalo, NY

What I liked

Flexible program. Hands-on. Wonderful staff. Meaningful work. Workshops.

What I wish was different

N/A

Advice

Do the work as early as possible! It's an independent project so it takes a bit of time to do, don't wait until the last minute.

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Cornell Materials Science REU Fellow

June - August 2021 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

Ithaca is BEAUTIFUL (gorges). I loved that the program was on-site and that we got included housing (super nice dorms)! I also loved getting to know the other students in the program and listening to their research presentations at the end of the summer. Writing the research report and delivering our end-of-summer talks were valuable experiences.

What I wish was different

Wish I had been part of a lab group / had in-person research. The research was on-site but my PI was a theoretical physicist and had no lab space or group work space, so I worked from the library on campus. I loved being able to work where I wanted, but missed interaction during the day.

Advice

Ask your PI if you have questions/don't understand things. There aren't grades here to hold you accountable, so keeping yourself honest about whether you know things will be helpful to you in the future and your overall understanding of your research.

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Undergraduat

May - August 2021 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

I liked being hands on with the hardware and being able to debug in the field. I got value from having a close relationship with both the professor and PhD students.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Undergraduate Researcher

June - August 2021 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

It was fun to interact with students from different schools and learn about how research is conducted at a university other than my own. The overall process is the same but everyone has nuances in the way they run their lab.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Undergraduate Researcher

July - August 2018 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

It was an amazing experience to work alongside a professor and his PhD student because you get to see first hand what cutting edge research they're doing and you're in the presence with super knowledgeable people.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Intern

June 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

I liked that I got to work closely with people who had a lot of experience in the subject matter and with the actual equipment and machinery. It made me feel like an actual engineer.

What I wish was different

That there was more comfortable transportation between Cornell and Houghton.

Advice

There's nothing like actually having hands-on experience in possible careers you might want to go into.

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Residential Teen Counselor & Debate Instructor

July - August 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

Live in work environment that allowed for a lot of personal and professional growth

What I wish was different

It could get very exhausting at times, more time for relief

Advice

Practice self-care and enjoy the experience!

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Research student

June - August 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

I liked the immersive experience and working with highly educated scientists. They had a good mentor program that made me feel comfortable there and I learned so much about research.

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Try something new and take a chance.

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Camp Counselor

June - July 2019 • Canton, NY

What I liked

I liked working with the kids and being outside all day!

What I wish was different

Advice

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Marketing Communications Intern

May - August 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

I love the people I was working with. They were all so kind and welcoming and really appreciated all the work I did.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more difficult work. It was a lot of stuff that I already knew how to do and it didn’t challenge me a lot

Advice

Not all the colleges on Cornell campus are as kind and welcoming as the one that I was in. Be relaxed in an interview they can tell when you’re nervous.

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Police Intern

May - August 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

I was closely involved and included in serious police work including investigations of major crimes. I was given liberty to work independently on case notes and to conduct important work for the department both on a variety of computer systems and out on the streets. Despite being able to work with little oversight, I was held to a professional standard and worked hard because I was motivated to by the environment I was immersed in and the people working beside me. I felt like I was helping people of various backgrounds and being exposed to many different kinds of people.

What I wish was different

Nothing which comes to mind. I was able to help people in the ways I wanted and reach out them in a way which I believe furthered positive relations between law enforcement and the people they serve.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask questions, there are aspects of police work which cannot be learned in a classroom.

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Condensed Matter Physics Research

May - August 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

This experience was excellent for students interested in going to graduate school for some area of science or technology. We were each placed in a research group under a principle investigator (PI) who was a Cornell professor and paired with a current grad student who served as a mentor. I thought this was a good setup because I became completely immersed in my research group, learning a lot from the students, post-docs, and professors I was working with, and was given hands-on applicable tasks. This was a great way to get a taste of what grad school in this field would be like and make some great connections. I also really liked how this program offered numerous talks and seminars for students to attend and many connecting and networking opportunities.

What I wish was different

I wish there had been more time to finish the project I was working on and see it to the finish. 10 weeks is not enough time for some projects, especially in experimental research where a lot depends on equipment functionality and availability.

Advice

I would strongly advise students pursuing scientific research to have at least one experience like this before they graduate, where they have the chance to fully delve into a "real-world" research project and see if this is a career they are interested in pursuing. Whether you enjoy it or not, you will at least have narrowed down potential career options, AND you will have hopefully made connections with some great people along the way.

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Research Assistant

June - August 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

The biggest highlight of my research experience was diving head first into a different flavor and form of research. Back at my home institution I am a part of an experimental soft matter physics lab. What I did this summer is completely different: computational solid state physics. I was really scared at the beginning of the summer when I heard I was going to be working on a computational solid state project because I identified fully and truly as an experimentalist and had never taken a solid state class. However, the most rewarding experience of this program thus far has been realizing that I am a physicist capable of successfully and meaningfully conducting research outside of my comfort zone.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been less afraid to stick my neck out and take risks in lab and socially.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask questions. This is just as much of a learning experience as it is a job.

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Undergraduate Researcher

May - August 2019 • Ithaca, NY

What I liked

Independence of research, learning how to structure graduate school level research projects, access to instruments Hillsdale does not have, learning about the life of graduate students in chemistry research, good hours

What I wish was different

Not the best location

Advice

Make the most of your experience by really taking ownership of your project and making connections with faculty and graduate students, who are valuable mentors as you work through the graduate school application process and determining if graduate school in chemistry is right for you.

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Summer Scholar

May - July 2019 • Geneva, NY

What I liked

Working in central New York during the Summer was amazing. The research labs at Cornell Agritech are of the most advanced I've been able to work in. Professors really care about the students doing research here, and this program leads to great opportunities for graduate school in this field.

What I wish was different

I wish that I would have had longer than the nine months provided for the internship.

Advice

Always apply to multiple experiences like this so that you can have a backup, as they are quite competitive. Also, always attempt to network if you are very sure about a certain school or project that you would like to complete.

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Summer Scholar

May - July 2018 • Geneva, NY

What I liked

Working at Cornell (specifically the Cornell AgriTech program in Geneva) allowed me to experience working in a small lab setting and regularly visit the farms that my research would impact. All of the undergraduate scholars lived together which created a great environment of learning and a network of friends all interested in agricultural research. The research station also held events and educational seminars which really optimized the sense of community there.

What I wish was different

I wish the program had been longer. Since the relevant growing season is later in the summer and many of the faculty mentors need to leave in early August, we only had a period of 2 months to perform significant research. This made it difficult to get more long term meaningful work done.

Advice

Anyone who is interested in scientific research should apply for an REU (research experience for undergraduates) program. It is a great opportunity to work very closely with professors and graduate students and to discover if grad school is something you may want to pursue. It can seem intimidating to do individual research, especially if you are an underclassman, but the people you work with only expect you to be willing to learn and will be very available to guide you. The Cornell Summer Scholars program is an especially good opportunity for anyone who is considering a career in agricultural sciences and is a one of a kind REU.

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