The experience was, and continues to be, incredible. The US Naval Research Lab does groundbreaking work on all kinds of research areas, and I am still amazed that I get to be a part of it. Overall, my favorite thing is the openness to just trying stuff out. NRL is a research lab, and we're working on things nobody else has done, so there is really no hardstuck precedent to follow, and we have the freedom and flexibility to be creative in the workplace.
What I wish was different
I wish I knew more when I started, as I needed to spend a substantial part of my time just learning the bare minimum to keep up. Of course that is a standard for internships, especially when I started as a high schooler, but it is still the biggest thing I would change.
Advice
Take the opportunities you get. If someone asks if you'd be interested in a project, say yes. Take every chance you can to learn, and try to be engaged with your coworkers. It's easy to just sit back and do your work silently, but you can progress so much faster if you cooperate with others, and most of them will have invaluable knowledge to share with you along the way.
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Administrative Assistant Intern
July 2019 • Washington, DC
What I liked
What I wish was different
Office culture
Advice
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Mechanical Engineer Intern
June - August 2019 • Washington, DC
What I liked
Laid back environment
What I wish was different
More structured intern work
Advice
Housing in the area is expensive.
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
August 2018 • Washington, DC
What I liked
Hands on, priceless experience.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Research intern
June - August 2019 • Washington, DC
What I liked
The people were nice
What I wish was different
The work was bot very interesting to me
Advice
Show up ready to work hard even if it’s just an internship
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Chemistry Research Intern
May - August 2019 • Washington, DC
What I liked
I enjoyed the location our housing was provided in Alexandria VA. Lots of fun things to do and explore on the weekends.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Space Mechanisms Engineer
April - September 2019 • Washington, DC
What I liked
Challenging, Fast Paced work. Exciting work enviorment. Smart and dedicated engineer team.
What I wish was different
Nothing, very enjoyable. Be ready to work!
Advice
Be willing to work long hours, very rewarding work!
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Research Intern
May 2019 • Washington, DC
What I liked
I liked being able to make an impact on the field of machine learning, as well as contribute to research that will be used for the betterment of the country.
What I wish was different
Shorter drive.
Advice
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is a great place to work if you're looking to make an impact in your respective field with regard to both the research and applied aspect.
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
June 2019 • Washington, DC
What I liked
Loose schedule. Interesting projects. Good and engaging atmosphere
What I wish was different
Cheaper housing
Advice
Bring a car or a few roommates
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Computer Science Intern
May - August 2019 • Stennis Space Center, MS
What I liked
I felt like my work contributed to the Navy's mission. The atmosphere was laid back and the people were great.
What I wish was different
I am not a fan of software engineering which is what they work on at SSC NRL so I learned a lot but I didn't really enjoy the day to day work.
Advice
Learn all you can, some of the brightest people I have worked with were at this lab. PhDs and MS galore.
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Electrical Engineering Intern
May - August 2018 • Washington, DC
What I liked
The technical experience and working with fellow alumni.
What I wish was different
My initial understanding of how to improve my capability and value.
Advice
If you are looking to gain technical experience on large government projects, this is the place.
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intern
June - August 2018 • Washington, DC
What I liked
I liked the research I was doing. I've always been interested in space, so exploring different aspects of radio astronomy and how it relates to research about objects like black holes and galaxies was fascinating.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more time to complete my research. A lot of my work was dependent on the speed of the computer, and many times it would take hours to carry out certain commands, which hindered the amount of work I was able to complete.
Advice
I would advise future interns to make connections with their peers. Although there is no group work involved, the internship constitutes a large portion of the summer and it is more rewarding if you make friends with people in different divisions who can share information about their research.
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Researcher
May - July 2018 • Washington, DC
What I liked
I enjoyed working in a national, government laboratory as opposed to doing research at university institutions. My network expanded as I was introduced to many professionals in my field, and even a Nobel Prize winner.
What I wish was different
I wish that I had been able to travel to New York City for the first time. I also wish that I had made a closer relationship with my mentor. The job was a little difficult because the particular research was not within my experience; being pressed for time, there was a lot of pressure to learn very quickly.
Advice
I would tell anyone to spend adequate time with their mentors. The recommendations go a long way in the professional world. Networking is key. Some of the people you meet can potentially hire you someday.
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Spacecraft Engineering Intern
June - August 2018 • Washington, DC
What I liked
I was given mission critical engineering design tasks. I was trusted with creating documentation and models that were used in design reviews.
What I wish was different
I wish things happened at a faster pace.
Advice
Working at a military research lab is an amazing experience that exposes you to a lot of capability.
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Astronomy Research Intern
May - July 2018 • Washington, DC
What I liked
I got to partake in real scientific research and learn new software capabilities as well as get more experience coding in Python. I was always busy and valued in my team.
What I wish was different
I didn't like sitting at a computer all day, but it's just the nature of the field of work.
Advice
Ask lots of questions when you don't understand something. It will help you down the road, and you'll find more enjoyment in what you do when you engage deeper with the material and have a deeper understanding. Also, make time to talk with those around you. Everyone in the lab has done really cool stuff, and it's really awesome to hear about it and learn about different paths you could take.
