I studied microfluidic devices under a professor in the Biomedical Engineering department at Cal Poly. I had been awarded a grant from CSUPERB to conduct research on the creation of a variable fluid velocity device. I was able to choose my own schedule to complete the project, so I was able to take classes on campus at the same time. There were many other research students in the same lab as I was . This was nice because many of them were working on similar projects and we could bounce ideas off each other and support each other when things went wrong. Finally, I kept a detailed lab notebook and drafted a research report at the conclusion of my project, but CSUPERB did not require I turn in a lengthy document. All I needed to do to document my work with CSUPERB was fill out a brief survey. This was very nice because I did not have to scramble finalizing a 40 page document right before fall classes started.
What I wish was different
I wish that I had known about the BMED labs on campus sooner!
Advice
Get organized. Fast. While I made my own schedule, the time I had to do my research went very quickly and I found myself rushing in the very last days to collect my data. I suggest coming up with a very detailed day-to-day timeline for completing the work, and stick to it religiously.
