University of Virginia

College Teaching Assistant

June - August 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

Connecting w students

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Make it fun

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College Teaching Assistant

August 2018 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

I was a teaching assistant for organic chemistry over the summer but started in the fall of 2018. I really enoyed being able to help students build their own study habits and assist in teaching the course material by leading reveiw sessions.

What I wish was different

Sometimes I wish that I didn't have to grade but this did not dissuade me from the job or alter my positive experience.

Advice

Make sure that you have good interpersonal skills and genuinely want to help students before becoming a teaching assistant

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University of Virginia Orientation Leader

June - August 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

This experience was extremely beneficial to me because it was a great way to ease into the professional field of work. Being an orientation leader did not force me to work in a professional environment, but it provided me with the skills so that I could do so in the future.

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

January 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

I really enjoyed the collaborative work environment in the lab that I worked in. Specifically, I worked in the Applied Metabolism and Physiology Lab within the Kinesiology Department. There were many hands-on experiences and the PI and grad students were extremely accommodating. Both were also supportive in helping me gain writing experience and figuring out my goals.

What I wish was different

I wish that I had more time to work in the lab as I was also working as a teaching assistant over the summer. In terms of the lab specifically, I wish that I had more opportunity to learn some of the concepts and science behind the techniques that I was learning but the Pi and grad students were always willing to explain and my master's classes explained a lot as well.

Advice

This was an amazing experience and recommend that anyone interested in doing something similar ask questions! This is a great opportunity to learn lab techniques and is beneficial for anyone who is a pre-health major or interested in going into research.

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

I liked being challenged to take on a variety of engineering problems in a field that I was unfamiliar with.

What I wish was different

I wish the position had been more research-based, as it was listed as a research opportunity, when in reality it mostly consisted of engineering/designing (which I was okay with, I was just looking for something more scientific).

Advice

If you are a first year or second year and would like to beef up your resume so that you can get an impressive internship then I would definitely recommend doing research first.

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Fellow

May - July 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

I loved being able to develop my skills through UVa.

What I wish was different

I wish there would of been more training on how to work with people that are so different from you.

Advice

It was awesome! I love MLI!

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Research Technician

June - August 2019 • Cape Charles, VA

What I liked

I enjoyed the work environment, pay, and work

What I wish was different

More work, more hours

Advice

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

I loved the amount of knowledge I acquired because of the trust instilled in me to execute the procedures and gather information about the genetic pathways in Xenopus tropicalis that help us understand human ocular pathways and potential treatments to several ocular diseases.

What I wish was different

Eight hours alone in a lab a day for 10 weeks was a little lonely, and I wish there were more opportunities to spend time with people.

Advice

It is very very hard at first because there are so many procedures and details to learn, but once you get the hang of it it becomes second nature.

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Conferences@UVA

May - August 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

The free housing, and the flexible work schedules, and the people. Training was also made a lot of fun!

What I wish was different

That we had received more hours and that we received our schedules earlier than we did so that we could plan other activities. That we had known more information about the job prior to entering into the workforce.

Advice

Some days are harder than others, but make sure that you are trained on vehicles so that you and your crew can be more efficient -- and never be afraid to talk to supervisors or the professional staff about any issues you have

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May - August 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

I liked the technical research experience that I received over the summer. I learned how to manage and utilize several different pieces of laboratory equipment. Some of the equipment required technical training sessions, which means that I am now certified to use specialized lab equipment.

What I wish was different

I wish that the research I did over the summer tied in more directly to my major. I do not regret partaking in my summer research experience. I just wish that I was able to understand more of the basic topics that I was studying.

Advice

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Research Assistant

May - August 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

I continued my work from the school year, the employer was very nice and understanding, and I got a lot of hands on experience.

What I wish was different

I wish I had a bit more direction going in and had more aid from fellow employees.

Advice

Don't hesitate to ask your teachers and PIs whether you can stay over the summer, and look for fellowships that can fund your research for the summer!

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Biology Research Intern

June 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

I like the hands on experience I got in the lab and in the field. I also find it really helpful to get to spend all day in the lab to experience what it would feel like to work in a lab full time.

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Reach out to many professors whose research you are interested in. Its never too early to ask to get involved.

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Student researcher

August 2018 • Cape Town, Western Cape

What I liked

The opportunity to work with other students from UVA and the ability to work on innovative projects

What I wish was different

I wish that we had more time to do what we wanted to do with our research

Advice

This was a great experience that I would recommend to other students so that they can have the opportunity to do globl research

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Undergraduate Researcher

May 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

Meaningful work and a lot of agency over my time and what I chose to focus on within the bounds of the project.

What I wish was different

More clearly defined goals and deadlines

Advice

Research is an amazing experience and I recommend anyone to do it at least one summer if possible

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

June - August 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

I worked with the President's Commission on the University during the Age of Segregation, and my work was independent. I enjoyed being able to work on my schedule, and occasionally remotely. More importantly, I took great value in learning about the history of the University and Charlottesville through my research, which including scanning newspaper clippings and documents from Special Collections.

What I wish was different

There were other interns working for the Commission at the same time, but we did not work together. I would have liked to work on projects together.

Advice

The University is an excellent resource for networking, and working at UVA during the summer means that faculty and staff members are not as busy (if they're staying in town). A summer internship in Charlottesville is a great way to get to know professors and their research better while exploring one's own academic interests.

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engineering research intern

June - August 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

The autonomy that I had in my projects.

What I wish was different

The working environment wasn’t the best. It didn’t seem like my coworkers were excited about their research, and that made the lab a little tiring sometimes.

Advice

Preview the working environment and job description thoroughly before accepting a position.

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Research Assistant

May 2019 • Charlottesville, VA

What I liked

Flexibility, about a topic that I enjoyed.

What I wish was different

Would've liked to interact a bit more with the professor I worked under.

Advice

Remember to get work done on a timely manner! Don't be afraid to clarify details about the work you're doing (although all the professors are great so this shouldn't be an issue).

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