WPI has very limited opportunies. Expand your network and interests and try to do research at other schools. The professors are much better and the research is much more reputable.
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Risk Management Intern
June - August 2019 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
Sandy was amazingly helpful with everything. She taught me a lot of new things and exposed to me to a lot of new areas. She gave me the opportunity to do projects I liked and let me have control of how I wanted to do it. She connected me with a lot of proffesionals in the industry.
What I wish was different
The internship had been longer than 10- weeks
Advice
Learn to manage your money well. Never say no to a project
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Amgen Scholar
June - August 2018 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
The program was very well run, and it was great to have such a high-impact research experience at a larger university. I learned a lot about the grad school application process and was able to network with a lot of people interested in similar things to me.
What I wish was different
The symposium in LA could have been more helpful than it was, but it was a great experience overall!
Advice
Have an open mind! A lot of the students in this program are from large R1 universities, so it can be really intimidating to work with them at first. Because Stonehill is so small, your PI won't know what to expect from you, so make sure you work as hard as you can and leave a good impression.
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Development and Events Assistant
February 2019 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
The work culture and benefits are amazing
What I wish was different
The office is incredibly busy and can be stressful for those who don’t do well under pressure
Advice
Always double check everything. You cannot do everything yourself, but if you want something done right you will always double and triple check other people’s work.
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Research Associate
June 2017 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
Hands down, of the many parts of my research that I loved, the most wonderful aspect of my experience was the people. It was and continues to be incredible to work with such talented and intelligent researchers during the last two years. Every one of my colleagues took time to teach me and answer questions concerning the many challenging and technical aspects of our work in neutrino physics. As a result, I grew tremendously as a student, researcher, and person and I am nothing but pleased with my experience.
What I wish was different
I wish that I knew to be more goal oriented when the summer began. Since there was so much to learn about the physics, programming, and group dynamics I ended up spending too much of time trying to get a grasp of everything rather than accomplishing the tasks I was given. If I could do it differently then I focus on adding value to the research group by completing tasks rather than focusing on building my own knowledge before beginning work.
Advice
Don't be afraid to send an email! I am a physicist and working at MIT is the dream and I only got this opportunity because I had the audacity to send emails to the top researchers in the world even though on paper I should not have had a chance. If you make a solid argument as to why you belong and you get a little lucky, then anything can happen!!
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
June - August 2018 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
I liked that the work was very academic and that we were working and contributing to a project that had real impact.
What I wish was different
I wish that the supervisor had been more hands-on with mentoring the work.
Advice
I would suggest to do a research internship first year summer if you are interesting in exploring research-- you may find that you really like it or don't!
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Undergraduate Researcher
June - August 2018 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
What I wish was different
The REU was only eight weeks, which isn't really enough to have a full research experience, so I wish it had been longer.
Advice
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Researcher
May - August 2018 • Boston, MA
What I liked
The people at the lab were lovely, and I had the flexibility and freedom to do research I was interested in and to make my own schedule.
What I wish was different
I wish I had been paid! I had to take on two extra jobs in order to subsidize my living. I also wish it wasn’t up to me and how many kids I was able to recruit in one day at the Boston Children’s Museum (by asking their parents if they wanted to participate in research).
Advice
Do it if you’re interested in Cognition and love children! You will learn a lot about psychology as well as interacting with people. However, be aware that although there is some mentorship, much of the experience is very independent and is what you make of it.
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Lab assistant
June - July 2018 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
Great biotech experience, very hands on and skills focused
What I wish was different
That I had the opportunity to conduct my own research or prepare a poster. There wasn't enough time.
Advice
Read all the papers given to you, and listen closely!
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Undergraduate Researcher
June - August 2017 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
The environment of the program was very well structured. We were given housing with other students and there were other activities besides the work to help with professional development.
What I wish was different
I didn't like my particular assignment but other than that it was great.
Advice
Expect to work a lot harder than you may anticipate.
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Research Assistant
January - September 2017 • Boston, MA
What I liked
It is very easy to get to work thanks to the Wellesley shuttle and Boston is a great place to spend the summer. Since we are close to and have direct access to MIT it is also very easy to keep in touch with coworkers after the internship experience.
What I wish was different
Nothing, actually. My experience was beyond enjoyable and I learned a lot.
Advice
Make sure that you have the time for the position as well as time for the commute before you commit to a position. Be very realistic about the amount of time you have to commit to a job or internship during the school year because you don't want to get overwhelmed and fall behind in you coursework and you also don't want to perform sub-optimally at you job, which would otherwise be valuable for networking, recommendation letters, and your learning/ career development in general.
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Research Assistant
June - August 2017 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
The program had weekly events with prominent speakers who advised us on everything from grad school applications to building careers. The focus was on our research, and the school regularly checked in on us (weekly) to ensure that we were doing well. They also made efforts to create a sense of community, and our research cohort felt very much at home. The research labs were top-tier, and the working environment was very fulfilling. They also provided free housing, travel reimbursements, regular events with food, a Charles River Boat Ride, and a fancy closing luncheon.
What I wish was different
Some of the events in orientation were unnecessary (in my opinion).
Advice
MIT can seem very intimidating but most people are willing to help if you just ask!
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MIT Summer Research Assistant
June - August 2018 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
I really enjoyed meeting the rest of the students in my cohort and learning from some of the most well regarded economists in the world.
What I wish was different
I wish I had taken more opportunities to meet respected academics!
Advice
Spend everyday like it's your last!
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Research Intern
June - August 2018 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
I loved how open the campus was and how easy it was to talk with graduate students about their work!
What I wish was different
Advice
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Research Assistant
June - August 2018 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
Exposure to graduate level research and opportunity to network with faculty members
What I wish was different
I wish the length of the program could have been extended
Advice
Apply early and make the best of the experience if you get a chance to go!
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UROP
May 2017 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
I liked being pushed to gain independence in research. I also liked being able to practice presenting my research, and going to many different talks.
What I wish was different
I was given housing as an Amgen Scholar at MIT, but the housing was gross. They didn’t provide us with AC, and the heat was broken so it was warmer inside the building than outside in Boston!
Advice
There is a balance between asking for help and gaining autonomy in your research. I would advise a novice researcher to think, “can I answer this myself?” And come up with something, and then go to your supervisor with a solution. The solution may not be right, but it shows initiative. I also stress that it is important to remain calm through failures. There will be many, but keep at it and talk to other undergrads (even your friends who are in science but not in the lab!) who are likely going through the same thing.
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Game Artist
June - August 2018 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
The work environment was a highlight for me because it brought everyone in the workplace closer together since we had our own open office space. I also enjoyed how my position was tailored so well to my interests in game design since I had the chance to make models and animations for the game.
What I wish was different
If the start time to the internship was earlier, that would have been more ideal since I would be able to work a longer while on the project. Also, more public demos and playtests would have been great because, as designers of the game, seeing how people interact and play our game is one of the most rewarding experiences on the job.
Advice
Definitely get to know your coworkers and supervisors a lot more because they make the job experience so much more interesting and exciting.
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Research assistant
June - August 2018 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
Everything about this job was ideal for me
What I wish was different
It could have been easier but honestly the workload was fun
Advice
If you can seek it out. Do so.
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
May 2018 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
Loved the supportive learning experience, ability to live in close proximity to Boston, and the ability to attend lectures available to the graduate students.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more time to work there, or to have been paid more.
Advice
I would reccommend doing a summer research project to anyone. The key is to find a project that you would lvoe to wokr on, and really supportive project managers. They are the ones who made it a whole learning experience for me.
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Oncology Research Intern
June - August 2018 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
Very good experience to work in an academic/research setting, learned a lot about how to code in Python and machine learning, collaboration with Mass General Hospital, experience with cancer research
What I wish was different
Some of the coding seemed over my head at times (it is not my speciality since I am a Chemistry student), since I was working with graduate and post-graduate students as well as professors, but I got plenty of support from the professors and learned a lot.
Advice
Go in with the goal of learning and you will learn a lot, and help with the professors’ research is rewarding.
