Expectations vs reality

Have you been surprised by anything in the day-to-day life of this work?

I was genuinely surprised at how ill-prepared I was to work in a lab environment. The only experience I had working in a lab before this internship was in my class labs on campus, and that was cut tragically short due to COVID-19. Fortunately I've been able to gather much needed experience and knowledge in this department and have come a long way since my first day in the lab.

On a lighter note, I was also surprised by how cool some of the equipment was.

The last thing that surprised me, and probably the thing I still struggle with today, is my inability to call any substance or equipment by their correct name. I have a little bit of a hard time remembering the names for things due to my lack of using the words outside of the work environment. Luckily, though, my colleagues are very helpful and usually know what I'm talking about.

How was the experience different than what you originally expected?

First off, I was really nervous to be working with smart people that I didn't know when I had very little knowledge and experience on the subject matter. lab materials and on a project that I had no experience on. As a new-be, that would be nerve wracking for anyone. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming work environment I was placed into. My boss, Ed Greenfield, was definitely way nicer than expected. He helped me through challenges that I didn't even know I would face and was very patient when explaining things and helping me through different processes. The rest of my colleagues were super nice, too, and I'm extremely grateful that my first experience in a lab was a good one!