My research in college, and this research project specifically have done the most for me in this category. I have seen immense growth in myself as a researcher and as an individual. My self-efficacy has grown, I feel much more competent in terms of research and as a student, and I am much more confident in my chosen path post-grad (I will be working towards my PhD in psychology), and as a whole it really has prepared me well to enter into graduate school. I believe that I even potentially owe getting into graduate school to this project, among other research experiences I have acquired within my research lab. The most integral experience to my time as an undergraduate has been through my research.
I conduct research on interpersonal relationships and their effects on health, oftentimes focusing on minority groups, especially in this research. Even through this project alone, my understanding of minoritized groups has grown immensely, and I felt very honored to hear the stories from each individual that I interviewed. I have also already seen this research affect asexual individuals and those close to them. Research matters!
I am now much more familiar with the typical protocols for developing and conducting psychological research, and I really feel that research has helped me develop immensely as an individual. I also have, through this project specifically, been able to understand more about what I need through the process. I discovered that I thrive when I have consistent meetings with my advisor(s) so that I can have something to hold myself accountable for getting my work done, and I thrive through consistent feedback.
I have seen a lot of growth in this area, mainly with how to streamline meetings, how to get the most out of my time with my advisor(s), and how to get the information that I need from the people that I need it from.