The flexibility, and a pretty good hourly wage. Plus it was remote, and the research was interesting with a patient PI
What I wish was different
Given that I got this position during the pandemic, I thought this was a pretty ideal experience
Advice
Communicate clearly with professors, and make sure you understand the material. Don't try to pretend that you understand it
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
June - September 2020 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
What I wish was different
Advice
Don't be afraid to reach out resources on different tiers. You have peers, student offices like career centers, faculty mentors, graduate students etc. There are multiple layers you can look to.
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Economics Research Assistant
June - August 2020 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
Great experience, learned a lot about industry.
What I wish was different
More collaboration with other research assistants.
Advice
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Undergraduate Researcher
July - September 2020 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
It was challenging but rewarding to be in charge of my own schedule, goals, and deadlines. I liked being able to focus on a creative output (an album of children's music) with practical goals (provide representation for queer/non-normative families).
What I wish was different
I wish I had been able to interview people in-person and interact with children directly but was unable to due to social distancing protocol.
Advice
Trust that what you can create is worth spending your time on and sharing with the world.
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Research Assistant
June - August 2020 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
It was a great experience that I'd recommend to everyone. I liked that I learnt so much about how to conduct preliminary research on a subject.
What I wish was different
If things weren't remote, we would have got a lot more done.
Advice
Do research in a subject you're interested in because it's a big commitment.
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Research Assistant
June 2020 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
I love working as a research assistant and being able to tackle completely different projects at different times of the year. I'm learning and using my analytical skills at the same time.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Research Assistant
June 2020 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
Very independent and allowed for self-directed work throughout the summer. While I still worked on a project, I had more freedom to decide what aspects I wanted to work on and how I wanted to approach those.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Research Assistant
June - August 2020 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
This was great research experience and allowed me to practice Arabic and help launch my thesis planning
What I wish was different
Advice
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Research Assitant
June - September 2020 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
I liked the autonomy granted to me. I was able to work on anything from participant outreach interviews to literature reviews. Wonderful learning experience, though there was a large learning curve!
What I wish was different
I wish that it would have been in-person. I know that this is probably a common disgruntlement, but we were working with different social services and being able to go there in-person would have been phenomenal!
Advice
There's a lot of opportunity for personal growth when you a lot of autonomy in your role.
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Research
July - August 2020 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
Freedom to go at my own pace and research what I love!
What I wish was different
n/a
Advice
Dont be afraid to reach out to sources!
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Research Assistant
May - August 2020 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
The internship was very organized for a remote internship. My project was very engaging (Coding for an Aerosol Jet Printer) and I got a good preview for all the opportunities for research existing in the University. In general, I was very happy to have a project that challenged me and also was engaging even at a remote level.
What I wish was different
I wish I actually had a chance to go to the University in person. Northwestern is a place I am considering for graduate school, so it would have been nice to tour and work with the faculty to see if it was a good fit for me and explore the city. I also wish I could have had the hands on experience.
Advice
Do your research; Northwestern has a lot to offer in terms of research and is likely a candidate for colleges who will be holding remote internships and doing them well if we have the unfortunate situation of being stuck in quarantine for another year.
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
July 2020 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
I liked how I could get paid to pursue a job that I liked! It was really insightful learning from the older faculty and how to conduct independent research projects of my own.
What I wish was different
I really wished that I could experience everything in person!
Advice
I would say do not be discouraged if you feel like the material is out of your comfort zone! Of course, you won't be used to the research that is being done at the lab (you just showed up). Have patience with yourself and work hard in order to make the most out of your experience.
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Research Assistant
November 2021 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
What I wish was different
Advice
Talk to people you know and the professors you've had! Every conversation can be one step away from a position.
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
June - August 2021 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
flexible schedule
What I wish was different
Advice
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Intern
June - August 2021 • Chicago, IL
What I liked
Very interesting work and full access to senior personnel within the Center for Wrongful Convictions. Great introduction to conducting legal research and writing legal reports. Awesome in-person experience at event where the Governor of Illinois signed a bill related to wrongful conviction. Flexible hours.
What I wish was different
Online format made it difficult to connect with coworkers. Not a lot of structure in terms of a daily schedule.
Advice
Take advantage of the opportunity to connect with professors and attorneys within the organization.
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Research Intern
June - August 2022 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
I loved the level of mentorship I received from the graduate student I worked with. I was given ample opportunities to take ownership of my projects, and I developed many essential technical skills.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Posner Fellowship
June - August 2021 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
The people I met and working with my Professor who mentored me.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more time to complete my research
Advice
It’s a great experience because you get to meet other students as well as work closely with a professor on a research project you come up with yourself or they have you help on.
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
June - August 2021 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
I loved going in-depth into my research topic in programming languages and being able to advance the project on my own goals, deadlines, and ideas.
What I wish was different
I wish it had been in person! I missed so much when the whole lab was online.
Advice
Research in CS exists! And it can be an amazing opportunity to learn cool things and push the boundaries of knowledge.
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Undergraduate Researcher
July - August 2021 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
Working with a mentor, scoring neuropsychology tests on my own
What I wish was different
Advice
It’s repetitive work
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
June - September 2022 • Evanston, IL
What I liked
I liked the flexibility to work on my own time schedule and to work remotely.
What I wish was different
Hours were very inconsistent and way less than I had originally assumed - I would have liked more structure.
Advice
I would recommend communicating with your faculty advisor about time and project expectations to make sure you are on the same page from the beginning.
