Drexel University

Front End Web Developer

June - August 2021 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

Working in a practical position in my industry

What I wish was different

If I got to work on a team instead of individually

Advice

Be ready to learn things outside your comfort zone

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Quantitative Researcher (Finance)

June - September 2022 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

I liked working there, I got housing and my research was fully independent meaning I had full control over what I wanted to research and who I wanted to research with. STAR Research program is a great program!

What I wish was different

I wish I knew the potential of my 3 months of my research - that I could apply to international conferences and go there to present my findings.

Advice

Make the most out of it by asking yourself "Why" throughout your experience. It'll help you draw better conclusions!

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STAR Scholar

June - August 2019 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

I liked getting experience in a lab, as this is something that will likely be relevant to me, both on co-op and in my professional career.

What I wish was different

The project as a whole was not something that fit easily into the single term the STAR Scholar program allowed.

Advice

Be prepared to go the extra mile.

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Research Scientist

April 2021 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

The freedom and acceptance from fellow researchers

What I wish was different

I was hard during covid but other than that I enjoyed all of it.

Advice

Learn everything you can, do not be afraid to ask questions or input your ideas.

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Research Assistant

June - August 2019 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

I liked the first hand experience that I gained from doing this research. It allowed me to be better versed in data collection and analysis, especially in the field of political science. I am very interested in this topic and haven’t had many opportunities to explore so this summer was an exciting first.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more mentorship. My mentor gave me a lot of free range in doing this research and I wish he would’ve offered more guidance.

Advice

You make the most out of your own experiences. Although I wish I had more mentorship, I was still able to learn a lot of new topics and explore the field of potlucks science research on my own.

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Researcher

June - September 2019 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

I worked with many experienced researchers in the field of education, while exploring my own understanding in development of technology and education as a Computer Science major. With the cross-disciplinary factor, it is usually difficult to narrow down one's interest and scope of research. However, with my mentor and the resources that my research team has, I was allowed plenty of access and chances to look deep in some vital problems in Vietnamese's ethnic areas' education system, especially through technology.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more time and less unexpected troubles from travelling in and out of America. I wasted about 2 weeks on worrying about my visa while reading on research paper on education. I will definitely make sure to finish my travelling paperwork ahead of time next time.

Advice

No matter what you do in STAR, you come out of it gaining a lot. Not only will you enhanced your knowledge on certain field, but you will also learn from early on what research is like or at least a part of it. This summer research has changed the way I think of what I can do in my career choice, and how I can contribute better as a passionate student in both Computer Science and Education. It has helped me stand strong on my own and know my strengths more.

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Information Security Analyst

April - September 2019 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

Very collaborative and friendly environment.

What I wish was different

The work being done was less impactful than desired.

Advice

Stay motivated and try to create your own projects.

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STAR Scholar

June - August 2019 • Chennai, Tamil Nadu

What I liked

I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to conduct research abroad and work with faculty, students, and institutions in India. It was very interesting to learn about the research that they were conducting and to learn from others with different backgrounds and knowledge.

What I wish was different

I wish my research project better fit my personal academic interests

Advice

I would recommend taking the once in a lifetime opportunity to conduct research abroad. I was hesitant to do iSTAR but I am very glad that I pushed myself to go out of my comfort zone and take an incredible learning opportunity. Working with professors and students from a different country was a very cool experience. I learned a lot from them and I think they maybe learned a thing or two from me too.

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Alumni Engagement Coordinator

September 2019 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

It's a great team of people and the work they have me doing is very interesting to learn and explore.

What I wish was different

Would be nice to have a window.

Advice

Take advantage of the resources provided to you. Most importantly, NETWORK with everyone!

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Student Researcher

June - August 2019 • Birmingham, AL

What I liked

Worked with variety of people in a lab with different goals, enabling me to pick up on various techniques.

What I wish was different

Different housing and I wish I brought my own cook-ware.

Advice

Try to be fully involved in meetings; whether it is a group lab meeting or one-on-one.

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research assistant

April 2019 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

I was able to learn the necessary skills and develop a mindset that would help me thrive in doing research. I got work with live cells and use new instrumentation

What I wish was different

I wish I was able to work under a professional in the field a little longer.

Advice

Do not be afraid to ask questions if you are uncertain about anything while working in a lab.

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Math tutor

April - September 2019 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

The people I met + the experience I got

What I wish was different

The pay rate + the number of students per tutor

Advice

Really helps fortify your mathematical knowledge

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Technical Support

April - September 2019 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

I liked the people I worked with. Everybody was a team and questions asked were always answered thoughtfully so we can provide the best customer service.

What I wish was different

Often we can get back-to-back calls without any rest time from the call before the next, especially during high volume times. If there was a buffer between calls it would feel less stressful.

Advice

A lot of the job requires patience and understanding when you work with clients who might not understand completely what you are trying to explain to them.

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Research Intern

May 2019 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

I loved how hands on the experience was. There were clinical trials where I got to see first hand the difference in all the patients. This is something I had never seen before.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Psychologist Research Assistant

December 2018 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

Working directly with graduate students, research coordinators, and faculty to get a better understanding of the field and learn more about post-undergraduate options

What I wish was different

Data entry can get monotonous

Advice

DO IT! Research is one of the best ways to network and learn about your field.

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Undergraduate Researcher

June 2019 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

My research was on being able to localize objects using IoT devices, which, in simple terms, means to get the location of objects using internet and wireless devices. Beside my research topic, I was glad and a little surprised at how my professors were so helpful and approachable. I remember the first meeting with my professor where I asked him, "Is it okay not to know all the technical things I would be working with in the lab." His reply was, "Absolutely. You're here to learn." That one sentence boosted my confidence, enough to let me explore my options and not to be afraid to ask questions. The work environment in the lab and the Agile methodology followed by the professors were very helpful to all the researchers on track. Summer is over and here I am, still working with my professors and taking the project to its next level.

What I wish was different

I was very satisfied with the full time researcher experience I gained. I wish there were more networking opportunities with other undergrad researchers and professors. Not many professors/mentors could make it to the final poster presentation either.

Advice

Considering my major (Computer Engineering, minoring in CS), my field is technical. And I did not come with much technical experiences. So, if you're very new to your field, be it technical or not, don't be afraid to jump right in. If you know you like something, don't be shy just because you lack prior knowledge/experience. We're all learning and sharing knowledge. And professors/mentors are always willing to help.

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