Coming into this internship, I was very nervous about working in a scientific setting. I wasn't sure what to expect or how to prepare to be so independent at a workplace. Personally, the most important thing that I brought into this internship (maybe aside from good note taking skills and responsibility) was the mindset that this experience was going to change my perspctives and my future. Having the ability to calm your mind to allow your life's twists and turns to mold you into the person you are meant to become is a powerful skill to have. With any learning experience, the most crucial part of growing is accepting and embracing change- no matter how daunting it may be.
Through this internship, I had the opportunity to practice some of the skills taught at High Tech High in the "real world". I was able to communicate with my coworkers and mentor, manage my own project, and reflect on my actions and work throughout the course of the four weeks. I also had great exposure to the amount of freedom that came with working and having my own car. I had to be more self-motivated (especially when it came to waking up on time in order to get to the lab) and able to make my own decisions about what to do when I need help. For example, one morning, I woke up a little bit later than usual, and got lucky enough to get caught in the worst traffic of the week. I realized I was going to be 15 minutes late, so I called my mentor to let her know about my situation. Although it wasn't too severe, I learned the hard way that I need more time in the morning to get ready and to always leave some "cushion time" for traffic.
More technically, I learned how to make detailed observations and document them in a lab notebook, and graph the data using Excel. I learned how to handle and care for mice and how to clean their cages in laboratory settings. I also learned to adapt to working under red light, how to navigate my way through the vivarium, and I memorized all of the codes to get into the lab and my testing room (I never got locked out or stuck anywhere, so I'm pretty proud of that, too).
This experience has probably been the most impactful part of my education. High Tech High has always taught me that education is not all about the books and memorizing facts, but about taking experiences and knowledge to apply it to real situations. My internship opened my eyes to the kinds of work that people do in the "real- world", and to what comes after high school and college. I think that now that I've had first- hand experiences in a workplace, I can go back to school with a better idea of what skills I need to work on in order to succeed after my formal education is over.
With my work as an intern, I contributed to Dr. Amanda Robert's research on the creativity of mice in their nesting behaviors. Aside from that, I was fortunate to take part in and contribute to the countless conversations about culture, language, movies, and behavior in the office. Although my project may not have brought a groundbreaking discovery (yet), I'm honored and thankful that I had the chance to be present and participate in the process of discovery.
Through this internship, I had the opportunity to practice some of the skills taught at High Tech High in the "real world". I was able to communicate with my coworkers and mentor, manage my own project, and reflect on my actions and work throughout the course of the four weeks. I also had great exposure to the amount of freedom that came with working and having my own car. I had to be more self-motivated (especially when it came to waking up on time in order to get to the lab) and able to make my own decisions about what to do when I need help. For example, one morning, I woke up a little bit later than usual, and got lucky enough to get caught in the worst traffic of the week. I realized I was going to be 15 minutes late, so I called my mentor to let her know about my situation. Although it wasn't too severe, I learned the hard way that I need more time in the morning to get ready and to always leave some "cushion time" for traffic.
More technically, I learned how to make detailed observations and document them in a lab notebook, and graph the data using Excel. I learned how to handle and care for mice and how to clean their cages in laboratory settings. I also learned to adapt to working under red light, how to navigate my way through the vivarium, and I memorized all of the codes to get into the lab and my testing room (I never got locked out or stuck anywhere, so I'm pretty proud of that, too).
This experience has probably been the most impactful part of my education. High Tech High has always taught me that education is not all about the books and memorizing facts, but about taking experiences and knowledge to apply it to real situations. My internship opened my eyes to the kinds of work that people do in the "real- world", and to what comes after high school and college. I think that now that I've had first- hand experiences in a workplace, I can go back to school with a better idea of what skills I need to work on in order to succeed after my formal education is over.
With my work as an intern, I contributed to Dr. Amanda Robert's research on the creativity of mice in their nesting behaviors. Aside from that, I was fortunate to take part in and contribute to the countless conversations about culture, language, movies, and behavior in the office. Although my project may not have brought a groundbreaking discovery (yet), I'm honored and thankful that I had the chance to be present and participate in the process of discovery.