Macalester College

Political Science Research Assistant

May - August 2019 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

Researching!

What I wish was different

It wasn't client facing.

Advice

It's great!

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Office Assistant

June - August 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

I loved getting to work in the Chapel because the community is so supportive and passionate.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Research Assistant

May - August 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

It gave me a lot of experience in research, computer science (my major), and what a full time job is like.

What I wish was different

I wish I had worked with the intensity of the final week throughout the whole summer.

Advice

Ask lots of questions, professionals are there to teach you.

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May - July 2018 • Inver Grove Heights, MN

What I liked

I really liked the diversity of ecological research methods I was exposed to., along with the strong sence of community among my peer research partners and our two advisors.

What I wish was different

I wouldn't change anything about this experience, the balance of field/lab work was tremendous and I learned a ton. The students are an integral part of the research at Macalester, rather than pawns for the professors as in larger research institutions.

Advice

Be prepared and enthusiastic about working long, hard days out in the forest. If you like to hike and sweat while learning a ton, this is the research experience for you.

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Grounds Caretaker

May - August 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

It was fun and the people were nice.

What I wish was different

I would have like different hours.

Advice

There's a lot more to caring for the grounds than watering plants.

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Economic Research Assistant

June - August 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

I really enjoyed having a flexible schedule and arranging it the way I thought it would make more sense to get to the results we wanted. I really liked teaching myself whatever I did not know about the software and programming skills that required to get the project done.

What I wish was different

I think I communicated somewhat poorly with the teacher I was doing research under, because I realized quite late something was not working. To that extent I think it would have been useful to keep him up to speed with absolutely all the details of my work, even the more basic ones.

Advice

Definitely make sure you are up to date with all the details of your research project. It's also very easy to get bogged down in the minutiae -- be careful to take the time every day to remind yourself about the big picture goals. If you are working independently, make sure you keep track of your progress in writing.

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Chemical Research Assistant

May - August 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

I enjoyed being able to work collaboratively in a lab and learn more about organic chemistry. I feel I was really able to gain valuable lab experience while learning both technical and soft skills.

What I wish was different

I think that it would have been nice to work on a more defined project that had a clear goal or set of objectives that could be completed during the summer.

Advice

While gaining technical skills and learning about how to work in an organic chemistry lab was valuable, working together with my peers both in and out of lab was equally beneficial, so be sure to make connections with the people that you are working with.

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Research Assistant

July - August 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

I loved the opportunity to meet and network with professionals in my intended field of study.

What I wish was different

I wish we had more funding through Macalester to finance some of our goals.

Advice

Professors can be goldmines for guidance and connections beyond Macalester. Make the most of them while you still can!

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Biology Research Intern

June 2017 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

I liked the opportunity to work on research that I think is important and interesting.

What I wish was different

Advice

Finding a positive research experience is all about talking to professors and getting to know more about their research, as well as showing your interest and diligence as you apply to work for them.

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Conference Staff Member

June - August 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

The people that I worked with were incredible. They were by far the greatest group of people I’ve ever worked with.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have worked longer.

Advice

I would say to not take your fellow workers for granted.

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Research Assistant

May - July 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

Working with other Macalester students and faculty. Getting to work on an independent project, but also getting to collaborate with other student researchers. The opportunity to present my research at a summer conference..

What I wish was different

I wish I had read more literature while working in the lab this summer. With highly technical papers, this can be difficult to do, but it is helpful in developing a thorough understanding of your project.

Advice

Do your best to get to know your whole lab -- the people and the equipment in it. Even if your project doesn't call for the use of a piece of equipment, if you see that someone else is using it for their project, ask if you can observe their experiment to gain a better understanding of its function.

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Biology Research Intern

May - July 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

This was a fantastic experience, it really opened my eyes to my interest in research. My advice to anyone considering it would be to keep an open mind because you never know what might interest you.

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Psychology Research Assistant

January 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

Flexible schedule, interesting topic, building valuable skills.

What I wish was different

More interaction with my advisor, longer stipend (it was 10 weeks).

Advice

Use your resources! I got to know the professor who recommended me for the research grant through taking her classes and showing interest in her research area.

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Research Assistant

May - July 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

If you are looking for a similar summer experience (research with a professor), I highly recommend directly speaking to the professor you want to work with. Make sure to look up what their research is about beforehand, show interest in what they are doing, and make a connection with them. Make yourself stand out as a good fit for their research so they remember you and want to work with you. Also, if you have any classes with that professor, work hard, and they will notice this.

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Information Desk Assistant

May 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

I love talking to perspective students and alumni!

What I wish was different

There was a huge lack of communication between the summer conference staff and the staff at the desk. We had no information about reunion!! This should change.

Advice

Macalester could do a lot more to support their working class students given the resources they have but when asked about meals for 9 hour shifts nothing was done..... dont expect anything from them.

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