It’s been a bit since I’ve left my lab, but I’ve taken some time to reflect on my experience. Overall, it was an amazing way to spend my summer because of all of the things I learned and all of the interesting people I met. I definitely miss going into lab and working on my (now completed) project, but if nothing else comes up, my PI’s invited me to go back next summer.
My last week (week 9) was pretty great. I was on the microscope for a few hours each day, and the rest of my time was spent wrapping up any other tasks I had. I was basically in charge of my own project at that point, so my last week was just a continuation of having that time to independently work through my daily tasks. My last day (Friday) was pretty great, because my PI bought the entire lab lunch and a few lab members brought in snacks during the day. Of course, snacks weren’t the only thing that made my last day good. I also completely finished looking at my slides under the microscope and did analysis for the multiple factors that I was considering. Right after work, I packed up and left the room I was subletting, and my parents took me out to get dinner.
Looking over my experience this summer, I learned a lot and really enjoyed doing so. Not only did I learn a lot about neuroscience and neurogenesis. I also learned lab techniques (ie. sectioning, mounting, and microscopy) and how to manage my own time in a lab. I’m really grateful to my PI, mentor, and everyone in the lab for making me feel really welcome as a high school student, especially for considering all of my ideas and answering all of my questions.
Peddie EXP Summer 2019 