Josephine:
As biology majors, we all take those series of general chemistry labs that consist of 4 hours of watching water boil, taking observations of temperatures and colors of certain solutions, and adding drip by drip of solutions in acid base titrations. When I was first introduced to the idea of working in a research lab, I immediately imagined it to be the strict, quiet, and rather confusing environment that I found in general chemistry class. On my first day in Cherie Briggs’s Ecology Lab, I was instantly proven wrong. The environment was much different than I thought it’d be; it was exciting and engaging. Everyone was incredibly friendly, super supportive, and always willing to help when I asked about why they were doing certain parts of the giant 650 frog experiment a certain way. I became part of the dissecting team, working as efficiently altogether without making little mistakes. I went home wanting to learn everything I could about the three infectious diseases and the types of frogs we were working with. Though I was just a volunteer at the time and thus more inclined to wash and sterilize equipment, I was able to watch other students do such cool things. Overall, working in a research lab is very rewarding. You get to apply the skills you learn from classes you enjoy and see their application in producing your own experiment or expanding your own understanding on the world around us. I highly recommend stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things (especially if has anything to do with in working in a lab) because you never know how great something is until you personally do it.
Chloe:
Participating in research as an undergraduate student has benefitted me in more ways than I have thought were possible. My initial desire to get myself involved in a research lab stemmed from the yearning to expand my knowledge outside of the lecture halls. Acquiring knowledge and learning from my professors inside of a classroom is a crucial aspect to my undergraduate education; however, I knew research would allow a more hands-on experience in my field. After working in a research lab for a little over a year, I have been able to get a glimpse of the lives of real scientists and researchers who work within an academic setting. Assisting these scientists and researchers allowed me to develop useful skills that can apply not only to my professional/academic life but to my personal/social life as well. Having the opportunity to collaborate with other students and professional researchers has also allowed me to hone my leadership and teamwork skills. Additionally, research has taught me how to efficiently communicate any ideas that may come to mind, including the ability to properly analyze/critique the work of my peers. My time invested in a research lab has not only proved to be a valuable experience but also exposed me to a field of science that differs from my undergraduate major, thus allowing me to determine and narrow down my area of interests as I continue to explore career fields.
Alyssa:
I imagined working in a lab would be monotonous, with little social interaction. I also thought that undergraduates in a lab would only be allowed to do the ‘dirty work’. These impressions came from other students talking about their lab experiences. However, after beginning work in the Briggs lab, I have found that working in a lab also involves working with the people in the lab. I have found that the lab environment is both collaborative and supportive, with a community of people always willing to help. Finally, I have learned that working in the lab is very different from the courses at UCSB that involve lab work, as it entails a lot more independence. Ultimately, working in a lab is much more fulfilling than I had imagined.
Yanelyn:
Honestly, one of my favorite experiences of college so far has been working in a research lab. I started working with the Briggs lab during my spring quarter of my freshmen year and so far, I can confidently say that the experiences I have gone through have totally surpassed everything I imagined working in a lab would be like. Coming into a lab, I was told by some of my older friends that were in labs that I shouldn’t have my hopes up because I was only providing free undergrad labor that wouldn’t go farther than organizing and labeling tubes. I was a little disheartened by this but either way, I joined with no bias. When I first started working there, I did in fact label many tubes and cleaned many dirty containers. I joined in the middle of a big experiment with many tadpoles and frogs that constantly needed help and attention. To me, it was really exciting just seeing the whole thing go down because I never had any experience in any lab, so it was amazing seeing experimental design and tests being laid out in front of me. I was a bit star struck in a way and even the cleaning and the labeling didn’t deter me in any way, it was just exciting knowing that I was helping in some way. Eventually, I saw that many undergrads oversaw their own projects and that everyone in the lab was more than happy to help them out and support them as individual researchers. Seeing this was highly reassuring and made me excited to work there even more. As time passed, I talked to more people in the lab and I realized that everyone in the lab is genuinely interested in helping undergrads out with their research endeavors and with any question we have, whether it be in life or in potential questions for experiments. As someone who is naturally curious, I find that I really love being in a lab as questions I have can be further explored or investigated with great enthusiasm from everyone involved. I found myself realizing that everyone involved in the Briggs lab is genuinely interested in helping one another in any way they can and seeing how much support I get from everyone is just something I value so much. I’m just grateful that my first impression of what joining a lab would be like was wrong in the best possible way.