by Sakar Budhathoki, former Co-President of Nu Rho Psi at UVA
Before undergrad, I was fortunate to have attained some research experience working in a local university lab. This early exposure in a research setting as a high schooler helped me actualize my dream of holding a pipette, but I was eager to learn and do more. So, when I came to undergrad, I knew I had to keep going. Once acclimated to the university environment, I immediately joined The Deppmann Lab and got the experience I wanted. As an undergrad research assistant, I truly got to do so much more than I anticipated, shaping my plans for the future. When graduation was around the corner, I sought a way to incorporate research into whatever path I was taking. Though the pandemic made things extremely difficult, I was fortunate to have received a position in a large research institution where I am currently doing my training while working on my own project.
Since I have spent time in a lab part-time as a student and now full-time as a fellow, I have
definitely noticed many differences. However, I would say that the main difference is in regards to one's independence.
In undergrad, I was extremely fortunate to have had the chance to take some ownership of the work I did in the lab through planning some of my own experiments, applying for grants
whenever possible, talking to others in lab about my new data, and being encouraged to go to seminars to get new ideas. I really credit this to my supportive mentor and PI for allowing that and the neuroscience program, through which I partook in the Distinguished Majors Program (DMP) and wrote a thesis. The DMP is a program within some majors at UVa, and they allow you to write a thesis and earn a distinction during graduation. I was also able to present my work during a DMP poster session, and both the presentation and my thesis allowed me to see just how much I had accomplished throughout my undergrad years. So, when it came to my position as a fellow, I felt like I had an idea about how independent I could be. However, I was actually thoroughly surprised when I realized how much more I could do.
Though I feel like I reached a good amount of independence in undergrad, in my position now, I have a lot more opportunities to be able to plan and execute the ideas that come to me. Even though I had many ideas that my mentor liked in undergrad, I felt like they would often stray away from the main question. So, if we were to try a few of the things I had in mind, I would have to take extra time to work on them, which was challenging to do as a student who was in the lab for less than 10 hours a week. Thus, it didn't seem practical to do that. In my position now, although I have to be careful not to go too far away from my main questions, I do have more chances actually to try them.
I feel this way about having more independence because I am in a position where I am
constantly encouraged (and paid) to keep asking questions and do more experiments. In
undergrad, I was encouraged to do the same (not really paid during the school year, lol), but I felt like I would be wasting resources for questions that required a lot more time to think
through. I was lucky that my mentor would always be willing to listen to my ideas and critique
them, but it wasn't easy to execute them in the capacity I can now as a fellow.
I believe this newfound independence comes mainly from the fact that I have more time to
focus on my research and my questions. I think most undergrads go into research to find
mentors, gain lab experience, and see if research is something they can do in their careers. But, at the end of the day, they are still students and need to focus on their classes and having a well-rounded college experience. As such, in college, research becomes extracurricular. After graduating, I am doing research full-time; it's my job (though it doesn't feel like it because I love what I do). As a result, I have more time to dedicate to my work and more desire to take complete ownership as I explore areas I know are integral to the question I want to ask.
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