After almost two years of working in the same lab, one might think that nothing would surprise me anymore. This is not entirely untrue–The day-to-day routine, the issues that arise, and the overall pace of a research project is no longer a shock to me. What I have found interesting about this summer is not so much the research itself, but the ease with which I have become accustomed to the routine of coming into lab full-time every day. In the previous summers that I did research, the days in the lab felt very long at first, and it wasn’t until the summer was almost over that it felt somewhat normal. This summer, however, I got into the routine very quickly, and have little to no problem spending my entire day working. It feels easy and natural.

Perhaps this is partly due to the fact that I have a much higher degree of ownership over this project than I have had over any of my previous projects. After putting in a large amount of work on a project that was formulated first by someone else, I finally have gained enough knowledge to really propose a new project of my own. This is something else that I have found very exciting about this summer. To have finally reached a point in my research career where I can make legitimate suggestions to my faculty advisors and plan out specific projects is supremely rewarding, and reinforces my choice to go to graduate school.