Having to take multiple classes in college while still managing to have enough sleep,  good grades, and a  social life is hard enough as it is. Being committed to doing research while ALSO juggling those array of tasks is only for those who are willing to stay up longer nights in order to experience and enjoy what they always wanted to do. DISCOVER!

It is with this very excitement of diving into the world of research that allows me to overlook those days when I find myself curled up at the head of my bed trying to finish up an essay late at night after having a day filled with classes, research, and club meetings. Even when I find myself having to deal with a sore throat while also balancing the time I spend in the lab and the time I spend studying for three upcoming midterms.

If you are an undergraduate student reading this, you might be thinking to yourself,  ” why should I bother to do research now if I could do it during my senior year or at graduate school?” or even, “why should I do research if I could have more time for sleep?” You definitely could wait until your senior year or graduate school or just sleep in, but why not start now? Starting research during your undergraduate senior year may be too late for you to figure out what you want for graduate school. Why not start looking to see where your interests REALLY lie as soon as you get the chance? College is the time to see who you truly are and figure out where your life is headed.

Working in a research laboratory is like no other. The experience of working for or with a very well accomplished scientist allows undergraduates to open their eyes up to a whole new world of innovation. Through the use of cutting edge technology, students can see what science in action looks like. After one completes an undergraduate degree in the sciences, science is no longer only about books, but instead about the application of what one has learned up to this point. By doing research as an undergraduate, you may be able to have a firsthand look at what that sort of life you would life to have as well as already start applying the knowledge you are gaining from your classes into your lab work. Seeing a simple question grow into an experiment that eventually yields results is a very rewarding experience both mentally and emotionally. Personally, having to balance research with everything else that is going on in my life is challenging but most definitely worth it!

I also cannot wait to present the research that I did over summer 2013 at the upcoming SCCUR (Southern California Conference on Undergraduate Research). Wish me luck!