I met with Erin Kim, my lab coordinator, who studied Cognitive Studies and Child Development at Vanderbilt to talk about her academic journey and how she has decided that she’s interested in going to graduate school. Being fresh out of her undergraduate school experience, I thought that Erin would be a good person to talk to to get insight on what life after graduation looks like and how to make the most out of your undergraduate experience given that she just went through it.
Erin’s biggest pieces of advice for me were to make an effort toward building a relationship with Prof. Barth and asking questions, even if they seem dumb. She did research as an undergrad and found that asking questions made her more informed on not only what was going on but also what to expect going forward. She also encouraged me to advocate for myself. If I have an idea for a study or a suggestion for how to make a procedure in the lab go smoother, I should speak up. If I have a particular interest in a specific aspect of a project, I should ask to be able to be more involved in that part. No matter how uncomfortable it might feel to ask, it will pay off because it will give me a chance to feel out what it is about the project, or research in general, that interests me, and it communicates to my PI that I am interested in playing an active role in the lab.
She also advised me to do my research on post-grad opportunities. She is gaining more experience in developmental psych environments before going to graduate school. Is that something I might be interested in doing, or do I want to go straight into graduate school? She also advised me to find my specific interest. Development and learning are great, but what topic within those areas would I be willing to devote years of my life to better understanding?
Overall, my conversation with Erin has given me better ways to make the most out of my time in the Yellow Lab and in future research experiences.
