http://www.lbl.gov/

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Summer Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) Intern

June - August 2023 • Berkeley, CA

What I liked

Research project driven internship, good mentors

What I wish was different

Advice

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Student Assistant

June - August 2022 • Berkeley, CA

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

I think you'll hear this again and again but don't be afraid to ask your mentors questions about the project you're working on, but especially about career advice, how they're enjoying their job and what they would change, what projects interest them now which they'd consider joining, etc. I think it's important to be open with your mentor, even about the fact that the work you're doing with them isn't something you'd want to do in the future (if that's the case), because they can help guide you in finding something you'd enjoy more.
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Marketing Assistant

February 2021 • Berkeley, CA

What I liked

Flexible work, employer respects school schedule

What I wish was different

Not assigned enough work at times, but can always request for it

Advice

Need to take a initiative with your supervisor
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student research assistant

June 2020 • Berkeley, CA

What I liked

I loved learning about soil data analysis! I learned how to do data analysis using python. I learned so much! And I am looking forward to presenting at the AGU (American Geophysical Union) meeting this winter.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have gone to the actual Lab Site! I never actually got to experience working at the Laboratory, since all my work was remote due to the pandemic. I never got to work in the field as well in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, which I was most excited about!

Advice

It never hurts to apply! And it always helps your chances if you reach out to that person you met at a networking event, because you never know if that person can get you into the company for an internship, which is exactly what happened with me.
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Student Researcher

May - August 2018 • Berkeley, CA

What I liked

Great work environment and people.

What I wish was different

Nothing.

Advice

Prepare to enter a true working environment where everyone is excited about what they do and share their enthusiasm with you, in a way that makes you very interested as well.
1 One person found this helpful

Science Unfergraduate Labaratory Intern

June - August 2019 • Berkeley, CA

What I liked

Developed a protocol for chemical and physical characterization of soils.

What I wish was different

Wish I had more access to labs

Advice

I advice other students to ask their mentors for collaboration with other departments.
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Database research Intern

June - September 2019 • Berkeley, CA

What I liked

Really good environment and fun work.

What I wish was different

More social opportunities for interns.

Advice

Amazing experience where you get to work on projects that have a huge real world impact.
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Undergraduate Researcher

June - August 2018 • Berkeley, CA

What I liked

It was a great learning experience. As a national lab, they have equipment that a university laboratory would be unlikely to have and so many bounds and restrictions on your research are lifted. The scientists have great input and allow you to develop your ideas without taking over the thought and experimental processes.

What I wish was different

I wish the culture of the lab was different. It felt very corporate-like and interpersonal relations was minimal.

Advice

Be confident about your skills, be open to criticism, and define clearly what your expectations of this experience are at the beginning.
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Research Associate

January - August 2018 • Berkeley, CA

What I liked

I liked getting to work alongside extremely qualified, knowledgeable, and passionate scientists and engineers from all over the world.

What I wish was different

I wish I could work there longer!

Advice

Taking a semester off to get real experience in your field of study is an extremely valuable learning opportunity. It gave me the opportunity to see what kind of things I can do with my degree.
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Computer Science Intern

June - August 2018 • Berkeley, CA

What I liked

Work environment was friendly.

What I wish was different

More specific problems to explore. The amount of deliverables made the internship somewhat stressful.

Advice

Expand your network. Use the internship as an opportunity to think about the kind of carreer you want to pursue based on how you enjoy different aspects of the internship.
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Computer Systems Engineer

June - September 2018 • Berkeley, CA

What I liked

Very smart and dedicated scientific and IT staff.

What I wish was different

I wish it had been more structured and organized, and that I had been giving mentoring.

Advice

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Research Assistant

May 2018 • Berkeley, CA

What I liked

The people and the trust that my superiors put in me to do excellent work. Being able to use the coding I had learned to process data. Learning new skills and understanding the research work environment.

What I wish was different

I wish I had a larger variety of jobs to do over the summer. A majority of my time was spent on one project doing one monotonous task. I think now that that task is done, I will be able to do more diverse things.

Advice

I got to do this by emailing my professor and asking if he needed help. His lab relies on students emailing them about research assistant positions rather than actively posting the position on job boards, because they know then that the students are actually interested in the lab's work. So you never know what can happen if you just ask!! The worst thing they can say is that they don't have openings, and then you know for sure.
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