Lessons from the Lab

This summer I was fortunate enough to work as a research assistant at the California Institute of Technology‘s Ronald and Maxine Linde Center for Global Environmental Science. It was an amazing experience, especially since I got to help with a project pertaining to something I’m really passionate about (climate science). I learned a lot about how to work for an extended period of time in a professional lab setting, so I figured I’d share some of those lessons here today!

Keep an effective lab notebook

This was something I didn’t entirely see the point of during my time in class labs last year, but now I totally get it. When you’re working in a lab, it’s essential that you keep a detailed log of pretty much everything you do, every decision you make.

My job involved a lot of repetition paired with detail-driven modification; essentially, I spent a lot of time refining a process until it was consistent and accurate enough to yield meaningful data. Therefore, I had to record pretty much every detail I could — from things like the humidity of a certain room at a certain time, to the number of times I cleaned a certain cup — in order to really keep track of what changes were affecting my results.

I’m pretty sure I ended up writing over a hundred pages of notes over my three-ish months in the lab, and they were all worth it!

Stay focused

Lab work tends to be extremely detail-oriented. In order to keep up with this, I had to make sure I was getting enough sleep each night, waking up at the right time each morning, and even whether I was eating enough to get me through the day without hunger-related distraction. I also developed a routine that I tried to follow quite exactly, day in, day out. This ensured that I didn’t skip steps or change their order, and that if I did, something would feel Very Wrong.

I turned it into a kind of game for myself: how efficiently and precisely could I perform each task asked of me, relative to last time? It gave me a sense of accomplishment each time I noticed significant improvement in my workflow.

Work as part of a team

At first, I worked in the lab more or less alone. However, by the end of the summer, the lab could get pretty crowded, and sometimes multiple people would need to use the same equipment in the same day. Furthermore, a lot of our work (mine included) was somewhat time-sensitive, meaning that we’d need access to said equipment at specific times. This meant we had to think ahead. We also had to communicate effectively, and, essentially, practice our ~sharing skills~.

The misconception of Science As A Solitary Activity is a common one, but it really isn’t true — especially when it comes to research, and especially when it comes to working in a lab. So be mindful of whom you’re sharing your space with, and how the timing of everyone’s processes will need to work out.

Keep some perspective

Lastly, remember what you’re doing. Research can be a lengthy, painstaking process, so it can be easy to get frustrated. However, the best antidote to this is to remind yourself of why you’re there. This proved pretty easy for me: it was a downright exhilarating feeling to think about how, for the first time in my life, I was contributing to the production of new knowledge, however gradually.

To get to work with some really smart people who really knew what they were doing was an absolute honor, especially because we were studying the health of a planet that’s in desperate need of our help right now.

Always remember what you’re really doing. It’ll help you stay invested. After all, you’re doing your passion, right?

Lucas just entered his sophomore year at Carleton, bringing with him a passion for all things nerdy and a talent for overthinking and awkwardness (and self-deprecation). He hails from Pasadena, California, and yes, he realizes it gets cold out here. He currently sees himself majoring in Physics, although he hopes to explore Cinema and Media Studies, Chemistry, Economics, and Computer Science (among many other subjects) as well. He misses his bearded dragon. Meet the other bloggers!