Is research useful?

Here we have a guest post by a biomedical student giving her top tips of research and encouraging all to take part in it earlier in your studies rather than later!

It's very important to be realistic and Jodie's account is nothing but practical and reflective of her own research!

Here's her top 5 learning points:

1) Research is extremely unpredictable. Expect to do your experiments more than once. 2) The importance of good time management. Those 10 minutes spent waiting for the centrifuge. Why not spend them reading through an article or setting up your next experiment? 3) Be realistic about your goals. The time it takes for you to do something new will be way more than an experienced lab technician 4) Don't be disheartened if you don't get the results you wanted. Sometimes a negative result can still mean something even if it does prove your hypothesis wrong. 5) The importance of adapting conversations about your research depending on the level of knowledge of your audience. This was extremely important when presenting my research to the year 1 and 2 students. All in all my research project was an enlightening experience. Although I know research is not what I want to do going forward, the skills you learn are helpful in any career. I'd highly recommend doing a summer research project to any undergraduates.