Chronicles of a Research Intern #1

Okay, brief introduction of myself. I study maths and physics at uni and just finished first year with an average of 1st. Pretty good taking into account I'm an international student with English as a Second Language. I could have done better but I'm proud of myself. But leaving the course apart, I'm here to write about my first experience as a research intern.

My uni released a scholarship for students of every year and I decided to apply. Turns out, I got admitted. For the past five weeks I've been working on some geeky computational physics project. My actual dream. That's why, when I was told how little I was paid, I didn't mind. In the end, I'm just in first year. However, after the first few weeks, I wanna point out what I've learnt about the experience apart from all the science involved.

1. Your supervisor MAKES A DIFFERENCE: I've been very lucky with my supervisor. However, I know other people who have only seen theirs a couple of times. That makes a huge difference when it comes to solving problems encountered during the project.
2. Public speaking is scary but you'll go through it: chances are, you'll have to give some short talk on your research. I honestly was so anxious because I thought I wouldn't be able to answer questions. Turns out, you are the one working on your project and unconsciously you've learnt about it during this period. So relax and listen to your audience.
3. No matter how much they pay you, it's probably not enough: I'm being paid a ridiculously small amount of money for spending around 8 hours a day including weekends on my project. I just don't realise how much time I spend but no matter how much you love it, your work should be recognised. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about it, but just know that you are worth more than that and don't take it too seriously.
4. Nothing works at first, and that's fine: Every single week I get stuck on some stupid thing that makes me lose at least a day of work trying to figure out how to solve it. Ask for help, make some research, and try not to overreact. You'll figure it out sooner or later.
5. BE ORGANISED: If you are working by your own, it's easy to make bad decisions when it comes to how much time you spend on something. The problem with this is that deadlines are a thing, and you don't want to pull an all-nighter the night before something is due (says someone typing this while having a poster presentation due in two days...)

I will write more about this when I actually finish my work. I just needed a platform to express myself. But in conclusion, accept this kind of opportunity while knowing that not everything is perfect!