Soon my time as a WAGSFP fellow will come to a close, but this experience has been invaluable as I work towards my goal of pursuing graduate school in the near future. The program simulated what it’s like to do research during the summer as a grad student and because I enjoyed the program I feel more confident in my decision to go to grad school. I also gained a lot of skills and accomplishments through the structured elements of the program and working independently with Praxis Lab. By the end of the program I’ll have my name listed as an author on two papers, I’ll have written an abstract and made a poster for my first independent research project, and I’ll have acquired more data analysis and visualization skills. I hope that these achievements and skills will better my chances of getting into a graduate program that aligns with my interests.
My advice for future WAGSFP fellows boils down to (1) communicate your needs and desires, (2) be organized, (3) and prioritize caring for your wellbeing. I wish that I had communicated more actively with my mentor because I had situations where I couldn’t receive feedback on my work because I completed it last minute. Being more proactive would’ve saved me a lot of stress and I would’ve had better deliverables. I would also advise that you voice your needs and express what you want to learn from your mentor. WAGSFP is a very flexible fellowship and my mentor was happy to give me work I was more interested in and support me in my graduate school application process, I just had to ask!
I recommend having a functional organizational system so you know when your meetings are and you’re able to stay on top of your deadlines. I started using Notion during WAGSFP to manage all my deadlines, and it’s now my organizational method of choice.
Finally, prioritize caring for your wellbeing. This includes only working during hours you’re comfortable with (ex. not working before 8 AM or after 6 PM), taking short breaks every 25-45 minutes to maintain focus, and making sure that you balance WAGSFP with other commitments you have over the summer. This is the advice that I feel most strongly about, so if you take anything away please internalize this! I hope you have a great summer, future WAGSFP fellow!