Reflecting on my first blog post makes me very proud! I knew this fellowship was going to be an exciting challenge, but I didn’t expect it to also give me the direction that it has. I can see myself seeking out opportunities to research the crossroads of psychology and women’s and gender studies after my undergraduate career. My lab is still collecting data, so this isn’t a clean end of our study, but the data thus far confirms our hypothesis that expectation of orgasm is a significant factor in the decision to engage in casual sex–a confirmation that helps expand the conversation beyond evolutionary and biological assumptions. I’m very proud of the work I’ve done and so thankful for the support I’ve been given throughout. I entered the realm of research without much direction, but feel a lot more confident now in my abilities to be an asset to a lab. I know Qualtrics inside and out, can extrapolate relevant information from an SPSS output, and have a lot of great readings behind me. I feel so much more comfortable in my ability to allocate my time in the correct places. I have also made some great connections with lab members and beyond–getting the chance to talk to them and about their paths has proven to be really impactful. There isn’t a wrong way to pursue research, but I feel much more inspired after my experience this summer. I have gotten to know both of my labs’ mentors a lot better, and am so excited to continue working with them this coming fall. Getting to briefly see and read about the progress of the other fellows undertaking this program has also been a highlight. The field of WGS is so vast, and seeing the intellectual creativity that is the backbone of their projects is nothing short of incredible. It has given me so much to think about, and I’m excited to see what becomes of them. This program has also opened my eyes to how many resources are available to U of M students. With 3 years of my undergraduate research experience ahead of me, I can’t wait to make the most of them! 🙂
Chloe Brookes