As time progresses, I am becoming more familiar with the procedure of our experiments in the lab. In the past couple of weeks, I was focused on simply understanding the big picture of our project and getting a basic understanding of the various steps in our lab experiment. Now I am at a point where I am getting a deeper understanding of why we are doing specific steps and why it is done in a specific order. A lot of it is thanks to my mentor, who plays an important part in making sure I am understanding. I realized the best method for me to comprehend and retain information is to explain the general idea and work towards explaining the finer details. Additionally, visual aids and repeating what I learned throughout the day enhance my learning experience. I am also having the chance to experience some freedom in the lab. We are at a point where multitasking is a necessity. Since I have been shadowing my mentor for the past couple of weeks, I am familiar with what and how things need to get done. It was a little nerve-wracking at first since I really didn’t want to mess anything up, but I was able to gain confidence in myself. The experiments we perform are not high-risk. However, there are mistakes that can occur, which can lead to errors and potentially skewing results. 

On Wednesday, alongside another intern, I performed part of the ion-exchange procedure on the zeolite. 

Again, not very risky but more of making sure you are being precise and not doing anything to cross-contaminate or experience any major mass loss when transferring samples. On that day, I also got to experience how busy a lab can get. More graduate students and interns were working on their separate experiments than usual. However, in times when it could get cramped, all we needed to do was communicate and be understanding of other people’s space and time.

On Thursday I got to continue performing lab work on my own. This time, I and another intern worked on transferring the copper and iron zeolite solutions into centrifuge tubes and centrifuged them for a couple of minutes. Having done this before, the use of iron and different zeolites led to a different result from what we previously got. We then decanted the liquid in the centrifuge tubes and placed the tubes in the furnace to dry overnight. Like the previous day, there were others working in the lab so we had a chance to practice our collaboration and communication skills with others again. 

Overall, I was given the confidence and trust to be able to work on parts of the lab procedure on my own. I would consider this to be a valuable stepping stone in my REU as it provides me with self-confidence in my ability to successfully and carefully work in the lab as a person transitioning out of community college. Additionally, since the beginning of my REU, I have been working on my communication and collaborative skills in a lab setting, which is something I have minimal experience with.