Research assistant Linnea Tornberg: A summer job in research taught me a lot

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from this summer because I didn’t have any previous experience working chemistry-related jobs or in research. My vague idea of what research might be like included lots of difficult lab work, constantly writing long reports, and dealing with many failed experiments. Despite this, I was looking forward to the summer, as this was my first job related to my studies.

One thing that surprised and pleased me was how much I learned during the summer. I was right in that the job involved lots of lab work (at least in my case), but also noticed that the nature of the work varied quite a bit between summer workers in CAM groups. I was working in a synthesis lab, primarily focusing on organic synthesis, and was happy to be able to put to use many of the things I learned in laboratory courses. I also learned new techniques that I was not previously familiar with, such as Schlenk line techniques and column chromatography, and picked up many cool lab work tips working with more experienced chemists.

If you are wondering about applying for a research assistant position next summer, I encourage you to do it!

There was also some paperwork to be done in the office, such as planning each synthesis and analyzing the data I had collected. I did not realize beforehand how many different articles I would need to read to plan my experiments and how much information I would end up searching on the Internet. Of course, there were also important duties such as juggling with funnels (I can give lessons), vacuuming the lab floors, and having too long coffee breaks with everyone.

Photo: Jonne Renvall / Tampere University

I learned loads about chemistry, specifically the practical side of it, as well as things that are usually taught at graduate level. My personal favorite was the lab work, despite sometimes being a little challenging. Whenever a technique wasn’t previously familiar to me, I needed to do thorough background work before using it for the first time, and I sometimes felt a bit uncertain about my work. Luckily, I could always ask for help because I was surrounded by many skilled and helpful coworkers, and over time the techniques became familiar to me. 

One might assume that after a summer of working with the subject that you are studying you would be bored with it, or that continuing studies immediately after would feel tiring. I’m happy to say this wasn’t the case for me. Instead, I feel even more motivated to start my studies. This summer job gave me plenty of experience, knowledge and skills and many good memories with amazing coworkers. I’m looking forward to starting my final year of bachelor’s studies. If you are wondering about applying for a research assistant position next summer, I encourage you to do it!”