Name of Student: Ellie
Job Title: Undergraduate Lab Technician
Description of Organisation:
This role involved supporting Dr Nick Royle (Director of Postgraduate Research in the Centre for Ecology & Conservation and Associate Professor at University of Exeter) with his research on burying beetles.
Project Summary:
My role involved the care of burying beetles alongside the Lab technician. This involved feeding, setting up breeding pairs and their containers, and once larvae have hatched processing the larvae into individual containers. We will also be doing succession lines and hopefully be running two separate experiments at once. I gained experience in using new equipment like infrared cameras as well as basic lab techniques and skills.
What was your biggest achievement on your internship?
I learnt how to identify and sex beetles which is a very useful skill to know.
Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?
I struggled with learning lab protocol but eventually understood the full cleaning process.
As a result of my internshipā¦
- I have improved my communication, teamwork, and problem solving skills.
- My job prospects have improved by expanding my CV and what I can draw upon in interviews.
- I have learned more about the skills I need and the options available to me in future.
- My overall confidence has increased.Ā
What, if anything, could be improved about your overall experience?
Nothing they were amazing at providing opportunities to me for me to learn from! I could not have asked for a better experience.
Would you recommend this internship scheme to other students?
Yes, I would recommend the scheme to other students.
If you would like to find out more about the A2i scheme, you can contact the team via a2i@exeter.ac.uk. You can also visit the student and employer facing webpages here.