This summer I am doing clinical research at the Berkeley Optometry center here in UC Berkeley. So far I have just survived my third day at work. I started training on Monday and there are lots of office tasks and different experiment procedures to learn. You know those flyers on the bulletin boards in different buildings that say "Do you wear glasses?", "Soft contact lens studies" or "Toric Lens studies"? I realized that I will be one of those people assisting the experiments.

Continue reading "What am I up to this summer?" »

Posted by Julie Zhu at 5:41 PM | Permalink

This summer I am doing clinical research at the Berkeley Optometry center here in UC Berkeley. So far I have just survived my third day at work. I started training on Monday and there are lots of office tasks and different experiment procedures to learn. You know those flyers on the bulletin boards in different buildings that say "Do you wear glasses?", "Soft contact lens studies" or "Toric Lens studies"? I realized that I will be one of those people assisting the experiments.

Continue reading "What am I up to this summer?" »

Posted by Julie Zhu at 5:41 PM | Permalink

In two weeks I will be leaving for Uganda, and I'm really excited! I am going to be working with the Uganda Village Project, a non-profit providing sustainable public health projects in the Iganga District of Uganda. I have never been to Africa before, so I'm excited, but at the same time I don't really know what to expect. I'm pretty much ready to go; I got my malaria pills, my passport, my plane ticket. I will be there for two and a half months, with no electricity, flushing toilets, or running water.

Continue reading "My Summer Plans" »

Posted by Jenn Jehnsen at 4:51 PM | Permalink

Finals season is almost here! It's amazing how quickly this semester has passed. By now, most of us are probably completing final projects or essays for classes and trying to squeeze in extra hours of studying for the final exams. I know that I get most stressed out about this period but knowing that summer is approaching helps to pull me through the next two weeks.

I wanted to use this blog to talk about the myriad activities that you can get involved in during the summer. Some examples may be an paid/unpaid internship, research position, summer classes or even going abroad to study or volunteer. Summer is a perfect time to explore possible career options and set your foot in the real world. Do not be discouraged by the fact that it may be too late to apply for anything. In fact, now is a perfect time to ask your professor if s/he would like any help in his/her lab or even look up companies in yellow pages and call them if you can intern at their office.

Continue reading "Plans for the Summer?" »

Posted by Jenny Zhang at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Even though the Spring Semester has just started and first round of midterms are beginning, now is the perfect to start thinking about summer. Not only because it helps you get through the late night studying knowing that in 3.5 months you can finally sleep in and relax. :) But also because a lot of deadlines for summer programs are quickly approaching and it's important to start thinking about you want to do so in order to take advantage of all the great opportunities available. So here are some ideas of what to do during the summer.

Continue reading "Planning for Summer" »

Posted by Olga at 9:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lately I have been receiving many career mails regarding lots of events that will be taking place on Berkeley campus, such as the biology career panel next Tuesday and the career fair that will be in MLK on Wednesday 2/18/09 from 12-2pm and I believe on Thursday as well. Hopefully everyone will go out there and explore the different representatives and employees all over the bay area. Remember to bring in resumes and dress formally to the event if you are interested in working for them this summer or next fall :). If not, you can always browse around and get free stuff! hahaha
As for me, this summer I am doing summer session at Berkeley to take care some of my breath requirements: I am planning on taking mcb 102 and a foreign language(I am thinking either japanese or spanish). Its definitely a load of work taking summer classes while also working and researching but I am currently seeking a research position at Children's Hospital. I like to get myself involved and engaged in different extracurricular activities because it keeps me busy and going everyday. So I encouraged everyone to do so too!!
Look ahead now because summer is only 3 months away and many of our PALs have suggested variety of ways you can get involved. So go out there and gain hands-on experience on whatever you are interested most. Make your summer worthwhile, fun and exciting by researching, attending programs, or simply taking classes to meet new people all over the world who come to Berkeley to take the great and diverse courses that are offer.
Lastly, please start thinking about your Telebears appointment because it will be coming sooner than you think! Plan ahead to avoid the traffic mess. Since certain lab classes are limited, think about taking that in the summer if that's possible. Go see your major advisor about the classes that you are thinking of signing up but are unsure of. Or speak to us PALs, we would love to converse with you guys about the different classes that we have already taken.
I hope everyone's semester is going well and for those who have upcoming midterms, GOOD LUCK to all.

Posted by Tiet Nguyen at 11:18 PM | Permalink

Although summer break is still more than 3 months away, it is not too early to plan for it now. There are many things that students can do to have a great and meaningful summer.

Continue reading "What to do with your Summer?" »

Posted by Chau Pham at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Summer is coming and it is definitely time to start thinking about what to do either take summer courses find an internship position or find a job. Last year, I spent majority of my summer working to earn a little bit of cash for the coming semester. Within that time frame, I took an economic class and had a blast at Six Flags Marine World. The message I’m trying to send is to start planning for the summer NOW either work, school, internships, or any fun activities. Time is key and our precious summer should not be wasted!

Here’s a list of classes to take this summer 09. I am actually taking IB 141 (Genetics) which is only offered this summer and PH162A (Microbiology). I’ve heard that IB 141 is pretty decent in terms of difficulty. Internships and volunteer opportunities are mentioned by Dale on the previous blog so you guys should check that out for specific deadlines and requirements. One thing I suggest is to be able to have a cover letter and resume and handy prior to filling out the application. The career center site has a great tool for making painless cover letters and resume. Make sure to click on the callisto log in and have that set up.

Since we’re taking about internships and summer jobs, I want to remind everyone that the internship and summer job fair is coming this week on Feb 18 and 19 from 12pm to 4pm @ MLK Jr. Student Union; Pauley Ballroom, 3rd Floor; it is around lower sproul. All majors are accepted and please don’t forget your student ID and probably a handful copies of your resume. Till next time!

P.S Here’s my movies for the week : Slumdog millionaire (awesome movie; I didn’t want it to end) and He’s just not in to you (great relationship type movie).

Posted by Ken Juacalla at 1:39 AM | Permalink

It is about time to think about summer plan. What I did last year was taking two courses for major requirement, which is a great way to catch up with the grade level and keep on track.

Continue reading "Summer session?" »

Posted by Selina Chou at 12:44 PM | Permalink

Deadlines are definitely starting to wheel in for jobs, internships, and summer programs. Registration for Berkeley summer school classes opened on Feb 2nd for UC Students. (It will open on the 17th for visiting students). More info can be found here.
Online schedule of classes for Summer 2009
In Summer of 2007 I took P.E. 1 – Elementary Aquatics and IB 117 – Medical Ethnobotany. Both were really great classes- I learned how to swim (!!!) and learned about the many benefits of plants for our health. It was nice getting a good workout in the afternoon and then going to class in the evening and hearing a lot of interesting stories about plants from Dr. Carlson. Though I checked online and this summer there is a schedule conflict for taking both of those classes. Either way I would highly recommend those two summer courses if anyone is looking to learn how to swim this summer or learn more about botany and human health. Or you can take MCB 102 if you want.

Posted by Dale Dualan at 7:17 PM | Permalink

Even though it’s the beginning of the semester (okay, 4th week in, but it’s still the beginning), summer is looming ahead. Usually, summer is a time of relaxation and fun, and at times, it can be quite stressful to even think about summer. What am I going to do with my summer?!?

Especially in college, summer is the perfect time for opportunities – to take classes you couldn’t take during the school year or to gain experience in a different field or even to travel and explore! Below is a listing of places to look for research or internships for the summer; right after is a brief summary of what I did during my summers since freshman year

So here’s a small list of websites to check out if you haven’t already. Most of them are research oriented, so I hope it helps if you are interested in research. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the mailing lists from the Career Center – you never know what you may run into. Look through Cal Jobs (I never really did it, but I know several people who have found great opportunities for the summer via Cal Jobs) and attend some career fairs, especially the Internships fair. You can give them your resume, and some places might even send you e-mails requesting more information (but you really get more information about where to apply online and get to ask questions). And actually skim through the e-mails our major advisors send us!

My small list:
Cal Undergraduate Research website – generally a good listing of stuff at Berkeley and for Berkeley students
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) – a LARGE listing. I spent a good portion of my winter semester weeding through all the experiences, but it’s amazing what kinds of stuff are out there. So many universities offer great experiences, so look through them and see what interests you. Bookmark them. Oh, and I think there might be a Facebook Group for this.
Research Training Program – I loved this program. You get to work in a museum, so if it interests you, consider it! Just not for this summer. There is also a Facebook Group too.
CNR SPUR and URAP
Biology Fellows Program
David Scholars Program
Haas Scholars Program
Bodega Marine Laboratory
QB3-Berkeley Undergraduate Internship
Amgen Scholars Program – at many universities, not just at Berkeley
The Leadership Alliance – you can apply to many programs, some specifically geared towards MD/PhD intended students, at one go. You just have to choose your top 3 though. If you don’t apply via this program, you can also apply through the university I believe, but this will require more research.

Continue reading "Thinking about the Summer" »

Posted by Irene Liao at 8:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)