UT graduate students share their experiences with REU students
Talking to other graduate students is key to choosing a good mentor and deciding what classes to take and when, according graduate students who recently shared their advice with undergraduates in Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs at NIMBioS and the University of Tennessee (UT). The panel, which included two graduate students from the UT mathematics department and a graduate student and postdoctoral researcher in from UT’s biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology (BCMB) department, spoke to a packed classroom of undergraduates participating in both NIMBioS’ REU program and also BCMB’s REU program. Many of the REU students are considering pursuing graduate degrees. Panelists shared their experiences applying to, selecting and surviving their first years of graduate school. They spoke of adjusting to having greater independence in their education in graduate school, and also the challenges of balancing the key components of graduate school: teaching, research and coursework. The panel was jointly organized for students from NIMBioS’ REU program and the “Sensing and Signalling” REU program run by UT’s BCMB department.