In Defense of Core Lab

Posted on by Haya Elamir
this image is to represent the kind of group environment that core lab represents, even if this isn't an actual core lab class depicted
A classroom of students reading at Princeton (not core lab). Photo credit: Ryan Halbe.

Many STEM majors here have the same rite of passage: core lab. For non-lab majors, core lab is a class that is purely to teach you about lab techniques and critical thinking skills that are useful for writing our theses. They usually involve a bit of a simulated lab experience where you discover new findings while the teachers guide you through the motions of a lab research experience. 

Molecular biology’s core lab meets twice a week for 3 hours and then a small 50 minute lecture/precept on Fridays for half the semester. Other majors have similar constraints. However, while at first it may seem a bit overwhelming and even redundant if you’ve already done these procedures in a lab or are in a lab that definitely will not be using any procedures you learn, core lab goes beyond just teaching you technical skills. 

I too was confused as to why I was here and why this mattered, but over time, I began to internalize one of the real skills this class is meant to teach you, something that pipetting will never give you: asking the right questions. 

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“My Summer in Kuala Lumpur”: Iman’s Internship Journey

Posted on by Aishah Shahid

This summer, Iman Bedru ’28 traveled from Woodbury, Minnesota, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for an internship with Chumbaka, an organization dedicated to empowering youth through technology and education. As a rising sophomore in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iman went to Malaysia through Princeton’s International Internship Program (IIP), drawn by the opportunity to connect her technical background with her passion for education and community engagement.

When browsing through IIP’s opportunities, Chumbaka stood out immediately. Its mission, which is to equip students and teachers with the tools to explore and innovate through STEM, aligned perfectly with Iman’s vision of using engineering knowledge to create meaningful social impact. The fact that the internship was based in Malaysia only added to the appeal. A country rich in cultural and ethnic diversity, Malaysia promised not just professional growth, but also immersion in a vibrant new environment.

Picture of Iman Bedru at Kuala Lumpur temple.
Picture of Iman at a Kuala Lumpur temple.
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Research, Friends, Mountains, and Everything in Between

Posted on by Angel Toasakul
Neuschwanstein Castle
The view of the Neuschwanstein Castle on the way back from a 5-hour hike.

When I boarded my flight to Munich this summer, I thought I knew exactly what awaited me: labs buzzing with experiments and discoveries, even a big “Aha!” moment that would shape my research career. After spending over a month home in Thailand, beach hopping and exploring the underwater world with my scuba diving gear, I was ready to slip back into my academic shoes and make the most out of my time in a new country.

What I found was… not quite what I expected.

While I had overestimated how sparkly the research world would be, I didn’t even come close to imagining how many lessons I would learn or how many memories I would make.

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Encounters with Mentorship

Posted on by Stanley Stoutamire, Jr.
Sunlight narrowly streams in an ornate window of the highest floor of Firestone Library in the afternoon.
Firestone Library in the afternoon

As I was graduating high school, everyone – whether it was friends, teachers, or family – told me I had to find a good mentor. I didn’t really know what this meant in the context of college. I had experienced instructive relationships with coaches and teachers before, but I didn’t really know how that would translate into a research-driven environment. 

Now as a sophomore, I understand that especially before declaring a major, it can be challenging to forge mentorship connections. Still, during the first two years of my undergraduate experience, I have encountered mentorship in a variety of ways that I would have never expected. Whether it was through my lab-based courses, an internship, or even a recent serendipitous moment, quality mentorship has been a defining part of my Princeton experience.

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The Beauty of Mentorship

Posted on by Haya Elamir
the purpose is to represent the main idea of the post: mentorship
A mentor guiding two students on a startup project. Photo Credit: Danielle Alio.

I think mentorship can be highly overlooked in the undergraduate community. This is mostly because we feel that professors and Ph.D. students can be so far in their own fields, and so we’re just intruding in on their time. They’re so impressive that it is almost intimidating. However, in hindsight, you start to realize how important their mentorship becomes in your life. I think a lot of undergraduates value mentorship in the sense that they’re being given an opportunity in the current moment to do research or work on a project. This is the perspective I had on mentorship when I entered research. Luckily, for me, mentorship turned out to be so much more; it’s the gift that keeps on giving. 

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Paying it Forward: A Faculty Perspective on Mentorship in Research

Posted on by Shannon Yeow
Headshot of David Walker
David Walker is a Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University whose research focuses on programming languages, formal methods, and computer systems. Known for his commitment to advancing both theoretical and practical understanding in the field, Professor Walker also plays a central role in mentoring students.

As someone who completed my junior independent work under Professor Walker’s guidance last semester, I’ve had the chance to witness his thoughtful mentorship firsthand. In a research culture where both the technical challenge and emotional uncertainty can feel overwhelming, I’ve come to appreciate how crucial the human side of research is—how we learn from and grow with those who guide us. With that in mind, I sat down with Professor Walker to explore how he thinks about mentorship: what it looks like, why it matters, and how he helps students, like me, find their footing in the world of research.

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The Importance of Humanities and Social Science Classes: In which a STEM major reflects

Posted on by Haya Elamir
Exterior of Frick Chemistry Laboratory
Frick Chemistry Laboratory. Photo Credit: Iris Rubinstein.

A lot of my previous posts are mostly concentrated on research and science, and that’s because those are the things I love. However, taking a psychology class this semester that had a more social sciences approach made me think about my story in STEM. In particular, a part of the lecture that stuck with me was the “stereotype threat”. The stereotype threat is the fear of proving a stereotype right. I’m not good at math, and I’ve always thought that would just be the way life goes, but last year, I took MAT103, and I did quite well (it’s one of the easier math classes of course, but the bar is low for me). In fact, it was my easiest class. This really changed my perspective on my math skills. When I reflected on my experience with math, I realized that this mindset I have about it was cultivated by my gender.

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Office hours are weird. Here’s how to make the most of them.

Posted on by Gabriel Ascoli
Sign showing office hours
Office hours signage. Photo Credit: Weingarten Center, University of Pennsylvania

If you’re like me, you’ve been here. Standing awkwardly outside your professor’s door, notes in hand, heart racing slightly as you rehearse your question for the tenth time.  When I first got to Princeton, my professors felt larger than life – giants in their field, accomplished researchers and authors. As an undergraduate, I felt like an ant in comparison. I felt afraid to go to their office hours, because their time felt so much more valuable than mine.

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Research is Better with the Right Mentor—How I Found Mine

Posted on by Angel Toasakul
Glass brain plots
Glass brain plots from the data analysis of the project I’m working on with my mentor, who spends a couple hours every week going through the fundamentals of coding in neuroscience with me. When I started working with him, I didn’t even know I could make plots like these. Our weekly meetings paid off.

When I first came to Princeton, already interested in neuroscience research, I kept hearing about all the incredible opportunities available to undergraduates. Professors conducting groundbreaking neuroscience studies, cutting-edge labs filled with brilliant minds—it all sounded amazing. But as a first-year student, I had no idea how to actually get involved. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing, while I was stuck wondering: Where do I even start? Will a professor really take time to mentor someone like me? If I cold-email them, will they even read it?

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Staying Connected

Posted on by Stanley Stoutamire, Jr.
A blossoming cherry blossom tree towers over Joline courtyard in Spring as people work in the chairs below.
Joline Courtyard during Spring

Each spring semester, it feels like many of us find ourselves scrambling to find unique, competitive, and exciting research experiences. In these intense weeks full of interviews, rejections, and offers, it is also important to think ahead about what comes next. Although staying connected with your research team after a program or internship ends can present a unique set of challenges, it can just as easily open up a number of new opportunities. This was a dynamic I had to adjust to at the end of my research internship last summer. Through that personal experience, I have found that consistent and clear communication are key after any research experience.

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