"I took my time, and I think the quality of my contribution to our research reflects that."
Studying abroad at Cambridge on the Columbia Summer Research Practicum in Global Behavioral Science (GLOBES) program was honestly a dream. It felt professional, but also so relaxed and explorative given the setting. I chose to walk all throughout, and I think that decision extends into a great metaphor for my experience. Everything I did as part of the GLOBES program was a large and conscious investment of my time. I had my first foray in data collection, helping to gather over 1500 US participants for our study in 1 week, learned how to code in R at voluntary weekend seminars, combed through data protection policies for dozens of countries for our paper's manuscript, and all the while made co-working and socializing with my peers a priority. I could have made haste, biking to and from the business school (a 20-minute walk from our accommodation), sending copy-paste messages to my direct network to fill out our survey, sourcing translations for policies from news websites, etc. But that's not how I approached GLOBES. I took my time, and I think the quality of my contribution to our research reflects that. Our sample is representative and our policy table is (though not to brag...) beautiful.
Not only did my skill set grow, but so did I. I had just recently invested in a digi-cam, and I made incredible use of it, documenting every angle of Cambridge and every social event I attended. I learned how to edit these photos and to take pride in my photography. Moving from my personal to professional interests, I feel simultaneously more driven to continue research on cognition and for my long-term plans in law. At Columbia, I hope to get involved with a psychology lab on campus next semester, and now I'm confident in my candidacy for a position as a research assistant. When I look toward taking the LSAT and crafting my law school applications, I'll remember the intense attention to detail that made me our team's authority on citations.
Most of all, I appreciated how different Cambridge's environment was to my life at Columbia. The GLOBES program was brief, yet I got to know Cambridge like the back of my hand. I found a favorite gelato place, a favorite bar, a favorite college, and all the charms of a small town that New York and Columbia's surplus of choice makes a perpetual quest. I had a blast with my GLOBES cohort, and I can't wait for Columbia to see the work it's enabled us to produce.
