Research: Tips and Lessons Learned

 

Christina Viso, Verrazzano Class of 2020, completed major in Psychology with minors in Chemistry, Biochemistry and American Sign Language

When I was entering my freshman year of the Verrazano program, my older sister was a Verrazano senior working on her capstone project. The thought of completing my Capstone project has always terrified me because I never felt confident in my writing ability. Along with the fear of writing, the thought of finding a professor to agree to mentor me then actually conducting scientific research was intimidating. Everything about the process seemed so far outside my comfort zone. However, if there is one thing being in the Verrazano Program has taught me after four years, you cannot grow if you are stuck in your comfort zone, but your comfort zone can grow. As long as you are open-minded, and fearless, your comfort zone can become larger and you can push unexpected boundaries. When you are out of your element, you can challenge yourself to accomplish things that previously seemed inconceivable and great things can happen.

The summer going into my senior year, I began conducting research under the supervision of Dr. Raja in the Chemistry department. As s Psychology major, I was already nervous to join the team. Chemists conduct research very differently from psychologists; even the writing formats are different. I thought everything I knew from my psychology background was useless. However, I was able to have a unique perspective on projects. Once I began research, I was not only learning valuable information, but also contributing to groundbreaking discoveries! The research process has also taught me things beyond the actual discoveries we are aiming to make. It has taught me valuable life lessons. Previously, I have been a detail-oriented perfectionist. Research has taught me that nothing is perfect and it requires patience, practice, and passion. The more passion the better! It is okay to be unsuccessful and make mistakes in research because that means you are trying something that has not been done before. This is a useful lesson to learn, because life is not perfect. As a future physician, I may see mysterious cases that require me to think outside the box. Some days may be repetitive or treatments may be unsuccessful, but physicians do not give up. My passion for discovery was strengthened through this research, which will help me through the repetitive and strenuous days ahead. After graduation, I will continue researching under the guidance of Dr. Raja and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to expand my knowledge through research.