I’m taking the one I’m in for sure this summer so I can gain experience. I will be a research assistant (basic lab jobs). What should I be looking for in my time there? Should I worry about the research subject (what they’re researching)? Opportunities? etc.
Thanks
A place to hang your coat and a safe location to stash your lunch?
The eyewash station?
It’s always nice if you are interested in what they are working on. Ideally, they’d be thinking about a stand alone project that you’d be able to wrap up and write up in your time there.
Don’t worry about the topic. That’s pretty unimportant in the grand scheme.
If you’re only going to be there for the summer (i.e. it’s not at your undergrad) then what you should be looking for is to learn as much as possible. Learning techniques is always good (even just observing is beneficial) but learning to think and analyze is the key. Learn why various experiments are being done. What is the hypothesis being tested? What are the controls being used? What are the potential flaws in the experiment? Is there another way to answer the same question - if so, why not use that approach? What kind of data does this experiment produce? How is it analyzed? What is the best way to present that data to another person? Why is that the best way? What is the overall goal of the project you are working on? How does it fit in to the greater picture of the scientific field you occupy?
If this is a lab at your undergrad and you could potentially continue to work there past the summer, then I would also think about looking for opportunities to take on more responsibility and eventually get your own mini project to control. All of the above still applies.