Does this experience mean anything helpful towards grad school?

College Search & Selection Community Colleges
1

I’ll be a sophomore this year at college, and during my first year, I had a FWS labeled as a “Lab Assistant” for a professor. I’m planning to apply to grad school later down the road and, while that sounds nice to put on my application, it’s not the end of it. I don’t really get involved with the post-docs who are doing research in the lab; I’m more of what you’d call a Grunt Worker, cleaning flasks, test tubes, disposing of plant matter and bio-hazardous waste, etc.

I feel like I am going to have to go into extensive detail about what I did experience wise while in college and, if I just end up (in the most elegant and formal way possible) having to say that I basically was a glorified janitor, is the job basically meaningless (relatively speaking as interest experience in the field and lab, not experience in general)?

I should also clarify that I’m asking this because I was reoffered to come back and work for the lab again this year, but if I’m not doing actual research, then… you get the idea.

2

I think that it may be helpful. Remember that university research labs (and the world in general) need many people who are willing to do the “grunt” jobs. You also will get some experience regarding how work gets done in labs. Also, doing this for multiple years makes the point that you are willing to stick with tasks even when they are not glamorous. Much of the work to complete your PhD thesis (if you get that far) will not be glamorous either.