Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. DC was really excited about the experiment and its goals, but quickly realized that the work itself was pretty tedious. Measure this, mix with that, and if you make a mistake, you need to discard everything and start over. DC is also very social but found the lab isolating. As I said, science is not my area, so I wasn’t able to advise, but it did seem likely to me that this environment might be pretty typical for lab work. If you disagree, please share. No one was pushing DC at all, except for always suggesting that research is a likely path for those interested in science.

Of course it was tedious - they were a high school intern! Even a lot of college internships and even entry level jobs are like that.

The point of an internship isn’t for the student to evaluate whether they think the work they are doing as an intern is interesting or tedious, but to look at what the experienced people in that field are doing. What gets them fired up about their jobs? Is that appealing to the intern? If an intern can observe what those around them are doing, they can get some sense of whether that field is a good fit for them. For example, an intern who is doing filing, xeroxing and getting coffee shouldn’t be looking at whether they want to do filing for the rest of their life, but if the jobs of upper-level employees still look tedious to them, that is something to consider.

Anonymous wrote:The National Science Foundation (NSF) has an REU program for undergraduate science related projects, usually during the summer and usually supported in some way. Here's the list for the biological sciences. You can apply to go to any university:


https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.jsp?unitid=5047

PP adding: the reason I posted this is that it can give your DS a broader view of research opportunities and a low-stakes way to test out interest/aptitude for them. Even just looking through the list of options can spark thought on what might be a good fit to move towards. Another question--has your DS worked outside of the internship? Sometimes kids find an internship tedious because they find working at any job tedious. That's just needing to get older to see the bigger picture.

A common career option can be a pivot to the health sciences--can be health science industry if not interested in working with patients in any capacity that you could do (and an indifferent student doesn't sound like a good candidate for medical school).

If this were my kid: I'd share the NSF REU site list and see which options are most appealing to make him in the hopes that it helps him become a more engaged student, but I'd also encourage a business minor or some summer business courses at a local college to make him a stronger candidate for working in health science industry. Or an internship in industry. Or government. And I'd try to remind myself that undergrads are still young with limited experience of the world and a not quite developed prefrontal cortex so it may take some time for it all to come together. Your approach of educating yourself, not pressuring your kid, suggesting options and being a soundboard sounds pretty effective.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has an REU program for undergraduate science related projects, usually during the summer and usually supported in some way. Here's the list for the biological sciences. You can apply to go to any university:


https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.jsp?unitid=5047

Anonymous wrote:... but hated his internship in a research lab. Also has reservations about office jobs in general. My guess is that alternatives would probably have a gazillion applicants for each spot, and/or pay poorly, but if anyone has insight into these fields, please share. I know almost nothing about science fields, so I am having trouble providing useful guidance.

Not the best pay, but there are plenty of job doing stuff like surveying flora and fauna populations for the Feds, State governments, and environmental consultants. I know environmental consultants in WY who are very busy. Plenty of energy companies are constantly trying to drill new sites, but they have to contract people to assess endangered species and other types of impact statements first.