student assistant

student researcher

graduate assistant

administrative associate

research assistant

University of Kansas

As a Graduate Research Assistant, your role is pivotal in the landscape of scientific and engineering research. This position typically involves a blend of academic study and practical, hands-on work in a lab environment. The primary focus is often on conducting experiments, analyzing data, and contributing to research that pushes the boundaries of knowledge in your field.

One of the strengths of this position is the opportunity for deep immersion in a specific area of research. This intense focus can lead to significant expertise and the development of specialized skills, especially beneficial for those aiming for a career in research or academia. Additionally, working closely with experienced scientists and engineers provides invaluable mentorship and networking opportunities.

However, the role can be demanding, often requiring long hours and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. The pressure to produce results and contribute to publishable research can be intense, especially when balanced with the demands of graduate coursework.

On the personal development front, a Graduate Research Assistant position offers substantial growth. It hones critical thinking and problem-solving skills, fosters creativity in approaching research questions, and develops your ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

In conclusion, the role of a Graduate Research Assistant is both challenging and rewarding. It offers a unique combination of learning, skill development, and professional growth, making it an excellent stepping stone for those pursuing a career in science and engineering research.

I arrived each day at the university health center to open the on-site pharmacy in the company of one or more of the registered pharmacists on staff. Cash register and computer terminals were brought on line and I began balancing the previous day's receipts and preparing the bank deposit (Reconciling the previous day's transactions performed by student employees was often the most challenging part of my job.) While completing this, I was also greeting patients, accepting prescriptions, verifying status as student or faculty, collecting insurance information, and passing the order along to pharmacy staff. After orders were handed out and payments were collected, I filed the prescriptions. I answered and directed phone calls as needed, instructed student pharmacists in procedures for patient interaction and payment collection, and then received and stocked the day's medication and supplies orders. The working atmosphere was often fast-paced, and at times the estimated wait for a walk-in prescription fill would exceed two hours. My job included queuing prescription orders by priority and maintaining calm among a clientele who were, naturally, not feeling at their best. My ability to remain calm under such circumstances was often remarked on, and in fact, I was interviewed twice by the campus newspaper as a local semi-celebrity. I enjoyed encountering members of the student population outside of work who hailed me as "the pharmacy guy".

What is the best part of working at the company?
Too much politics, but that's normal in a bigger facility like KU. Techs click with certain people if you don't click with them you're basically out of place. There are certain techs who roll their eyes on you when you asked questions. They're making you feel stupid just like since you're at KU you should be very competitive and very smart and don't ask too much questions. That's how they make you feel, but not all of them, some. Too busy, too stressful environment, in my experience anyway. If you click with them you will be fine because they go above and beyond to help you. Me, on the other hand. I didn't have good experience. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Too busy, everyone always have patient. So most of the time they're not available if you need help. They are also stress themselves. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The best I can remember the work environment is too busy, and they do take care of the patient.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Get the room and ready before the patient arrives, helping and assisting the radiologist with the procedures, clean rooms in between patients, stock rooms, setup rooms for the next procedure. Sometimes, they are understaffed on nurses so you have to get the patient from the their rooms and or waiting room. Take them back to the post op area after.

> A typical day at work: performing experiments,  attending research group meetings, presenting research, informal interaction with colleagues during coffee  and lunch breaks, reading recent literature in the field and thinking novel ideas to advance the existing projects or initiate new projects, helping and learning from colleagues while troubleshooting scientific and technical problems in lab.
> What I learned: developed strong foundation in conceptual understanding of synthetic organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry concepts, performed synthesis of complex organic compounds, developed new synthetic methods for stereochemically challenging chiral building blocks, learned and performed small molecule  library synthesis using parallel synthesis on Mini-Block platform, acquired hands on experience in modern purification and analytical techniques like MPLC, GC, HPLC, UPLC, NMR, IR. acquired excellent writing skills while preparing manuscripts for high quality publications, developed excellent presentation skills.
> Management: managing lab responsibilities including the ordering of common lab commodities, safe disposal of chemical and solvent waste according to University's Employees Safety and Health (EHS) guidelines.
> Co-workers: highly supportive, communicative, passionate about science.

Initially a typical day at work included my training front line child welfare staff on newly developed Safety and Risk Assessment tools for CPS front line staff. I quickly learned the impressive color coordinated, notebook with numerous variations of handouts to drive home the points of defining abuse or neglect, as well as, assessing for future risk, were no competition for the real life experiences shared by staff who had far more experience, and when shared definitely gave life to the cold and informal pages in a notebook. Later I was fortunate to work with highly skilled educators on researching best practices, developing training, and the power of collaboration. 
Co-workers were highly skilled and educated and thrived on opportunities to help one another achieve their highest potential. The hardest part of the job was not having resources or authority to provide staff with the needed resources to ease the burden of feeling overworked and underpaid. 
The most enjoyable part of the job was looking forward to the invaluable learning experiences I encountered with multiple trainee's and many faculty.

When I initially started I was really excited. However, I feel there were more cons than pros. 

You go through two weeks of training (for my specific position) and training is set up like college. Some were at the main campus in a back room, the library on the university side and Lenexa. 

You have to take a shuttle if you can’t find somewhere to park on the street which is nearly impossible and you have to PAY TO PARK! I still don’t understand this concept. Depending on what lot you park in will depend on pricing. I parked in an uncovered lot which was $15 every paycheck. Also the shuttle can take a long time. I feel like we should be able to clock in while on it so I’m not counted late especially when I arrived 15 mins early just to catch the shuttle, but I digress. 

There was so much gossip, high school acting co-workers. They would update systems without us knowing and no training just left to figure it out. 

Doctors and their egos were so annoying. I would have to remind one that he was my co-worker, not my boss. 

Some co workers were extremely lazy and didn’t
Want to share the workload. 

Management in my department was great. 

Pay is very low. 

Performance reviews are key to offering helpful feedback to a manager or employee. But not knowing what to say or write can make the process downright painful, especially on a deadline. 

Unfortunately, many of today's performance reviews aren't anywhere as effective as they could be. In fact, Fast Company reports that 74% of younger workers leave reviews unsure about what their managers actually think of their performance. This mirrors the fact that, according to our 2017 Employee Engagement Report, 79% of employees don't think their organization's review process is all that good to begin with. 

No matter how good your performance reviews are, you could almost certainly do better. Here's a helpful list of 100 phrases — based off the book Effective Phrases For Performance Appraisals — that you should start including in your performance reviews in order to give your employees (or manager) the useful feedback they're looking for.

Keep in mind that these are starter phrases and you should be specific when you're writing any feedback for reviePerformance Reviews

Between management and the culture that surrounded me in the department, it was very difficult.  I say this because if you are of a different mindset, you were targeted, outcast.  I stood for the correct reasons but since I had a different view, I was singled out.  However, another person would do the same thing and be rewarded.  I stood my ground and validated with truth, but after years of "battle", had to leave....to preserve the retirement I had worked so hard for.   I even tried for advancement, but was thwarted by the assistant manager.  I was never allowed to be utilized for my  skillset.
This hospital used to be a place I was proud to work at but the last 10years were fraught with daily attacks to mar my character.  I tried, believe me I did.  But management was dual faced.  I had no one who I could depend on for neutrality. 
I absolutely loved the Physicians I worked for.  They were incredible and I miss them greatly.  If you are considering working here, and you are a strong and passionate individual, be prepared.  Either you mold to their twisted view, or be forever shunned from this place.

I like working as a DA for the most part. The job offers a lot of location and time variety and for the most part you do in in short shifts, and a lot of the tasks you’re doing are useful in some capacity even if they are kinda boring and can seem kind of meaningless. There are a lot of shifts where you’re really just there to play babysitter  to an empty lobby especially if you work at night. 

Management has been kind of difficult and I’ve been working for the company for a year and in the year that I’ve worked I’ve had 4 and only half of them have been any sort of responsive on a good level albeit, the latest two are a great change of pace.

Parking sucks and in fact it is so terrible to the point where I’ve considered quitting my job because I have missed shifts, and gotten several tickets just to be at work and it becomes a loss of money at that point over a 3 hour shift at our rate of pay.

Overall I like my job okay enough. It gives me time as a student to get what I need done, done and make a little side money, in spite of the headaches that come with the position.

They claim it's a secure job but year in and year out we were under risk of being out sourced by local landscapers.

Extreme favoritism if you weren't apart of the favorites you wouldn't move up in anyway, not receive any job training you request and were always at risk of being replaced by favorited people even if you were one of the hardest working people (management would even admit it)

Never get a pay raise unless their too desperate to get new hires then you will only get raised to the minimal of what the new people will make, regardless how many years you've been working there

Literally can get in trouble for having a bad attitude about the place but the other guy can be asleep in the truck while you're shoveling the snow by yourself.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Student assistant 134 salaries reported	$12.56 per hour
Student researcher 78 salaries reported	$15.56 per hour
Graduate assistant 15 salaries reported	$18.14 per hour
Administrative associate 27 salaries reported	$44,648 per year
Research assistant 24 salaries reported	$43,877 per year

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