Justy - My First Week at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

---

Wow, I am so tired and I'm thinking the view might be worth it. I started working at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBL) and wow am I exhausted. It might be because I'm trying to change my sleep schedule from 1:00 PM to 6:30 AM but there are other factors 😊

Before I started working, I already knew I'd love my mentor. Through his funny emails and messages, I knew he would be great. The one thing I didn't know what that he is an early bird, my opposite.

I started working Wednesday and I was a very relaxed day where I just met people and learned where my mentor's office and mine. He also showed me a project that I'll be involved in - I still have no idea how - called Berkeley Laboratory Laser Accelerator (BELLA). So, this is supposed to be a really cool project involving plasma and lasers...except I don't really know anything about lasers or plasma. So, the cool project did not make very much sense to me in terms of how it would work. So, I gave it an online search and came up with this:

http://www.lbl.gov/Community/BELLA/

I didn't realize that this was going to be a precursor to a crazy two days. So, the next day, I got back and we talked about the projects I'd work on, involving LASERS!!!, and then I took some tests so that I can access the giant laser at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) building. We went in and the thing containing the laser is huge! The room was fulled with people and some instuments that I've never even heard of. My mentor told me abour different parts of it and I was just amazed. Here's some details on it:

http://www-als.lbl.gov/index.php/about-the-als/quick-facts.html



After that, I went and met one of my associate mentors - this meaning he's not my mentor per se but someone who's project I will be working on - whom I'll be working with to improve Ergonomics. Ergonomics is, according to Wiki, "is the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements, and itscognitive abilities." The man I'm working with is great, he used to be a physical therapist and he really worked to make sure that I had a comfortable workspace. Anyhow, so I have no idea if I can write about this project online since I can't find the project anywhere on the internet so I'm going to just really skip the rest of that and say, I have no real idea of what he wants from me. However, I will be going offsite to find out on Monday! I read some papers on his project and I'm currently working on getting through another cm of it.

The next day, I had to wake up at 6:30 (this was the killer), to make it to a meeting in, what I think is, Emeryville. I went and saw a lot about the parts that go into laser safety and learned about how things are set up and different considerations people make when it comes to lasers. And yes, I saw some really cool lasers! But what really killed me that day was how many buses I had to end up riding. I messed up and didn't realize that the bus I was taking was not going to pass by the building I needed. So, I got off, waited for another bus, when I should have just stayed on, didn't transfer buses and ended up going all around Berkeley. When I wanted to leave, I was in such a rush I cut myself turning off the lights because the panel wasn't screwed to the wall. Hm...So I went to the medical building, which was closed. But I made it home when someone drove me there. There are small miracles.

I think the main thing I forgot to mention in all of this is how nice everyone at the lab is. I met a man working in the same building as my office and when I asked if he was waiting for the bus, he offered me a ride to the restaurant I was meeting a friend at. He got one of the lab employees - here's where I fail, the man's name is in Spanish so I can fake pronouncing it but I can't actually spell it - to drive me there. While going there, he told me about how much he loved working at the lab because everyone respects him. I think that's the main thing. Everyone is very respectful and kind. The bus drivers are great. I had a conversation with one while I was on my way to the Bay Transit (BART) and he was so friendly and great. I think I've landed in one of the best places to work! I'm busy but I know if I can't handle it, I can tell people and they'd understand. So wish me luck Monday! 😊

---