I'm a 34-year-old freshman doing undergraduate research. Yeah, it's weird

[DonBrown]

My professor asked if anyone wanted to help with her research project on construction worker safety. I laughed out loud. In class. Because I've been in construction for 15 years. I AM the research subject.

She didn't laugh. She said "perfect, you're hired."

So now I'm a 34-year-old freshman doing undergraduate research. On a topic I literally live every day. I help interview workers, analyze data, present findings. It's surreal.

Here's what I'm learning:

Real experience matters. I know things from 15 years of worksites that aren't in any academic paper. My professor actually listens when I say "that's not how it works on actual sites."

Age is an advantage. The workers I interview trust me because I'm not a 22-year-old who's never held a hammer. I'm one of them. They talk differently to me.

Research is slower than you'd think. We've been working on this for months. Progress is tiny. But it adds up.

I'm presenting at a conference next month. Me. The dropout. Presenting research. Life is weird.

If you get a chance to do research, take it. Even if you feel too old, too young, too whatever. Just take it.

 

[Samantha]

The conference presentation is going to hit different. You're not just presenting findings. You're presenting yourself. Your history. Your people. The workers you interviewed might even come watch. That's powerful.

And the academics in the audience? They've never held a hammer. They've never been on site. They'll listen differently because you're not just a researcher. You're a source. That's rare. Use it.