Welcome to our 5 Things I Learned blog series, where UNH students from all colleges and majors share the UNH experience that changed everything for them and what they learned from it.
What can you learn from your on-campus job? Today, computer science major Jilly Sticca ’25 talks about five things learned while working at the UNH InterOperability Laboratory.
Jilly Sticca ’25, computer science major
I have worked at the UNH InterOperability Laboratory (IOL) for the past year. The lab has expanded my knowledge of topics that I have taken classes on and taught me many valuable skills for my field. The IOL provides interoperability and conformance testing for various networking technologies. These are the five most important things I’ve learned during my time at the lab.
1. Be bold and ask questions.
When you first start a job, it might be intimidating to ask questions, but as I’m sure you’ve heard, asking questions is the best way to learn! You can build relationships with coworkers, strengthen your skills and discover new ways to problem solve. Working in the lab was great because I constantly had people around me willing to help. It’s always better to ask clarifying questions before you start a task to be efficient with your time.
UNH InterOperability Lab
2. Embrace setbacks.
It’s easy to get stuck on a task or focus on something you might’ve done wrong, but embracing setbacks is what makes you stand out. Instead of focusing on what you can’t do, focus on what you can do and use that as your motivation to continue learning. Most importantly, using setbacks as stepping stones helps maintain a growth mindset and sets you up for success. At the lab, if something I did was incorrect, I used the feedback I got to continue trying until I got it right instead of giving up.
UNH students working in the InterOperability Laboratory
3. Feedback is one of the most helpful tools.
Before working at the IOL, I saw feedback as something in the past that I didn't need to use again, but it can be a very valuable tool. I can almost always reuse the feedback I receive from my manager when I am problem-solving in the future. Not only does feedback help you to have another perspective on work you’ve completed, but it can help hold you accountable and promote a good quality of work.
UNH students working in the InterOperability Lab
4. Set reasonable goals.
Establishing a reasonable goal is essential to maintaining motivation, efficiency and quality of work. This can mean finding a goal that is attainable with the resources and time that you have. Setting goals for a big project can be overwhelming, so breaking the project down into smaller tasks is beneficial. There are typically two or three goals that I have to complete in six months at the lab. They are always reachable, and I can still complete other tasks on top of them.
UNH students working in the InterOperability Lab
5. Helping others can help you, too.
The lab is a great place to meet new people on campus, as there are always new employees, which provides many opportunities to help. Helping someone can build stronger relationships with your coworkers, reinforce what you already know and foster a culture of collaboration! Working on a team of three or four people in the lab often results in having someone who knows the answers to your questions. Small teams push consistent, collaborative learning.
read more "5 things I learned" blog posts
related posts:
What Is the UNH InterOperability Laboratory?
David '25 and Ayeden '25, two UNH students, share their experiences about working at the UNH IOL and what they have gained from the opportunity. Learn more about their experience and insights below.
