--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My first summer in college I worked in a…" description: "\"My first summer in college I worked in a fruit fly lab where I had two jobs: dissect the fruit fly larvae brains and incinerate the old tubes of flies...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/emily-oster-12697_brains_my-first-summer-in-college-i-worked-in-a_2898310.png" --- # My first summer in college I worked in a fruit fly lab… ![“My first summer in college I worked in a fruit fly lab where I had two jobs: dissect the fruit fly larvae brains and incinerate the old tubes of flies.” quote by Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/emily-oster-12697_brains_my-first-summer-in-college-i-worked-in-a_2898310.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/emily-oster-12697_brains_my-first-summer-in-college-i-worked-in-a_2898310.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/emily-oster-12697_brains_my-first-summer-in-college-i-worked-in-a_2898310.png) > “My first summer in college I worked in a fruit fly lab where I had two jobs: dissect the fruit fly larvae brains and incinerate the old tubes of flies.” [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing meticulous scientific work with repetitive tasks teaches resilience and adaptability in research environments. **In simple terms:** Hard work and routine tasks build resilience. Key Takeaway Embrace both detail work and routine chores. Themes resilience adaptability science work ethic Mood reflective determined Type motivational educational When to use this quote - lab research - student jobs - skill building - time management Key Concepts neuroscience lab management career development Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay motivated during repetitive lab work? - What strategies prevent burnout in detail‑heavy research? A Different Perspective The quote may overstate the value of repetitive tasks without acknowledging burnout risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brains/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Dissect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissect/) [Fruit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fruit/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) ## Related quotes > [During my first summer in college, I travelled to California for the first time for a beauty pageant. It was solely for monetary reasons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/during-my-first-summer-in-college-i-travelled-to-california-for-the/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [“A conscious fruit fly would have to confront exactly the same difficulties, the same kind of insoluble problems as man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-cioran/a-conscious-fruit-fly-would-have-to-confront-exactly-the-same/) [Emil Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-cioran/) > [“Nevertheless, in a few particular tissues of the fruit fly, these”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-r-calladine/nevertheless-in-a-few-particular-tissues-of-the-fruit-fly-these/) Chris R. Calladine > [“Fruit fly scientists, God bless ‘em, are the big exceptions. Morgan’s team always picked sensibly descriptive names for mutant genes, like ‘speck,’ ‘beaded,’ ‘rudimentary,’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/fruit-fly-scientists-god-bless-em-are-the-big-exceptions-morgan-s/) [Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/) > [“Just listen to this: take two fruit flies and leave them in ideal living conditions for a year - equivalent to 25 generations for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sverdrup-thygeson/just-listen-to-this-take-two-fruit-flies-and-leave-them-in-ideal/) Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson > [One of the fastest things a fruit fly does is take information from its eyes and react accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dickinson/one-of-the-fastest-things-a-fruit-fly-does-is-take-information-from/) [Michael Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dickinson/) > [The three of us have worked on the development of the small and totally harmless fruit fly, Drosophila. This animal has been extremely cooperative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-nusslein-volhard/the-three-of-us-have-worked-on-the-development-of-the-small-and/) [Christiane Nusslein-Volhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-nusslein-volhard/) > [I dropped out of college and worked on a cruise ship for a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-rainbow/i-dropped-out-of-college-and-worked-on-a-cruise-ship-for-a-time/) [Randy Rainbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-rainbow/) > [I didn't work for any newspapers in college, never worked for any newspaper before 'The Washington Post'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/i-didn-t-work-for-any-newspapers-in-college-never-worked-for-any/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [I worked as a lawyer as a member of the teaching staff of a technical college and then I worked principally as legal adviser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-frank/i-worked-as-a-lawyer-as-a-member-of-the-teaching-staff-of-a-technical/) [Hans Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-frank/) > [I didn't go to college and I worked so I could play music. That was my goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/i-didn-t-go-to-college-and-i-worked-so-i-could-play-music-that-was-my/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [I worked as a day laborer throughout college, worked for Deloitte and Touche, got my CPA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-murphy/i-worked-as-a-day-laborer-throughout-college-worked-for-deloitte-and/) [Patrick Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-murphy/) > [I noticed that almost everyone I went to college with has worked at something other than the subject they majored in. I guess that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-mccord/i-noticed-that-almost-everyone-i-went-to-college-with-has-worked-at/) [Kent McCord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-mccord/) > [I was always interested in art at school, and after year twelve, senior year, I spent three years studying graphic design at college. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-base/i-was-always-interested-in-art-at-school-and-after-year-twelve-senior/) [Graeme Base](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-base/) > [Straight out of college, I worked at the Conservative Party but that was just a couple of years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/straight-out-of-college-i-worked-at-the-conservative-party-but-that/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) ## More by Emily Oster > [Economists actually disagree about whether there are significant economic returns from attending an elite college versus a less-selective one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/economists-actually-disagree-about-whether-there-are-significant/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [Young women who live in areas with high maternal mortality change their behavior less in response to HIV than young women who live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/young-women-who-live-in-areas-with-high-maternal-mortality-change/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [“So why did my conclusions differ from theirs? At least two reasons. One is overinterpretation of flawed studies. But the bigger thing, I think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/so-why-did-my-conclusions-differ-from-theirs-at-least-two-reasons-one/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [How much is an hour of your time worth? It's worth whatever wage you would get if you spent that hour working. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/how-much-is-an-hour-of-your-time-worth-it-s-worth-whatever-wage-you/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [Even though it is the case that poverty is linked to AIDS, in the sense that Africa is poor and they have a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/even-though-it-is-the-case-that-poverty-is-linked-to-aids-in-the/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [Education campaigns ... may not be enough, at least not alone. If people have no incentive to avoid AIDS on their own, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/education-campaigns-may-not-be-enough-at-least-not-alone-if-people/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [Even if you are planning a birth with an epidural, the evidence suggests that a doula can help make things go much more smoothly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/even-if-you-are-planning-a-birth-with-an-epidural-the-evidence/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [I think that there's a real sense in which pregnancy should be something that you do with your doctor, but I think that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/i-think-that-there-s-a-real-sense-in-which-pregnancy-should-be/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [I am extremely devoted to Amazon Prime - which offers speedier free deliveries, free movie streaming and other benefits for an annual fee -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/i-am-extremely-devoted-to-amazon-prime-which-offers-speedier-free/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [Prenatal testing is a complicated decision for many women, forcing us to confront concerns about a disabled child and risks of miscarriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/prenatal-testing-is-a-complicated-decision-for-many-women-forcing-us/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [If you asked me which gives me more joy, my work or my family, there is no question that it's my family. Hands down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/if-you-asked-me-which-gives-me-more-joy-my-work-or-my-family-there-is/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [The main concern with a very large baby is difficulty in delivery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/the-main-concern-with-a-very-large-baby-is-difficulty-in-delivery/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [If you have a traditional view of economics, you're probably thinking of Ben Bernanke making Fed policy, or the guys creating financial derivatives at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/if-you-have-a-traditional-view-of-economics-you-re-probably-thinking/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [Being pregnant was a lot like being a child again. There was always someone telling you what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/being-pregnant-was-a-lot-like-being-a-child-again-there-was-always/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [Talking to women about birth can be polarizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/talking-to-women-about-birth-can-be-polarizing/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) [Explore all 53 Emily Oster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) ## More Brains quotes > [Our brains are great at knowing what to forget. We actually have to teach computers to do the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/our-brains-are-great-at-knowing-what-to-forget-we-actually-have-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [Do not borrow the productions of other men's brains and pens and recite them as a lesson; but make the most of the talents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/do-not-borrow-the-productions-of-other-men-s-brains-and-pens-and/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [Brains without competitive hearts are rudderless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/brains-without-competitive-hearts-are-rudderless/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [When I look at the human brain I'm still in awe of it. Every single time you lift off the bone and open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/when-i-look-at-the-human-brain-i-m-still-in-awe-of-it-every-single/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [The average investor does significantly worse than a simple index... It's literally because of the way our brains are wired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-o-shaughnessy/the-average-investor-does-significantly-worse-than-a-simple-index-it/) [James O'Shaughnessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-o-shaughnessy/) > [It's not telepathy. It's not the Borg. But we created a new central nervous system made of two brains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-nicolelis/it-s-not-telepathy-it-s-not-the-borg-but-we-created-a-new-central/) [Miguel Nicolelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-nicolelis/) > [Nature abhors a vacuum. When a head lacks brains, nature fills it with conceit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nature-abhors-a-vacuum-when-a-head-lacks-brains-nature-fills-it-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In 'Self Comes to Mind' I pay a lot of attention to simple creatures without brains or minds, because those 'cartooned abstractions of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-damasio/in-self-comes-to-mind-i-pay-a-lot-of-attention-to-simple-creatures/) [Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-damasio/) > [It may well be our brains are wired up to be slightly more optimistic than they should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/it-may-well-be-our-brains-are-wired-up-to-be-slightly-more-optimistic/) [Vilayanur S. Ramachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/) > [“Archaic humans paid for their large brains in two ways. Firstly, they spent more time in search of food. Secondly, their muscles atrophied. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/archaic-humans-paid-for-their-large-brains-in-two-ways-firstly-they/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > ['I don't need brains,' says the billionaire contemptuously. 'I'm brainy enough myself!' The broker cries out in desperation, 'What, in heaven's name, do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/i-don-t-need-brains-says-the-billionaire-contemptuously-i-m-brainy/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [I like to think our brains are a bit like algorithms. Whatever you give it and feed it, you get out the product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-like-to-think-our-brains-are-a-bit-like-algorithms-whatever-you/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [“It is now known that babies’ brains develop according to how much they are loved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/it-is-now-known-that-babies-brains-develop-according-to-how-much-they/) [Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/) > [“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/there-is-hope-even-when-your-brain-tells-you-there-isn-t/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Our brains turn into simple signal-processing units, quickly shepherding information into consciousness and then back out again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-carr/our-brains-turn-into-simple-signal-processing-units-quickly/) [Nicholas Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-carr/) [Browse all 532 Brains quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brains/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My first summer in college I worked in a fruit fly lab where I had two jobs: dissect the fruit fly larvae brains and incinerate the old tubes of flies.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emily Oster" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/my-first-summer-in-college-i-worked-in-a-fruit-fly-lab-where-i-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brains" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/my-first-summer-in-college-i-worked-in-a-fruit-fly-lab-where-i-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/emily-oster-12697_brains_my-first-summer-in-college-i-worked-in-a_2898310.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/emily-oster-12697_brains_my-first-summer-in-college-i-worked-in-a_2898310.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/emily-oster-12697_brains_my-first-summer-in-college-i-worked-in-a_2898310.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My first summer in college I worked in a fruit fly lab where I had two jobs: dissect the fruit fly larvae…” — Emily Oster", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Emily Oster", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My first summer in college I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/my-first-summer-in-college-i-worked-in-a-fruit-fly-lab-where-i-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/my-first-summer-in-college-i-worked-in-a-fruit-fly-lab-where-i-had/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```