This summer, I researched the topic of refugee youth integration, specifically the challenges and solutions that refugee youth faced towards achieving effective integration in both Ireland and Finland. Both countries have a lot in common, and therefore faced a lot of the same issues towards effective integration such as housing shortages and language barriers. I found the experience of the summer research to be incredibly worthwhile throughout, particularly when it came to the interviews. The interviewees – professionals who work with refugee youth – possessed a wealth of knowledge, along with some very interesting anecdotes pertaining to the lived experiences of refugee youth, something that can sometimes go missing in the academic literature given the further level of abstraction away from daily realities. At the end of the day, we are all humans and anytime we think of refugees we must think of the lived experiences of these refugees and never allow ourselves to simply fall into traps of relying on statistics and numbers as the sole way to quantify and explain say educational attainment, especially when the individual circumstances are so complex and diverse. I think that this diversity demands flexibility in how we look at and treat refugee youth in our societies. I would like to think that some of my research will help increase our societies understanding of refugee youth. It is important not to overstate the impact of any undergraduate research to affect change or raise awareness to an issue. However, that being said any awareness directed towards an important issue is positive. I hope that my research will have helped to slightly raise awareness and perhaps further inform about people about refugee youth integration.

As a researcher, I learned a lot about myself while undertaking a project in which I was responsible for setting my own deadlines and effectively managing my time. Independence can be challenging, especially if you are used to structured work. However, this experience was invaluable for developing key skills that I hope will benefit me in the future. These skills include time management and understanding personal accountability. Having started this summer as a total newcomer to the world of academic research, the experience of being able to immerse myself totally in research for six weeks will definitely stand to me should I ever further explore the world of academic research sometime down the line. I encountered a number of problems throughout my research, be it difficulties with the ethics approval process, challenges securing interviewees, or any number of other potential pitfalls that all researchers face. Having now gone through the process of conducting research I think that I will be much better equipped to be deal with the inevitable challenges that any future piece of research may throw my way.