Talented, aspiring young scientists in the prime of their undergraduate education continuum apply to summer research experience programs in order to get a grip on the reality of scientific careers. This reality utilizes their training in individual aspects of science (factual, conceptual, practical) simultaneously in real-life situations, side-by-side with active research faculty and staff. Moving in concert with current trends in fundable research, the importance of basic skills training and resilience to approach new topics is interwoven with functional, semi- to fully-independent project experience in today's programs.