Well, apologies for tooting my own horn here, but I thought you might be entertained to see what I spent this past summer doing:
http://reu.physics.ucla.edu/2009/home.htm
http://reu.physics.ucla.edu/common/pape ... _lucas.pdf
http://hedp.physics.ucla.edu/
Basically, I built some B-dot (magnetic field) probes for the lab, and calibrated them, and took some measurements on a plasma. Nothing earthshattering, but pretty cool.
I really recommend the REU programs for any undegrads interested in physics (or any other science). I had a blast; the other students were really cool, as were my mentors and the lab group I worked in. We had fun 'touristing' around L.A. and being nerdy physics kids. (You should see the looks on people's faces when they sit down on a bus and find out they're surrounded by 14 physics majors... )
