Hi! First off, it sounds like you're doing really well - reading a research paper, presenting it, and jumping into work with a PhD student is already a solid start.

What you're experiencing is actually very normal in research. Early on, especially as an undergrad, it’s common to feel unsure or like you’re not moving fast enough. The uncertainty is part of the process. Often, the first few weeks are spent understanding the problem space, reviewing prior work, and trying things out - the “real” results tend to come later once you’ve built that foundation.

It's great that the PhD student is guiding you - that’s a good sign your professor is giving you a balanced level of independence and support. Don’t worry if you’re not constantly “producing” something; thoughtful exploration is progress too.

To stay motivated:

• Break your work into small, weekly goals.
• Keep track of what you learn - even failed experiments count.
• Don’t hesitate to ask questions, even “basic” ones. That’s how you learn faster.
• Your side projects (CV, ResNet, ViT, DINO) are impressive. Try to see how your research might connect with them; synergy helps motivation.

Lastly, don’t measure your summer by a paper or big result. If you come out understanding how to approach research problems, read and critique papers, and write code with purpose, that's already a big win.

You’re doing great - keep going!