Undergrad Research

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
18,409
39
91
I asked 4 professors so far, and they all told me they were full.

Many people seem to suggest that showing that you have an understanding of the professor's research helps. How do you show this when communicating to them about doing research for them? I can't seem to think of a way to put it in my email without it sounding awkward.
Well for one professor, I tried to ask him if his research was related to this other thing I read. He just told me he was full and didn't answer my question.

 

LS21

Banned
Nov 27, 2007
3,745
1
0
ask a diff professor

ask simply if theres anything that they need help with

even if they are full, in most departments, they should know someone else who could use help. thats how i got my R.A. hookup
 

Auggie

Golden Member
Jul 18, 2003
1,379
0
0
Some helpful things:

1 Start in your first two years. Don't wait until senior year (like I did... I just lucked out because the prof really liked me) - it's basically a lot of investment for them to bring in a new person and teach them all the techniques... the younger they start the undergrads working in their lab, the more years of proficient research they get before they graduate and move on
2 If no labs are taking undergrads, offer to do your research for free, it's probably a worthy investment on your part if you need the experience
3 Don't just explain to the prof that you like his science or that you need research experience - it's a lot more likely that you'll find bench time if you explain that you're interested in pursuing science as a career, rather than just looking for a med school reference. a prof will take pride in seeing his/her undergrad go on to another lab and do meaningful work beyond the time they spend in their own lab
4 If absolutely no spots are open, even on a volunteer basis, tell them that you want to be the next person that comes into the lab when space does open up... persistence is absolutely required to succeed in the natural sciences business, academic or private industry both.

If you have any other questions or need advice, feel free to send me a PM - I'm a 6th year PhD candidate studying genetics, and I remember what it was like back in the day. :)
 

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
18,409
39
91
I'm starting my 4th year now. :(
I'm a JC transfer. I asked a few my 3rd year, but wasn't persistent enough about it, but I didn't really understand any of the research topics either not taking any upper div classes.

I do actually want to get into research because I'm very interested in it, and I actually want to go into it as a life career. I explained that I want to research as a career and hope that his lab could get me started on it.


 

CottonRabbit

Golden Member
Apr 28, 2005
1,026
0
0
Just keep emailing professors. I don't think any professor would really expect an undergrad to be well read on their area of research. I emailed 8 random professors in the winter of my freshman year before I got one that said they had room for me. Some professors might ignore your first email, so don't be afraid to follow-up.
 

Auggie

Golden Member
Jul 18, 2003
1,379
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0
Originally posted by: astroidea
How do you show this when communicating to them about doing research for them? I can't seem to think of a way to put it in my email without it sounding awkward.
Well for one professor, I tried to ask him if his research was related to this other thing I read. He just told me he was full and didn't answer my question.

Here's an example:

Dr. ________,

I'm looking for a lab to start doing some research in. I will be an entering sophomore when Fall semester starts next month. I have little experience other than the bio labs that freshman take, but I would love to get more hands on research experience, and your work sounds very interesting. I can work _____ hours/week, am a quick learner, and you can contact the lab instructor from the bio lab class I took to verify that I'm decent at the bench.

-Joe

Be sure to add a little bit about why you want to research... is it for med school, grad school, etc. Don't be intimidated, address the professor as an equal (although use "Dr." and not first names until they tell you to "just call me Jim") and have a confident, intelligent tone - it makes it sound like you'll get a lot done rather than just be nervous.

You don't need to act like you're intimately familiar with their work. Rather than a "i thought it was interesting how you showed that Protein A binds to Protein B upon transcriptional activation of gene C in your 2008 paper"... just say "the entire gene pathway you work on looks very interesting and I'd love to do work in your lab" Edit: but it is important to use a specific name, for example, the wnt signaling pathway... otherwise the prof might think you wrote a single email and sent it out to every prof in the department.

 

magomago

Lifer
Sep 28, 2002
10,973
14
76
Reading some of their papers and integrate it in your email.

"Dea rProfessor,
I came upon you randomly by surfing the school website. I noticed you seemed to do some stuff I was interested. I looked at your publications and read A, B,C. I think the conclusions drawn by both are interesting. However, I do feel, as you pointed out, there are some more questions that need to be answered. I'd like to get involved and hope you are willing".

something like that. Make sure you are being honest though. If you think all the work except for one is interesting, focus on that single interesting work.

However, you probably know thatprofessors have had many students who express the same type of interest in the beginning, and then are gone after 3-4 weeks. Usually for a quarter, the professor makes you do grunge work.
 

TecHNooB

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2005
7,458
1
76
Honestly, all I did was go to one of my professors during office hours and ask.
 

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
18,409
39
91
Originally posted by: Auggie
Originally posted by: astroidea
How do you show this when communicating to them about doing research for them? I can't seem to think of a way to put it in my email without it sounding awkward.
Well for one professor, I tried to ask him if his research was related to this other thing I read. He just told me he was full and didn't answer my question.

Here's an example:

Dr. ________,

I'm looking for a lab to start doing some research in. I will be an entering sophomore when Fall semester starts next month. I have little experience other than the bio labs that freshman take, but I would love to get more hands on research experience, and your work sounds very interesting. I can work _____ hours/week, am a quick learner, and you can contact the lab instructor from the bio lab class I took to verify that I'm decent at the bench.

-Joe

Be sure to add a little bit about why you want to research... is it for med school, grad school, etc. Don't be intimidated, address the professor as an equal (although use "Dr." and not first names until they tell you to "just call me Jim") and have a confident, intelligent tone - it makes it sound like you'll get a lot done rather than just be nervous.

You don't need to act like you're intimately familiar with their work. Rather than a "i thought it was interesting how you showed that Protein A binds to Protein B upon transcriptional activation of gene C in your 2008 paper"... just say "the entire gene pathway you work on looks very interesting and I'd love to do work in your lab" Edit: but it is important to use a specific name, for example, the wnt signaling pathway... otherwise the prof might think you wrote a single email and sent it out to every prof in the department.
thanks, that looks simple. I think I was waay overthinking this.

 

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
18,409
39
91
Originally posted by: TecHNooB
Honestly, all I did was go to one of my professors during office hours and ask.

Have you tried actually talking to them in person?

I tried that. But only for one professor. He said he was full.
 

Gibsons

Lifer
Aug 14, 2001
12,530
35
91
Originally posted by: astroidea
Originally posted by: Auggie
Originally posted by: astroidea
How do you show this when communicating to them about doing research for them? I can't seem to think of a way to put it in my email without it sounding awkward.
Well for one professor, I tried to ask him if his research was related to this other thing I read. He just told me he was full and didn't answer my question.

Here's an example:

Dr. ________,

I'm looking for a lab to start doing some research in. I will be an entering sophomore when Fall semester starts next month. I have little experience other than the bio labs that freshman take, but I would love to get more hands on research experience, and your work sounds very interesting. I can work _____ hours/week, am a quick learner, and you can contact the lab instructor from the bio lab class I took to verify that I'm decent at the bench.

-Joe

Be sure to add a little bit about why you want to research... is it for med school, grad school, etc. Don't be intimidated, address the professor as an equal (although use "Dr." and not first names until they tell you to "just call me Jim") and have a confident, intelligent tone - it makes it sound like you'll get a lot done rather than just be nervous.

You don't need to act like you're intimately familiar with their work. Rather than a "i thought it was interesting how you showed that Protein A binds to Protein B upon transcriptional activation of gene C in your 2008 paper"... just say "the entire gene pathway you work on looks very interesting and I'd love to do work in your lab" Edit: but it is important to use a specific name, for example, the wnt signaling pathway... otherwise the prof might think you wrote a single email and sent it out to every prof in the department.
thanks, that looks simple. I think I was waay overthinking this.

If you're pre-med, you might want to leave that part out. Undecided sounds better. If you can honestly say you can commit to working for over a year, mention that.

A lot of the profs will brush you off due to previous experience with pre-meds. They'll come in and "work" for a semester, just enough to fill in a line on their app., then leave. It takes three months (at least) just to get competent in lab, so that's a loss from the prof's perspective.
 

tokie

Golden Member
Jun 1, 2006
1,491
0
0
I haven't had any RA experience unfortunately and I also am going into 4th year. Though in my field an undergrad RA is kind of useless since they can't really assist except with computations (even then, most undergrads aren't Stata experts).

OP, I would just go to their Office hours and ask as many as you can. Seeing your face would be much better than reading an email where they can quickly wave it off.
 

Rumpltzer

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2003
4,815
33
91
I did two years of undergrad research, and I found it pretty useless.

From the perspective of a now former grad student, I understand better that undergrad researchers are pretty useless and you put more into them than you get out of them.

I had a conversation with the dean of EE and UIUC as an undergrad. I asked him if undergrad research, internships, honor societies, etc. helped to get into grad school and his response to me was, "Grades. That's what we care about." It was that simple.

From the perspective of a grad student, I can tell you that what he said was true. My research advisor had a list of candidates ranked by GPA and test scores. There was a line at some point in the list. Everyone above the line got in, everyone below the line didn't get in unless a prof wanted them in.

Simple.
 

Rumpltzer

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2003
4,815
33
91
Where undergrad research might make a difference is in a job interview. You then have something to talk about other than classes.

As I said, I had two two years of undergrad research but that was overshadowed by having summers internships at major companies every year of undergrad... and by grad school and my published works.

Starting in the 4th year is a little late, but I suppose it can't hurt.


Internships paid off big in my experience. Undergrad research; not so much.