Finding opportunities to get hands-on experience in your field of study is a top priority, but it can be scary and difficult to find said opportunities as an undergrad, especially if you feel that you don’t have much current experience. As someone who has done it before, I’m here to give you a how-to guide to help you break out of your shell and land the perfect research position!
- TRy finding a few topics about which you’re passionate And knowledgeable
-
It’s important to show your professors that you have a genuine interest in their work. However, sometimes it’s hard to even know what you interests are! So, the first step to finding research is thinking of your past experiences and seeing if any of these relate to some current research fields. These experiences don’t need to be formal! For example, if you grew up living with your grandparents and caring for them around the house, maybe you’d be interested in geriatric research. Or, perhaps you’re a fan of video games and technology, in which case you might be interested in technology-based research like virtual reality. You can always combine multiple interests (like tech and aging) to narrow down your search of professors that you wish to contact. If you don’t know where to start, you can always read through some general research databases (which have loads of topics on current research) and see if any of those pique your interest. With the amount of research that takes place in university, you’re bound to find someone who shares similar research interests to yours!
- reach out to PROFESSORs with RESEARCH that interests you–even if it’s scary!
-
My number one piece of advice for anyone looking into starting a research project is just reach out! I know it sounds simple, but as a first-year undergrad, I was terrified by the thought of reaching out to a professor about my research interests. However, I came to learn that they receive these types of emails all the time; as long as you’re polite and can demonstrate genuine interest in their field, they’re likely to give you a response! Ideally, they’ll give you a chance to meet and get to know them. Otherwise, most of them can help point you to some different resources or other professors to get you started in your research journey. It may take awhile to find a professor that is able to take you on, so don’t be afraid to spread your net wide and contact as many as you can!
- Show what you know and how you could benefit from the EXPERIENCE
-
Most of us undergrad students have little to no prior formal research experience–but fear not! Just because you don’t have formal experience doesn’t mean that you have no experience that relates to the professor’s research. Remember: if you find a topic you are passionate about, you may have natural experience within that area. It’s important to show these passions through examples in your life that show what you know about the topic. For example, maybe you have some volunteer or club experience from university or high school that shows your knowledge about the professors research. Try your best to emphasize that you want to expand on your current knowledge of the topic and that becoming involved in a research project will help you to achieve this goal. You should emphasize this in both your CV and during your interview with a professor. It’s important to note that professors know undergraduate students are unlikely to have any formal research training, so it’s okay to say that you have none but are eager to start your research career!
Hopefully by this point you’ve aced an interview with a professor of your choosing and are on your way to first research project. If not, that’s okay! Sometimes professors have limited lab space, scheduling doesn’t work out, or there could be a variety of other issues. It may be difficult, but try not to be discouraged–just try again! This how-to guide isn’t foolproof, but hopefully it eased some of your nerves and queries about reaching out to professors and finding the perfect research project!