As one of the top public research universities in the nation, UC Davis attracts motivated students, many of whom are interested in getting involved in undergraduate research. UC Davis offers research positions for undergrads in several departments including neurobiology, psychology, human development, molecular biology, and sociology, just to name a few. There are so many opportunities to pursue research on campus, but it can be difficult to get your foot in the door, especially as a freshman. As an undergraduate research assistant, I have a few tips on how to get involved in research YOU are passionate about!
Do your own research on the labs around campus — especially your own professors’ research!
As a freshman, I visited my major’s department website and read about the research that professors conduct here at UCD. It gave me a good feel for what kind of work they do and what possible topics of study I could be interested in. Once you start taking upper division classes, it’s a good idea to look into what your professors study. Try asking them about their research and make sure to do some online reading about what they study beforehand. If you think you would be interested in getting involved in their lab, contact them in person (during office hours or before/after class) or via email to express interest.
Build connections and relationships with faculty.
After getting a feel for the different kinds of research being conducted on campus, I started to be more proactive by reaching out to professors. It’s important to take initiative — but it’s more important to grow and maintain relationships with whichever professor whose research you’re interested in!
I earned my first research position by talking to a physician whom I was working with during my first college internship. We exchanged email addresses, and I made sure to consistently communicate with him. Before I knew it — I landed my first research position as an undergrad! I earned the position in my current lab by attending my psychology professor’s office hours and slowly inquired about his research. The more I learned about his research, the more interested I became in joining his lab. Over the course of the quarter, we learned more about each other’s professional and more general interests. I made it clear that I wanted to join his lab and continued to stay in touch with him after the quarter ended.
Patience is key!
For me, getting involved in research started off really slow. It seemed like every lab I was interested in was full. But I realized that finding a research lab that fits your interests and goals takes time. The first lab I joined wasn’t related to my current interests or my major — but it was a way to get some research experience. This experience ultimately helped me land a research position in a lab that fit my interests and goals better. So, don’t be discouraged — as long as you are proactive and diligent, you’ll join a research lab that best fits you!