Image of Kayla Dettinger at the 2015 UWill Discover Conference. Image courtesy of Our Windsor.
Working as a research assistant is often associated with graduate and postgraduate studies, but it is very possible (and helpful) to get started as an undergraduate student.
At the University of Windsor, we are lucky to have the Outstanding Scholars program. You can apply if you are an incoming student with a high school GPA of 85% or higher or if you are in the first year of your undergrad and doing well in your program. Outstanding Scholars allows you to “conduct research in partnership with a professor, outside the classroom” (Outstanding Scholars). And guess what? You get paid for it!
Undergraduate research also gives you the opportunity to get to know your professors and other faculty members better than you would in a classroom full of other people. In some positions, you get to know other student researchers as well. These bonds enrich your university experience and allow you to make connections that could benefit you in the real world.
Image courtesy of the University of Windsor.
Another real world advantage of undergraduate research is that getting an early start on research gives you an idea of what to expect in your field and the kind of topics you may want to cover in graduate or postgraduate research.
As an undergraduate researcher, I’ve had the opportunity to work in two different research positions — and I’ve learned a lot from them. As a Publicity and Marketing Assistant for the School of Creative Arts, I learned how musicians and artists can market themselves to a large audience. By undertaking a Social Media project, I learned what is and is not effective for artists on various social media platforms by attending workshops, completing online research, and conducting interviews with social media and marketing experts. As a Creative Writing research assistant, I’ve expanded my knowledge on what is and is not effective in narrative fiction, improved my skill as a writer, and learned more about the process of publishing my work.
If you are passionate about research but do not qualify for the Outstanding Scholars program, there is still a chance for you to conduct research. If you have a professor who you really like or if you have an idea for a research project, you can always reach out to a professor and ask them if they could use extra help. Many professors will be glad that you want to make the most of your degree and would be happy to help.
On March 22nd and 23rd, the University of Windsor will present its annual UWill Discover Conference for Undergraduate Research. If you want to learn more about what your fellow undergrads are working on, attend some of the presentations, check out the posters, and take a look at the creative projects being presented at the CAW Student Centre. You may be inspired to start some research of your own!
Image courtesy of the University of Windsor.