Why should you do research in undergrad
You are here, so I imagine you must have already come to the conclusion that doing research during your undergradaute career would be at least SOMEWHAT intriguing. But let’s convince you why anyone in any STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) major should at least dabble their feet in the research pool.
- Learn if you love research. I wouldn’t have known graduate school was what I wanted to do unless I had known how much fun I found research!
- Hands on experience in your major’s field. A lot of us learn best from hands on experience, which is why so many STEM classes have lab components. But why not go one step further, and understand why all the concepts you learn in class are applicable.
- CV/Resume Booster. Even if you end up not liking research, showing you have research experience is great for future jobs and employers. It shows you are capable of putting your class knowledge to real world use.
What does research in undergrad look like?
Research in undergrad can look like anything you want it to be!
If this is your first time doing research, don’t be discouraged if you are first asked to wash dishes or help on multiple projects at once. Your contribution in a research lab can take many forms depending on how many hours a week you are available, what the research lab is looking for, and the area of research.
If you don’t have much time to perform research in undergrad, that is also okay! There are many different options to get involved in research from a few hours a week to full time summer lab opportunities.
Don’t be deterred by lack of experience in the research area, time constraints, knowledge gaps, or any other potential barriers you might be telling yourself are reasons not to get involved in research. Research can be for everyone, and I think any STEM major should at least test the research waters, if nothing else than to understand the research process.
Where to start looking for undergrad research?
There are three places I think you should look at when finding undergrad research opportunities:
1. College Advisors!
College advisors are a great place to start when looking for research opportunities. They will know all the current research job openings (often times professors will tell advisors they are looking for undergrad researchers), research internships and fellowships available, and have some great school specific advice on the best approaches to get into labs (like some schools have classes that are designed to help students get into a research lab). They also will keep you in mind if they hear of any future research opportunities! Without going to my college advisors, I would never have heard about a 5 month Biotechnology internship in Japan which I ended up being accepted for.
2. University Job Board
If having a paid research job is very important to you, don’t worry you aren’t completely out of luck! How I found my first university research job was actually through my own university’s job board. These research positions will tend to be more menial to start with (less of working on a project and perhaps more lab upkeep like dish washing), but many times these positions develop into getting your own project!
3. Directly Reach out to Professors
This step is likely going to happen even when going to the university job board and college advisors, you have to reach out to the professor. Many times, though, you can reach out to professors even when they don’t have active undergrad research positions! This is called “cold emailing”.
Reaching out to a Professor
This section is more geared towards “cold emailing” of directly reaching out to professors. Often times with the other two ways of getting into undergrad research, job boards and through advisors, they will have a more detailed approach of what and how to reach out.
Picking Who You Are Interested In
The first, arguably most important, part of reaching out to a professor is picking which professors you would be interested in doing research with! I’d recommend starting just looking by departments you are interested in. Say, you are interested in the cancer biology department at your school, go to that department’s website and just start scrolling through the faculty. Often times, each faculty will have a brief synopsis of their research, but if not you can also just give them a quick Google search to see the basis of their project!
As you are compiling your list of professors you’d be interested in working under, I’d recommend creating an excel sheet including the professor, their department, their research, why you are interested in them, contact email, and lab address (if available).
Forming the Email
When typing up the email, be clear, direct, and succinct. While keeping it short, you also want to mention their research specifically and why you are interested in working in their lab.
Below is an example of an email:
Dear Professor Bob, I am a sophomore student majoring in Molecular Biology who is currently taking Biology 151. I am very interested in your studies of Bob’s research. I have 10 hours a week available on Tuesdays from 1-5 and Thursdays from 10-3. I am very eager to start my research career and hope to hear from you regarding positions in your laboratory. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Chloe
What else to Include with the Email
Beyond the body of the email, make sure to include your resume! Again, it’s okay if this isn’t very long they don’t expect you to have a lot of research experience in undergrad.
The golden number I’ve heard of how many emails to send out to professors at one time is 10. Now if you are dead-set on one or two professors, then feel free to just email those specific professors, but be open to emailing other professors in case they don’t get back to you.
Following Up
The biggest drawback to “cold emailing” is the low response rate. While some professors don’t actively search for undergrad researchers, others don’t have space for more at the time you are contacting them or simply are getting so many emails they miss yours. That’s why it is so important to follow up after you send your initial email!
Generally my rule of thumb is give it a week before you follow up. If you still don’t hear a response, you can go the extra step and stop by their lab and say hello! If you are still at a dead end, email the next ~10 professors on your list and try again.
The Interview
The first time meeting the professor can be very intimidating, and the vibe can vary from an acceptance formality welcome-to-the-lab to a first round competitive interview. Below are the biggest tips for meeting the professor for the first time:
- Dress like you would for any other interview: business to business-casual.
- Be honest about your research and class experience. It is alright if you don’t have any experience; just say you are excited to learn!
- Ask more about the professors’ research because all scientists LOVE talking about their research.
- Come with an extra copy of your resume and unofficial transcript (if you have one).
- If you are accepted, remind them again of your time commitments and ask what papers you should get started reading to understand their research better!
In preparation for starting in the lab
The biggest thing in preparation for starting in a new lab is get organized! Read about their research ahead of time and come ready with any questions you might have.
First week of being in the lab
You will get the feel of the lab as you continue to work there, but the first week of being in lab is scary no matter how many different labs you have worked in because every lab has a different dynamic!
Come prepared with questions, a notebook, and print out the papers you read on their research (if possible) to show your commitment to learning.
It will be a steep learning curve and you will feel tired, but it will also feel easier and more normal the longer you stick with it!
Goodluck and happy hunting!
The hardest part is just putting yourself out there, and once you rip that band-aid off everything will feel better.
As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments.
xx Chloe
