How does one stay in touch with a professor/PI?

[helpabrotherout]

How do you actually do this? For example, I'd really like to keep in touch with a PhD I did research with high school senior year (I'll be a college freshman in about a month). I mean I'm not planning on getting an LoRs from him, but I liked him and promised him I'd stay in touch with him. We were close, but I don't think we're close enough for me to friend him on Facebook and chat with him or something. I guess I'm just socially inept.

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[hoihaie]

work there agin in te summer

 

[Kochanie]

Emails and visit during breaks.

 

[kyamh]

Send an update email every three months or so, ask questions. Put your PI on a publication alert and send a congratulatory email every time the lab has a new manuscript.....read at least the abstract first

 

[Leslie_Knope]

I keep in touch via e-mail. Every few months or so I schedule an appointment and we chat about how things are going. I always try to come prepared with questions/updates.

 

[helpabrotherout]

Great advice, thanks. I can't actually physically keep in touch since I'm going to college elsewhere, but I guess I'll try to just engage email communication.

 

[Fargofargo]

Yup. Just a few " updating you with my life" emails would suffice.

 

[mehc012]

Great advice, thanks. I can't actually physically keep in touch since I'm going to college elsewhere, but I guess I'll try to just engage email communication.

I always try to remember what's going on for them when I email...like "oh hey, I bet it's crazy right now with your thesis students wrapping up their projects right now..."
I also stopped by at least once every year, and to avoid any last-minute AMCAS LOR terror, I used my most remote (chronologically) profs for a less important LOR for a related internship, so they'll only need to do a quick brush-up when the real crunch time comes.