Getting research experience

[ekm0924]

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Hi, I'm stalking the message board. Sorry.

I have a BA in history and I need to take a bunch of classes in psych to beef up any possible chance of getting into a psych phd program. This might sound clueless, but how do you get research experience? Is it through an actual class you take or do I need to volunteer somewhere or something? I know that an undergrad psych major racks up some time doing research, but how do you do that if you are not an enrolled student and are just taking one or two classes?

Thanks!

 

[Ollie123]

Actually there's really no guarantee an undergrad psych major will rack up time doing research. I think at most schools you still have to seek it out. Not all do since....well....many folks are lazy.

Look for faculty doing research that seems interesting to you. Email them, explain your situation, and tell them you are looking to gain some research experience and are interested in their research, and were wondering if they would be open to you volunteering. In most cases they will say yes, provided you can commit to a reasonable amount of time (usually 5-10 hours a week). If they don't, don't be offended, some labs are full, just find someone else.

 

[ekm0924]

Thanks Ollie. I'll definitely try that.