I've been working in a health psychology research lab for a semester. I kinda like the work we do, however I'm conflicted on whether or not I should switch to another lab next year. My experience has been great in this lab so far. All the research assistants and post-bacs and post-docs are really nice. However, I'm only being given the scut work to do for existing studies that are going on, and based on what I've noticed from the older research assistants who've been here for 2/3+ yrs, very few of the undergrad get to start on their own independent projects or to take part in any authorship. I feel like this might put me at a disadvantage. Would it be better for me to switch to another lab (obviously one that I'm still interested in) where I have a much higher chance of being given an independent project to work on? The only reason I'm not sure if I should or not is that I would only have worked in this lab for a year and so my LOR won't be valuable. I really need any help I can get with making this decision. Thanks!
I also worked in a health psychology research lab. Most of the undergrads, up until their senior year, did solely the kind of work you are mentioning. In senior year they continued to do that-I think with the nature of the work done in some labs, there is a lot of this work and hence RA's are needed to do it. I know of many such labs, it's nothing against the students who work there, just rather it is the nature of the work.
But my lab was good that it let dedicated seniors do a senior honors thesis. This meant they came up with a hypothesis, analyzed their own data, did their own literature review, wrote a manuscript, with the guidance of a PI but still independently. If your lab will let you do this that is great.
I was also able to do independent projects prior to that. I showed initiative, I told my PI how interested I was in these things. My school had a fellowship program where if you applied, you got funded to do your own project in a lab of your choice-I got that and then they let me do my own project. See if you can do this too.
Some schools also let you sign up, for class credit, to do in-depth independent literature reviews-see if you can sign up for one of these, under the guidance of your PI-and then do the paper on something related to your lab. It'll show initiative and interest and maybe you can make this into a publication.
So basically, while you are being made to do this extra work you mentioned, it may still be possible to do independent projects. Talk to your PI and see if any of these are options.
