I feel like I'm doing nothing

[DrStraggler]

RESEARCH-wise. I'm part of a lab on campus, and at first it seemed like a great opportunity. You got your own office, and a little placard with Research Assistant on it (Ohhhh the prestige). But I feel like I'm doing absolutely nothing, it's all grunt work!

I spend my days filing results and doing data analysis tables, and then screening patients at the MRI lab. I feel like I'm doing nothing, and I'm definitely not going to get published for this.


Should I stick with this for the next 2+ years or try to find a lab where I can be....more influential?

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[chiapet874]

RESEARCH-wise. I'm part of a lab on campus, and at first it seemed like a great opportunity. You got your own office, and a little placard with Research Assistant on it (Ohhhh the prestige). But I feel like I'm doing absolutely nothing, it's all grunt work!

I spend my days filing results and doing data analysis tables, and then screening patients at the MRI lab. I feel like I'm doing nothing, and I'm definitely not going to get published for this.


Should I stick with this for the next 2+ years or try to find a lab where I can be....more influential?

You get your own office? That's a bit unusual for an undergrad.

No one becomes influential without doing grunt work. You have to prove you can handle the basics before anyone is willing to trust you with more important (and expensive) data/techniques.

It's up to you to stay or go. I suggest you pick a research topic you actually like, so it won't matter if you are "influential" or not. Normally, labs make new assistants go through a semester of grunt work just to test them out.

 

[DrStraggler]

With my lab, I see seniors who are "coordinating" the research assistants, but they're essentially doing the same things as us. And yeah, there's a million and one offices, so i guess that's why we all get one.


& I chose the research team because I was really interested in the topic, and I still am, but I'm just a bit disillusioned by the fact that all of my hard work and time is going towards...essentially nothing.

 

[chiapet874]

With my lab, I see seniors who are "coordinating" the research assistants, but they're essentially doing the same things as us. And yeah, there's a million and one offices, so i guess that's why we all get one.


& I chose the research team because I was really interested in the topic, and I still am, but I'm just a bit disillusioned by the fact that all of my hard work and time is going towards...essentially nothing.

Well, that's the disillusionment that comes with research- most of your time is spent doing protocols over and over again to get scraps of data. The real joy comes in doing something that is your own, be it an experiment or troubleshooting a new protocol.

If your lab has a reputation/habit of not "promoting" students, I would personally recommend finding another lab where the P.I. has an interest in allowing student to not only participate in the actual grunt work, but also is interested in allowing the student to contribute intellectually and develop their own ideas.

 

[13132]

Well, that's the disillusionment that comes with research- most of your time is spent doing protocols over and over again to get scraps of data. The real joy comes in doing something that is your own, be it an experiment or troubleshooting a new protocol.

If your lab has a reputation/habit of not "promoting" students, I would personally recommend finding another lab where the P.I. has an interest in allowing student to not only participate in the actual grunt work, but also is interested in allowing the student to contribute intellectually and develop their own ideas.

Good point. OP I have first hand experience with this. I was stuck in a lab for a semester where I was basically tricked into making the materials for the lab to use and the professor had little intentions of helping (or even letting) me develop an individual process. I quickly switched labs and now I am free to make lots of decisions in my research. Most importantly I have my OWN research.

If you feel like things will not change...search for a more open minded professor.

 

[Frazier]

RESEARCH-wise. I'm part of a lab on campus, and at first it seemed like a great opportunity. You got your own office, and a little placard with Research Assistant on it (Ohhhh the prestige). But I feel like I'm doing absolutely nothing, it's all grunt work!

I spend my days filing results and doing data analysis tables, and then screening patients at the MRI lab. I feel like I'm doing nothing, and I'm definitely not going to get published for this.

Should I stick with this for the next 2+ years or try to find a lab where I can be....more influential?

I'm jealous about the office...

But, find a gig that you can get pubs/posters to your name.