Need URGENT Research Help

[lalex]

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I'm a senior and want to do research this year. But all professors seem to be blowing me off/have enough students. I'm not sure what else to do? Should I call?

I have until Friday to find a lab to add as credit.

 

[HSR]

Well either you
1. Dont call - nothing happens
2. Call - maybe something happens

Your choice.

Sorry, not trying to be an ass, but I don't think anyone here can "help" you get research credits for your schoolwork.

 

[Lawpy]

Need more context. What departments did you focus on when contacting the professors? Did you contact any old professor who taught you for assistance?

 

[Goro]

Try other schools or if, possible, research institutions, Even hospitals have people doing research at times.

I'm a senior and want to do research this year. But all professors seem to be blowing me off/have enough students. I'm not sure what else to do? Should I call?

I have until Friday to find a lab to add as credit.

 

[lalex]

I go to a school with lots of researchers. I'm emailing, but I'm assuming calling is better?

 

[candbgirl]

Yes call but it is kind of late to be doing this for this semester.

 

[Shirafune]

I'd recommend preparing a small packet consisting of your resume, transcript, and short statement of purpose for doing research. Faculty are really busy; sometimes they just don't care enough to sift through emails or don't want to deal with you. If you are really pressed for time, go to around to labs in person and ask to speak to the PI about a potential lab position. Or if he/she is busy or unavailable, ask the lab staff to drop your packet off on the PI's desk.

I would normally just email a bunch of labs, but showing up in person seems to work better if you have the time.

 

[Holmwood]

How long did you say you would commit to the lab?

And if you can't find someone in on department, look for someone in another department. I found a neuroscience lab in the psych department and have never been happier!

 

[lmn]

I found it easiest to get involved with research one of your professors is doing, get a referral by a professor/adviser to other labs that may be looking for students, or get referred by friends in other labs. Personally I don't think calling is that useful, I would rather email them and just ask if you can talk to them about their research.

 

[WingedOx]

if it's coming across as "I need to work in your lab so I have a box to check", you're going to have problems.

 

[Holmwood]

Ideally, you would want to go to their office hours. Email is at times counterproductive as professors are bombarded with emails at times (or if you weren't a former student of theirs, your email could be sent to junk mail).

 

[Petrichor1]

I'm a senior and want to do research this year. But all professors seem to be blowing me off/have enough students. I'm not sure what else to do? Should I call?

I have until Friday to find a lab to add as credit.

1. do you not have an undergrad research database to see what positions might be open?
2. mass email; flood the gates with your request. If a professor doesn't respond, call at last resort. Remember that you must have a meeting setup so that you can discuss your research plan.

3. I don't see this going anywhere for you this semester though. It is far too late in the process and you'll have to be extremely lucky to obtain one. That PIs you contact may be out of town or may not have a schedule that's open for you to come and discuss immediately. I would suggest (in order to look like a time-disciplined candidate) to continue emailing and contacting labs however so that you can secure a position for the spring. Usually this will allow you to discuss about paid service eventually into the summer if you do satisfactory work.

 

[Petrichor1]

Ideally, you would want to go to their office hours. Email is at times counterproductive as professors are bombarded with emails at times (or if you weren't a former student of theirs, your email could be sent to junk mail).

This may be a bit embarrasing to do and you may feel like a sales clerk doing so but if you're really cut for time and this is perhaps your last year and you want to present a poster or whatever, then sure this method may work.

 

[Syns]

Undergraduate research tends to be an investment for laboratories. Senior pre-meds looking for 3-6 months have never been attractive. Good luck but understand this is your dilemma.

 

[Mad Jack]

You could also do research without adding it as a credit, so if you don't make it by Friday, it's fine. It doesn't really matter much from an admissions perspective whether you're a volunteer researcher or doing research for credit- what matters is the experience and the quality of a letter you get out of it, plus a publication, if any happens to come from it, which is unlikely.

 

[lalex]

I am very interested in doing research, I was not motivated to do it in my first three years for various reasons...
I would love to continue into my gap year.

Should I just apply for a Master's? i feel like that would have more opportunities.

 

[deleted702880]

Call or visit in person. Emailing is at best seen as lazy self advocacy and at worst as texting a girl if she would like to go steady with you after seeing her on tinder.

 

[Petrichor1]

I am very interested in doing research, I was not motivated to do it in my first three years for various reasons...
I would love to continue into my gap year.

Should I just apply for a Master's? i feel like that would have more opportunities.

by gap year you mean 1 year. If you plan to pursue master's then, please understand that you may not get any or very little financial aid. Financial aid for these programs often comes for >= 2 years programs. I would have suggested NIH IRTA but that program has such a low acceptance rate that virtually you'd have to have a good amount of research already beforehand.

As far as what I have learned, what I would do differently about my gap year is probably get a clinical job where I relax for a while and then work for 8 hours. Research labs tend to hire for free without any promise of pay or publication. Since you haven't gotten into this nitty gritty world yet, I would say your time is better spent applying to companies for jobs as they don't get back to you immediately. Most of the seniors I know that went this company route were a bit miserable with outcomes of interview and all but overall they eventually had a position on hand and are probably getting paid pretty well. Do what is economically well. You're a senior, once you get out into the real world, there is very little time to waste so choose your decisions economically. You had 4 years to explore and freely pick your fields but by the close of it, don't screw it up and be unemployed or worse yet, doing a research position that doesn't pay and on top of it doesn't reimburse on parking or gas.