Research in undergrad?

[killyourdarlings]

Hello. First of all, I apologize for posting in this forum even though it explicitly states "For discussion of psychology doctoral degree issues.". My reason for doing so is because I expect that you all will be able to give me a more realistic and detailed answer from your well informed perspective(s) than others will. If this thread must be removed or deleted then that's fine.

Anyways, I will be starting my undergraduate degree next year and I wanted to know if it's realistically possible for me to volunteer in a research lab during? I expect to be doing extremely simple tasks, but I would still like to get my feet wet. I just have no idea how to get my foot in the door and was hoping that some of you would be able to lend me some advice. I don't know if I should email graduate students or professors, apply to job postings, etc.

From the research I've done, and reading up on Mitch Prinstein's guide on getting into graduate school for psychology, research matters a whole lot, so I was hoping that I can start as early as possible. Beyond that, it seems really, really cool and interesting.

Thanks in advance.

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[Justanothergrad]

I'm sure you could, but I would encourage you to get involved the first year with Psi chi. Focus on learning what research opportunities there are and what types of duties they come with (and transitioning to college). Gear up and look for a lab during the middle/end of spring for the fall (or summer if you are around / the professor is). I'm sure others will advise first year involvement, but get to know what you like is my advice. A lot of opportunities will vary by school and time is the best way to figure it out.

When it comes time and you know the lab options, email and ask if you can volunteer / join lab to get undergrad exposure. I love seeing students who initiate, so bravo already.

Also, Wise move planning early! That's the type of approach that pays off in graduate application.

 

[killyourdarlings]

I'm sure you could, but I would encourage you to get involved the first year with Psi chi. Focus on learning what research opportunities there are and what types of duties they come with (and transitioning to college). Gear up and look for a lab during the middle/end of spring for the fall (or summer if you are around / the professor is). I'm sure others will advise first year involvement, but get to know what you like is my advice. A lot of opportunities will vary by school and time is the best way to figure it out.

When it comes time and you know the lab options, email and ask if you can volunteer / join lab to get undergrad exposure. I love seeing students who initiate, so bravo already.

Also, Wise move planning early! That's the type of approach that pays off in graduate application.

Hi, thank you for responding. I was actually oblivious to the existence of "Psi Chi" until reading this, but after a quick google search I discovered that this is not offered at the university I'll be attending. I guess I should of added that I'm Canadian. With that being said, there is not one club centred around Psychology at the school I'm going to next year, so my only option would be to start a club myself.

And, I am actually really concerned with the transition from hs to university and trying to adjust! I just wanted to make sure that I would be hitting the ground running. I haven't done any extensive research to figure out exactly what volunteers do, so I'll definitely look into that.

I've gone through the research labs posted on my school's website and was especially interested in one centred around gender and sexuality. I was thinking of politely emailing the professor running the lab and asking her if I could sit in on her lab and kind of get a feel for the environment. Is this what you mean by getting exposure? Or do you actually mean being apart of the team?

Thank you once again!

 

[MCParent]

Did you take AP psych?
It is a little unusual to have someone super interested in a lab before they even start taking psych classes. But you just graduated HS and have already read a book on internship (meaning you are probably more informed about the profession than half the seniors--good work), so I'm guessing you've read stuff on your own already.
You can just ask to be part of the lab and express your interest in the profs work. I far prefer getting people early in their undergrads as RAs bc I can work with them longer. Never had anyone that early tho.

 

[barryggg]

Hi, thank you for responding. I was actually oblivious to the existence of "Psi Chi" until reading this, but after a quick google search I discovered that this is not offered at the university I'll be attending. I guess I should of added that I'm Canadian. With that being said, there is not one club centred around Psychology at the school I'm going to next year, so my only option would be to start a club myself.

And, I am actually really concerned with the transition from hs to university and trying to adjust! I just wanted to make sure that I would be hitting the ground running. I haven't done any extensive research to figure out exactly what volunteers do, so I'll definitely look into that.

I've gone through the research labs posted on my school's website and was especially interested in one centred around gender and sexuality. I was thinking of politely emailing the professor running the lab and asking her if I could sit in on her lab and kind of get a feel for the environment. Is this what you mean by getting exposure? Or do you actually mean being apart of the team?

Thank you once again!

Hello fellow Canadian,

It is great that you are interested in research so early on.

Volunteers can be assigned a wide range of work. During my undergrad I was offered in one lab a more admin job that would hopefully turn into actively doing research, and at another lab I was able to do actual bench work and help a Phd student with her particular research. Really depends on lab. Don't be afraid to say no to some opportunities if it would stretch you thin or not be in line with your overall goals.

I find that most profs really want students that are passionate about the research they are doing, so if you send them a generic message, you might not get far with that.

My suggestion would be to use the first year to get awesome grades, take courses if possible with profs that run labs at your school, and use the class times/office hours to build a relationship with them so when you're about to apply to a lab..they know you're smart and they know who you are. Much more likely you'll get in.

 

[killyourdarlings]

Did you take AP psych?
It is a little unusual to have someone super interested in a lab before they even start taking psych classes. But you just graduated HS and have already read a book on internship (meaning you are probably more informed about the profession than half the seniors--good work), so I'm guessing you've read stuff on your own already.
You can just ask to be part of the lab and express your interest in the profs work. I far prefer getting people early in their undergrads as RAs bc I can work with them longer. Never had anyone that early tho.

Hey! No, we do not have any AP courses in Canada. However, I did a co-operative education program that allowed me to take a Social Psychology course at my local university. The professor was awesome and would tell me about her research before and after class and it got me really interested! The thing is, I got an 84. This would translate to a 3.3-3.5 at the university I'll be going to next year and I've been told competitive grades are in the A- range?

And alright, thanks. I'll try to express my interest to the professor I'm interested in working with, although I don't actually mind if I don't do anything. I just want to see it first hand to get a better understanding! If you've never had anyone that early I'm going assume it's uncommon, so I won't get my hopes up.

Thank you.

 

[killyourdarlings]

Hello fellow Canadian,

It is great that you are interested in research so early on.

Volunteers can be assigned a wide range of work. During my undergrad I was offered in one lab a more admin job that would hopefully turn into actively doing research, and at another lab I was able to do actual bench work and help a Phd student with her particular research. Really depends on lab. Don't be afraid to say no to some opportunities if it would stretch you thin or not be in line with your overall goals.

I find that most profs really want students that are passionate about the research they are doing, so if you send them a generic message, you might not get far with that.

My suggestion would be to use the first year to get awesome grades, take courses if possible with profs that run labs at your school, and use the class times/office hours to build a relationship with them so when you're about to apply to a lab..they know you're smart and they know who you are. Much more likely you'll get in.

Hi. That's great, what school did/do you go to? I'll be going Queen's next year, so if you know anything about their Psych department let me know!

The professor I want to work with is running a lab that seeks to understand the connection of sexuality and gender with health, and these two things mean a lot to me so I was hoping to tell her that and see if she'd be willing to let me assist. Would that still be too generic since there's likely lots of other gay people at my school? (haha..)

And, if you don't mind me asking another question! Are 'awesome' grades necessary to do research in upper years? Because if so then I would probably hold off on research first semester and put all my effort into getting a high mark in psych, bio, etc.

 

[barryggg]

Hi. That's great, what school did/do you go to? I'll be going Queen's next year, so if you know anything about their Psych department let me know!

The professor I want to work with is running a lab that seeks to understand the connection of sexuality and gender with health, and these two things mean a lot to me so I was hoping to tell her that and see if she'd be willing to let me assist. Would that still be too generic since there's likely lots of other gay people at my school? (haha..)

And, if you don't mind me asking another question! Are 'awesome' grades necessary to do research in upper years? Because if so then I would probably hold off on research first semester and put all my effort into getting a high mark in psych, bio, etc.

Many labs care about marks (and sometimes have a minimum) even if you are volunteering.

At my University (also in Ontario), if you were in the Bsc Psychology program you would automatically get to do a thesis in your final year. If you were in the B.A Psychology, you had to get a high B+/A- to get to do one.

If you want to do your graduate work in Canada, grades are much more vital than down south. It's very rare to get in with less than 3.6/3.7/4.0. An official thesis is also pretty important, though some schools will consider volunteer experience.

 

[MCParent]

Hey! No, we do not have any AP courses in Canada. However, I did a co-operative education program that allowed me to take a Social Psychology course at my local university. The professor was awesome and would tell me about her research before and after class and it got me really interested! The thing is, I got an 84. This would translate to a 3.3-3.5 at the university I'll be going to next year and I've been told competitive grades are in the A- range?

And alright, thanks. I'll try to express my interest to the professor I'm interested in working with, although I don't actually mind if I don't do anything. I just want to see it first hand to get a better understanding! If you've never had anyone that early I'm going assume it's uncommon, so I won't get my hopes up.

Thank you.

I did AP psych in Canada in high school! We don't do it nearly so commonly as many US schools tho, sure.
Eh, you sound really driven, I'd just ask if I were you. Worst is professor says to get a semester of grades. I don't see any way that your interest would be taken as a negative, only that some people might like some more courses done first.
Professor publishes often and/or has sshrc or cihr funding?

 

[killyourdarlings]

Many labs care about marks (and sometimes have a minimum) even if you are volunteering.

At my University (also in Ontario), if you were in the Bsc Psychology program you would automatically get to do a thesis in your final year. If you were in the B.A Psychology, you had to get a high B+/A- to get to do one.

If you want to do your graduate work in Canada, grades are much more vital than down south. It's very rare to get in with less than 3.6/3.7/4.0. An official thesis is also pretty important, though some schools will consider volunteer experience.

Thank you so much for telling me all of this! I definitely want to stay in Canada (if I do end up going to grad school).

My school gives us the option in fourth year to do an honours thesis or directed special reading. It says we need a 3.3 GPA (I'm going to assume the cutoff is actually higher), a proposal, and permission from the department. But that's 3 years away from now so I'll just focus on getting good grades!
In the case that I don't do an honours thesis, does that significantly lessen my chances? I'm not going to Western now because it is a requirement to graduate from their honours program, so I wouldn't actually have to compete for it.

And I figured the necessary GPA would be high, but not that high. Thank you for the heads up! Is it safe to assume admission going to become even more competitive by the time I graduate? Because when my mom went to graduate school ~7 years ago her GPA was below 3.5...

 

[killyourdarlings]

I did AP psych in Canada in high school! We don't do it nearly so commonly as many US schools tho, sure.
Eh, you sound really driven, I'd just ask if I were you. Worst is professor says to get a semester of grades. I don't see any way that your interest would be taken as a negative, only that some people might like some more courses done first.
Professor publishes often and/or has sshrc or cihr funding?

Hi! I had no clue we could take AP courses here in Canada. I've never heard of anyone taking one in the city that I live in (in Ontario). That's pretty cool.

And alright! I'm kind of going into it expecting a no. However, they are looking for people to do tests/interviews on that are 18 and I will be 18 when school starts, so I'll try to get involved in that at least.

From my quick google search of her she does not publish quite often. I did find one of her publications, which (I believe) is her thesis from when she was a doctoral student. To be fair, if somebody asked me to knowledgeably explain to them what a publication is I would not be able to. Edit: I've found 4 other publications by her when I dug a bit deeper.

Thank you for your help!

 

[singasongofjoy]

If you haven't been introduced to the joys of Google Scholar (scholar.google.com), that's a great place to try to dig up additional publications (this is helpful if you do not have easy access to large academic databases; the high schools I am familiar with do not).

It never hurts to express interest. I don't know what just "sitting in" on a lab would even look like - profs will probably want you to actually be in a position to actually participate. You don't want to be just sitting and watching someone doing data entry, lol.

Many programs offer some sort of academic credit for working in a research lab (some sort of research credit that's graded on a pass/fail at my grad school institution). You can look at see if your university offers the same. I wish that at your age I'd had the kind of foresight to be thinking of such things; I got little research experience in undergrad. Just don't forget to also do normal college student things too

 

[killyourdarlings]

If you haven't been introduced to the joys of Google Scholar (scholar.google.com), that's a great place to try to dig up additional publications (this is helpful if you do not have easy access to large academic databases; the high schools I am familiar with do not).

It never hurts to express interest. I don't know what just "sitting in" on a lab would even look like - profs will probably want you to actually be in a position to actually participate. You don't want to be just sitting and watching someone doing data entry, lol.

Many programs offer some sort of academic credit for working in a research lab (some sort of research credit that's graded on a pass/fail at my grad school institution). You can look at see if your university offers the same. I wish that at your age I'd had the kind of foresight to be thinking of such things; I got little research experience in undergrad. Just don't forget to also do normal college student things too

Sorry for the late reply. The only database I have access to is my school's online library so I'll definitely look through Google Scholar, thanks. And, I now see how just sitting in would be kind of weird. I'm just not entirely sure what to expect so I wanted observe for a bit, but participating is still the end goal.

I'm not sure if my school offers this so I'll have to look into it, but thanks for letting me about the possibility. I have no idea how a pass/fail works on my transcript/GPA so I'll have to google that part though.

I swear I'll do normal college things; drinking, partying, pubs - all that fun stuff. My mom is giving away an arm and a leg to pay for my education so I just want to make sure her money isn't going to waste!

Thanks for the help!

 

[singasongofjoy]

FYI typically pass/fail classes are recorded on your transcript but they do not factor into your GPA.

 

[killyourdarlings]

FYI typically pass/fail classes are recorded on your transcript but they do not factor into your GPA.

Okay then that would be great. I found out that my school does offer something pretty similar to this, but you can't do it until 3rd or 4th year so I'm going to have to wait a while.