Research? Please help

[NCOldie]

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I really don't understand how to get involved in research. The only thing people have told me is to start just cold-emailing people. Given where I live, it will definitely NOT be hard to find certain clinical trials and research projects, but how do I get involved? I am currently attending the local community college and am going to transfer once I get more credit hours. What do I do to get involved in research?
There has to be a site that I can do a search for people willing to let inexperienced students such as myself join in on their research, right?
If the ONLY way is to just start e-mailing/calling people, what do I say?
Why should they let me be involved in their research when I have NEVER been involved in ANYTHING like that?
I am so confused...lol.
And, what exactly would I be doing, anyway? How involved in the research would I be??
Thank you! 🙂

 

[blife]

You can approach one of your professors and ask if they'd be willing to let you help in their lab. Especially once you transfer to a larger school, they should be used to students working in the lab.

You could also contact the pre-med office at the school you're transferring to, tell them you'll be a student there soon and you want to start working on getting into a lab. They should have a list of professors who have students in the lab.

If you're not working and are willing to take a summer off from class, you could apply to an undergraduate summer research program, which will put you in a lab for the summer.

 

[vc7777]

There's a plethora of threads on the Pre-Allo forum re:What Research Should I Do? - as well as threads on the merits of research for the typical applicant.

Also, either through your current college or transfer institution, there is likely a program, or office that is a clearinghouse of undergraduate research opportunities. It may be most productive to contact these people, or even other undergraduate students to get "the skinny" on such programs.