Some questions on volunteering in a research lab?

[Neuronette]

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Currently an ugrad--I'd like to gain some research exp this fall.
I have a few years of neuro research exp from hs so I'm thinking of emailing neuro lab PI's for possible positions *fingers crossed*
1. Would it be a bad idea to email a few labs at once? (Not sure what I should do if two labs offer a volunteering position)
2. How many days/hours per week of research is ideal during the school year? What do students who have class M-Fri do to coordinate their schedules?
Thanks.

 

[BadgerBadger]

1.) Nope, it's perfectly okay to email multiple labs at one time. If you only inquire about labs one by one, you probably won't have a position for next year, as most PI's are slow at getting back to potential volunteers.

2.) It's really up to you, and how many hours the PI/postdoc/grad student needs you there. To coordinate schedules, you can give your class schedule to the person you're working with, and schedule lab time around your classes. Or you can come in on the weekend as another possibility.