Undergrad Research

[dentalmagnet]

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I have to do undergraduate research anyways because I'm in an honors program and the thesis requires research. So of course I'm going to choose a chemistry professor and it has to be this Spring that I start it because then it will go on my application for DS. My question is, how time consuming was your research experience? When I ask people/advisors this question, the only response I get is..."it varies depending on the project and professor." I understand that it varies, so I want to get a feel for how much time you all put in per semester. Like hours/week in Spring etc. I wanted to make this Spring an easy semester (Bio II, upper level CHM, and various 3,000+ level classes) to study for the DAT. But I'm scared if I add undergraduate research, I won't have as much free time as I need to study for the DAT (taking it in May 2009).

 

[DRHOYA]

I have to do undergraduate research anyways because I'm in an honors program and the thesis requires research. So of course I'm going to choose a chemistry professor and it has to be this Spring that I start it because then it will go on my application for DS. My question is, how time consuming was your research experience? When I ask people/advisors this question, the only response I get is..."it varies depending on the project and professor." I understand that it varies, so I want to get a feel for how much time you all put in per semester. Like hours/week in Spring etc. I wanted to make this Spring an easy semester (Bio II, upper level CHM, and various 3,000+ level classes) to study for the DAT. But I'm scared if I add undergraduate research, I won't have as much free time as I need to study for the DAT (taking it in May 2009).

This was my research experience....might be a little more in depth than most people though. I took a senior level Neuro course as a Junior......did well, then asked the professor if I could work with him in his lab for the spring, when he did his research. That spring, I did research for 1 academic credit, and I was in the lab once a week for about 4hrs (like a typical lab course). Then, since I did well, I decided to stay the summer on campus and work (for pay) to continue the research.......that was Monday-Friday 9am-3pm from June until classes resumed in late August. Then during senior year for the fall, I didn't have "time" to do it for academic credit, but would stop in during free time to work on it. Spring senior year (this past spring)...I did it for 3 academic credits.....so I was in the lab working about 3hrs a day M, W, and F. After all this, we presented a poster at "academic week" at my school...........gave a 45min seminar infront of the entire school of science........and published our primary paper in a mainstream Neuro journal. It was an awesome experience.

 

[BalooTheBear]

I did neuroimmunology research during undergrad.
Roughly 6 hours a week (not during testing)
About 10-12 hours a week (when running tests)
What i'm trying to say is...its not bad at all

I think you should schedule your DAT for mid-June and you'll be set. Give yourself plenty of time to lock down on some practice tests after you recover from finals. you'll still be able to complete your apps by end of june. As long as apps are done by late-July (at the latest!!), youre still golden...

Do the research...every interview (3 so sar) i've had, we've spent over 50% of the time discussing research

 

[DrReo]

I have to do undergraduate research anyways because I'm in an honors program and the thesis requires research. So of course I'm going to choose a chemistry professor and it has to be this Spring that I start it because then it will go on my application for DS. My question is, how time consuming was your research experience? When I ask people/advisors this question, the only response I get is..."it varies depending on the project and professor." I understand that it varies, so I want to get a feel for how much time you all put in per semester. Like hours/week in Spring etc. I wanted to make this Spring an easy semester (Bio II, upper level CHM, and various 3,000+ level classes) to study for the DAT. But I'm scared if I add undergraduate research, I won't have as much free time as I need to study for the DAT (taking it in May 2009).

My research experiences have varied drastically. I have complete two summer interns in surface chemistry. During the acamdemic year, I worked in a molecular biology lab, which was exciting and less time intensive than the organic synthesis lab I worked in for a year.

Chemistry research varies a lot. If you're interested in organic synthesis, it takes along time to complete a reaction. We all know that reactions are not (usually completed in one step, and I would have to return at random hours to add reactants,work things up, etc.

 

[LuckyMiner]

 

[DrReo]

Undergrad research was about 10 hrs/week during the semester or 20/wk during the summer for 3 hours credit. The hours were flexible though, and I had a key so sometimes I'd go do work midnight-4 am just so I could get things done uninterrupted. The funny thing is I'd see students wandering the building studying or doing research all night long. The grad students looked like zombies roaming the halls.

Grad research is like a 40 hour a week job with random breaks during the day to go to my lecture and lab classes or run errands. It's craziness.

At a lower tier school, possibly. This all depends where you go. Grad students in my lab were required to work 55 hrs/wk. One of them had a friend who was a post doc at MIT, which was 6 days at about 12hrs every week. All depends who your PI is and what research.

 

[LuckyMiner]

At a lower tier school, possibly. This all depends where you go. Grad students in my lab were required to work 55 hrs/wk. One of them had a friend who was a post doc at MIT, which was 6 days at about 12hrs every week. All depends who your PI is and what research.

 

[DrReo]

At a lower tier school, possibly. This all depends where you go. Grad students in my lab were required to work 55 hrs/wk. One of them had a friend who was a post doc at MIT, which was 6 days at about 12hrs every week. All depends who your PI is and what research.

That's why I added inserted that, as a disclaimer. What school, may I ask? And what do they recruit for? ME, chem,etc?

 

[dentalmagnet]

Thank you guys for the stories about your undergraduate research. The more I hear you all talk about them, the more I think I would rather do something more Biology related and perhaps not organic like I initially wanted. I have already contacted three different professors and can't seem to get anyone to let me in their lab! lol I have a really good GPA and all A's in the sciences..but I think they can tell that I might not be in it for the 20/wk deal. I need to suck it up and make the commitment!

Thank you again guys!! You all are so helpful!

 

[LuckyMiner]

 

[DrReo]

Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology. It's a small engineering and science school. ME, ChE, nuke, EE, materials, mining, chem, bio, and lots of other nerdy stuff. There are a few token liberal arts students.

Sorry if I was snippy--I didn't know if you were trying to be condescending or not.

Oh no, I've meet grad students who work from 30ish hours to 65+ hours...

 

[DRHOYA]

Thank you guys for the stories about your undergraduate research. The more I hear you all talk about them, the more I think I would rather do something more Biology related and perhaps not organic like I initially wanted. I have already contacted three different professors and can't seem to get anyone to let me in their lab! lol I have a really good GPA and all A's in the sciences..but I think they can tell that I might not be in it for the 20/wk deal. I need to suck it up and make the commitment!

Thank you again guys!! You all are so helpful!

Yeah I also worked as a lab tech at a major (global) organic synthesis firm. It was not nearly as fun or interesting as Bio. DrReo is right, the reactions take a long time (days sometimes), plus everything was on a larger scale than in o-chem class lol. I never knew 100liter reactors existed........and the setups sometimes took a few hours because of the insane equipment and precautions needed. Not my cup of tea. Do research in what interests you, otherwise it will be tedious hours.

 

[grayzkule]

When I entered the University of Minnesota for my undergrad, I got a student job at a laboratory working essentially as a part time job. I did technically do research there so I put it on my application, but it took me as much time as any part time job over the years. I didn't do any senior research project or anything like that.

 

[Sublimation]

Yeah I also worked as a lab tech at a major (global) organic synthesis firm. It was not nearly as fun or interesting as Bio. DrReo is right, the reactions take a long time (days sometimes), plus everything was on a larger scale than in o-chem class lol. I never knew 100liter reactors existed........and the setups sometimes took a few hours because of the insane equipment and precautions needed. Not my cup of tea. Do research in what interests you, otherwise it will be tedious hours.

Absolutely right. Do reasearch with wat interests you. Go around and ask ur professors what they are doing in their labs and find what best interests u. My organic I professor did his post doc with a nobel prize winner, so when he asked me to do research for him in his lab(cuz i had perfect score in his class). lol he actually tried to convince me that dentistry was boring and that i should do something exciting like chemistry lol. Well i took up the offer but he was brutal man. 25+ hours a week!!!!!!! i did it for one week and switched out to another professors lab. I went through 4 different labs till i stumbled on what i wanted to do. I really enjoyed sol-gel technology and gas chromatography, interesting stuff, crazy dude, indian guy with a russian accent. Like Dr.Reo said some reactions take days, if ur not patient and willing to wait, ur not gonna like it. I tried to get research with a microbio professor, but she was a real B****. She was working with teeth! i wanted to do it so bad, but she was like u have to speak vietnamese to be in my lab, i was like wtf? Gluck though.

 

[DrReo]

Absolutely right. Do reasearch with wat interests you. Go around and ask ur professors what they are doing in their labs and find what best interests u. My organic I professor did his post doc with a nobel prize winner, so when he asked me to do research for him in his lab(cuz i had perfect score in his class). lol he actually tried to convince me that dentistry was boring and that i should do something exciting like chemistry lol. Well i took up the offer but he was brutal man. 25+ hours a week!!!!!!! i did it for one week and switched out to another professors lab. I went through 4 different labs till i stumbled on what i wanted to do. I really enjoyed sol-gel technology and gas chromatography, interesting stuff, crazy dude, indian guy with a russian accent. Like Dr.Reo said some reactions take days, if ur not patient and willing to wait, ur not gonna like it. I tried to get research with a microbio professor, but she was a real B****. She was working with teeth! i wanted to do it so bad, but she was like u have to speak vietnamese to be in my lab, i was like wtf? Gluck though.

Who did your professor work under? What's his name and does he have a lot of publications out?

What I have observed, the professors who are not tenured yet, usually work significantly harder (usually) than the tenured professors, to publish. But having worked under a noble prize winner equals.... A LOT of work
I wonder how many hours the professor works a week... probably outragous.

 

[Sublimation]

Who did your professor work under? What's his name and does he have a lot of publications out?

What I have observed, the professors who are not tenured yet, usually work significantly harder (usually) than the tenured professors, to publish. But having worked under a noble prize winner equals.... A LOT of work
I wonder how many hours the professor works a week... probably outragous.

Lol, im not sure. I tried to talk to him about it once but he wouldnt discuss it with me. He was trying ot be humble i guess. But the TA i did work for told me that. He is always in the lab. He has a sleeping bag in his office lol, so im guessing he busts his ass.

 

[Sublimation]

Who did your professor work under? What's his name and does he have a lot of publications out?

What I have observed, the professors who are not tenured yet, usually work significantly harder (usually) than the tenured professors, to publish. But having worked under a noble prize winner equals.... A LOT of work
I wonder how many hours the professor works a week... probably outragous.

He did it with Karl Barry Sharpless. Ima get me a LOR from him next year, so i gotta see him from time to time.

 

[DrReo]

He did it with Karl Barry Sharpless. Ima get me a LOR from him next year, so i gotta see him from time to time.

He's amazing...At Scripps now Has 8 PhD research associates....

That letter would get you into scripps, easy