Would a prof laugh if I asked about research in my first semester

[Jfz]

---

Members don't see this ad.

yea, what a keener i am

i don't expect anything special i just want grunt work in a lab doing some kind of research. should i wait until i have grades to show for it?

 

[bubbhasdance]

No, don't wait. I contacted loads of professors the summer before my freshman year started. Just introduce yourself, tell them about your interests in the field they work in, and ask for a meeting (or if you're feeling frisky, ask them in the e-mail). Even if they say no b/c of your inexperience, you've got a contact for a possible research position later on in your college career.

So long story short, just go for it. You've got nothing to lose.

 

[CoolWhipp]

No, they may want to train you because you have the potential to be in lab for a long... long time. Mass email them.

 

[Equality]

I did research starting 1st semester too. It was def easy for me to get into a lab. The only prob was that I didn't know anything! I took AP Bio, but it was not enough for me to understand all the molecular/genetics things I had to grasp in the laboratory.

Make sure you're taking lecture courses early on to supplement what you already know.

 

[Jfz]

I did research starting 1st semester too. It was def easy for me to get into a lab. The only prob was that I didn't know anything! I took AP Bio, but it was not enough for me to understand all the molecular/genetics things I had to grasp in the laboratory.

Make sure you're taking lecture courses early on to supplement what you already know.

Well i'm taking physics/chem/bio but i know almost nothing about working in a lab setting

 

[BlueElmo]

Most profs aren't going to accept first year students. At least, that was the case in my school.

 

[heinzmoleman]

ya i was in the same boat, I took a shot at it but to no avail. most professors in my school want students that have taken and gotten good grades in upper level science courses.

 

[Red Leader]

Just go try it can't hurt you.

I went during my second week of college to ask a prof for a position and given my science pursuits in high school he took me on as an observer. No projects or anything immediately. After noting my awesomeness, dedication and genius I was brought on a project and subsequently given an independent project.

Just go try and ask around. Do not let people on the internet prevent you from doing things they did not do that you have a real chance of succeeding in.

 

[Equality]

I did research starting 1st semester too. It was def easy for me to get into a lab.

I should add that perhaps it was easy for me to get a position because I had done research in high school and had some results to show based the same model organism.

 

[JJMrK]

It's definitely worth a shot, but don't be too disappointed if you can't find anything right away.

 

[shiftingmirage]

Might as well try if it's what you want. Most the people that did research at my UG had the prof for a class and showed they were competent in the class. On the flip, you could find out you don't like the prof. I had a prof ask me to join his lab, and I didn't want to work with him so I said I had a lot on my plate. ~ year later, joined a lab, and accomplished much more in that lab than I would have in the first, even with the extra year.

 

[brooklynblunder]

worth a shot, although i personally think most full-time students hold the lab back a little bit for the , freshmen or senior. thats not your concern though, someone will take you if you try hard enough

you might not enjoy it but you will need to take that into account one day

 

[Dr McSexy]

I did research starting 1st semester too. It was def easy for me to get into a lab. The only prob was that I didn't know anything! I took AP Bio, but it was not enough for me to understand all the molecular/genetics things I had to grasp in the laboratory.

Make sure you're taking lecture courses early on to supplement what you already know.

I would say that even having some of the courses pertaining to the research in the lab wouldn't help *that much*. Your most likely going to be doing research on a topic that's more advanced or at least more in-depth than what you would cover in an intro or undergrad course.

I would venture to say that if you apply yourself within the lab setting, i.e. reading past publications from your lab and publications that relate to your lab, that you'll have a better understanding of what's going in the lab than if you took a course. So, I say the earlier you start the better.

I work in a immunology lab and I wouldn't have been able to take a course in immunology until my senior year. I would say that working in my lab has made the immunology course this year easier.

 

[schrizto]

I tried it, and got some interest only because I sent them a CV with the college-level (not AP) science courses I took in high school. Otherwise I don't think they would've taken a look at me. You are in the first semester of what year?

 

[Tots]

I started my research first year. Its always worth trying. They basically told me "We don't usually take freshman but you can send your resume and we will hold it for next year" but after I sent my resume they emailed me back saying they had a job for me. I started off with a lot of data entry but within 1 quarter I moved on to all kinds of fun stuff. Try! 👍

 

[Jfz]

it sounds like you guys sent out like mass emails to people at your university

where did you find out about research going on/people involved

i could ask my profs, but i only have 4 and am unsure if they are doing any research

 

[schrizto]

it sounds like you guys sent out like mass emails to people at your university

where did you find out about research going on/people involved

i could ask my profs, but i only have 4 and am unsure if they are doing any research

uhh I wouldn't recommend sending out mass emails to random professors. they will take you seriously if you have good background knowledge of their research. use some information you've learned already in classes and then look up some papers pertaining to the subject, and read about it. actually grasping the concepts behind the papers is the hardest part of this. when you feel confident enough, email some researchers doing work in the field at your university (personal faculty web pages give lots of info) and introduce yourself.

i'm also pretty sure most science professors at major institutions have research of their own (those who teach and don't do research aren't usually called professors, but lecturers), and when they teach classes they may also integrate some of their research into their lectures, which may be a start if you end up on good terms with the professor.

 

[CoolWhipp]

uhh I wouldn't recommend sending out mass emails to random professors. they will take you seriously if you have good background knowledge of their research. use some information you've learned already in classes and then look up some papers pertaining to the subject, and read about it. actually grasping the concepts behind the papers is the hardest part of this. when you feel confident enough, email some researchers doing work in the field at your university (personal faculty web pages give lots of info) and introduce yourself.

i'm also pretty sure most science professors at major institutions have research of their own (those who teach and don't do research aren't usually called professors, but lecturers), and when they teach classes they may also integrate some of their research into their lectures, which may be a start if you end up on good terms with the professor.

This is really unnecessary. Are you suggesting that the OP should read different PI papers all day every day just to find some labs to APPLY to? This is a really sh*tty way of going about finding a research position. I go to a research university where its hard enough to get a lab position when you are mass emailing. And yes, I call my lecturers professors. And yes, that is normal.

OP, I recommend talking to your professors but also mass emailing. Then from the ones that reply back to you (don't be dishearted if most don't reply) read up on their research and papers. If you really want to be selective, pay attention to the journals they are getting published in (impact factor) and take that under consideration. You will save a lot of time doing it this way, and most students I know do this. There are also on campus programs that may be available on your campus to find a lab position for you. I don't like these because I want/like to talk to the PI directly.

Good luck.

 

[BlueElmo]

I had to mass email to get a lab position. My school is so large, so many udnergrads, and few labs, so mass emailing was necessary to secure a position. Nothing wrong with it.

 

[Jfz]

uhh I wouldn't recommend sending out mass emails to random professors. they will take you seriously if you have good background knowledge of their research. use some information you've learned already in classes and then look up some papers pertaining to the subject, and read about it. actually grasping the concepts behind the papers is the hardest part of this. when you feel confident enough, email some researchers doing work in the field at your university (personal faculty web pages give lots of info) and introduce yourself.

i'm also pretty sure most science professors at major institutions have research of their own (those who teach and don't do research aren't usually called professors, but lecturers), and when they teach classes they may also integrate some of their research into their lectures, which may be a start if you end up on good terms with the professor.

I see. I wasn't making the distinction between lecturer and professor. All of my syllabus's (syllabi?) just say Instructor: Dr. __

looking at faculty web pages, my chem prof (actually not a prof, website says Instructor and she only has a masters) either has not had any publications since 03 or their web page hasn't been updated since 03. So I'm not sure whether I should email. bio instructor has no personal web page. lastly i'm not really interested in physics research.

>_<

 

[CoolWhipp]

Your campus should have a department website that lists everyone under that department. Take for example the Yale Stem Cell Center:

http://stemcell.yale.edu/faculty/listing.html

 

[Jfz]

Your campus should have a department website that lists everyone under that department. Take for example the Yale Stem Cell Center:

http://stemcell.yale.edu/faculty/listing.html

http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/science/departments/bio_sciences/people/deptmembers.html

problem is that my prof ISNT one of the ones with a link to their webpage

but- if you go to Faculty by Research Area there a list of researchers

i dont know any of them- i dont even have grades yet. is it pointless to email all those guys

 

[CoolWhipp]

You don't need to apply to only your prof. Apply to ANY PROF. Email those post-docs too, they get paid 35k-40k a year and there in the lab 50+ hours a week. They want you. They absolutely want you.

 

[Jfz]

You don't need to apply to only your prof. Apply to ANY PROF. Email those post-docs too, they get paid 35k-40k a year and there in the lab 50+ hours a week. They want you. They absolutely want you.

There's actually only one post-doc on that list, but hes not on the list of researchers

 

[MBA]

I did research my first semester- definitely go for it. You'll be loosing only if you decide not to do it.

 

[schrizto]

looking at faculty web pages, my chem prof (actually not a prof, website says Instructor and she only has a masters) either has not had any publications since 03 or their web page hasn't been updated since 03. So I'm not sure whether I should email. bio instructor has no personal web page. lastly i'm not really interested in physics research.

>_<

Don't go by the publications lists on faculty web pages, they are only as current as when the professor remembers to update them. Use Pubmed, it will give you a researcher's latest pubs.

 

[CoolWhipp]

There's actually only one post-doc on that list, but hes not on the list of researchers

Are you not getting the point? Do you know what post-docs do? They do research, if you find post-docs email them as well. Who cares if they are or are not on the "list of researchers." It's an arbitrary list put into place by someone who doesn't know anymore about research than you do. Go to these websites, mass email, get a position. It's that easy.

 

[Jfz]

Don't go by the publications lists on faculty web pages, they are only as current as when the professor remembers to update them. Use Pubmed, it will give you a researcher's latest pubs.

lol, i got even less results for that, none more current

 

[schrizto]

Eh, I see that some people have criticized my approach. I hadn't even started college when I contacted labs, so I felt the need to have some specialized knowledge before I emailed professors, otherwise I would have looked foolish. Yes, it was more time consuming than mass emailing. When I met up with people in the labs, they specifically asked me in interviews "Why us? Why do you have an interest in our lab?" so I was prepared with good reasons. If you can already converse with them on their research at a very basic level it is always a plus.

 

[swingline]

Research can be very time consuming, especially when you first start. I think it is best to get used to the college learning environment and really excel in your classes during your first year. I would suggest starting, at the earliest, the summer after your freshmen year. This way, you can really focus on learning the new lab techniques without having to worry about classes. Best of luck!

 

[CoolWhipp]

Eh, I see that some people have criticized my approach. I hadn't even started college when I contacted labs, so I felt the need to have some specialized knowledge before I emailed professors, otherwise I would have looked foolish. Yes, it was more time consuming than mass emailing. When I met up with people in the labs, they specifically asked me in interviews "Why us? Why do you have an interest in our lab?" so I was prepared with good reasons.

Just like when people are filling secondaries, you get ready for them when you get them. I'm not going to prepare specific "Why us?" intent writings for institutions that may not even give me a second look (secondary). The key is being efficient with your efforts.

 

[schrizto]

Are you not getting the point? Do you know what post-docs do? They do research, if you find post-docs email them as well. Who cares if they are or are not on the "list of researchers." It's an arbitrary list put into place by someone who doesn't know anymore about research than you do. Go to these websites, mass email, get a position. It's that easy.

Yeah, don't underestimate post-docs. I have been told, "The PI's job is to write grants and go to conferences, not do the experiments". That's mostly done by post-docs.

 

[Jfz]

once again there's only 1 post doc in the entire department and i know nothing about him or his work

 

[schrizto]

Just like when people are filling secondaries, you get ready for them when you get them. I'm not going to prepare specific "Why us?" intent writings for institutions that may not even give me a second look (secondary). The key is being efficient with your efforts.

I'm just suggesting a way that one could start off on a good note. For example, I have in the past contacted two labs, one of which I thought the name just sounded cool (a cardiology lab), so I emailed them, while the other I happened to know some background info about their research. I believe I was treated differently by the labs based on what I already knew. I talked with the lab manager of the cardiology lab, who explained to me that they had been looking for someone to clean glassware and equipment and fetch samples, and how nice it was that I had come along interested in research. The other lab said that they would start me on teaching me techniques in the lab and treated me more like I was "special" because I knew a little bit about their research. So I think in the end it made a difference.

Of course I am not saying that mass email doesn't work. I am sure many publications and collaborations blossomed from a student mass-emailing. I'm just sharing my own experience of what I did.