Getting Involved In Research
Visit the Undergraduate Research Center to learn about on- and off-campus research opportunities.
James Chitwood, a presenter at the 2006 Undergraduate Research Conference advises students to "Go out and visit laboratories you're interested in and ask as many questions as you can." He adds, "All of the professors I approached were very receptive." Students who have conducted research with faculty members urge classmates to get involved early. "It may sound scary to meet with faculty members," says Catherine Cox, "and a lot of people are worried that they're underqualified and haven't completed enough of their coursework to be of any use in the lab. Faculty members don't expect you to walk into the lab already knowing exactly what you are doing; you will get trained and given papers to read on the subject matter." Students take a variety of approaches to finding a faculty mentor, including reading about research interests on a department Web site or approaching a faculty member whose classes they've taken.
Wayne Croley suggests coming up with research topic possibilities before talking with a faculty
member. "They know what has been researched," he says, "and will be able to assist you if you can relate what you would like to do." Croley began working with his faculty adviser during his third year at UC Davis but says he had enough units to be considered a senior. "The research I conducted significantly improved my ability to do term papers and write research papers," Croley says. "I used to complain about 5-10 page papers, but after doing my research I feel that 5-10 page papers are easy."
Read about undergraduates' experiences researching in the sciences and social sciences.
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