<p>Ok, I have 2 very different questions to ask, but since I dont want to spam threads I'm just going to put them together here.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How are people already able to create their schedule for next year? Im going to be part of the Class of 2014 as part of the College of Engineering and, frankly, I have no idea what my schedule is going to look like. I thought that we were supposed to wait until Cornell sent us a packet with all of the scheduling information, but I havent received mines yet. Should I be worried that I havent gotten it yet, or did the people on CC who are posting hypothetical schedules just get their packet early?</p></li>
<li><p>(This is a question directed at either current or past Cornell students:)
I am a really passionate individual and I want to take advantage of Cornell's vast resources from the get-go by getting involved in research as soon as possible. From what I've read, it is possible to get involved in research as a freshman, but is this common? Furthermore, how would I go about doing this? The Undergrad Research Website says that I should look around on the website and find a project which I like, and then contact the professor that is conducting the research. When would a good time be to do this? Also, a lot of the projects seem really advanced (Im interested in Computer Architecture) and since I do not have previous experience in working with Computer Architectures, is it still possible for me to get involved in the research even though I do fully understand everything? Will the professors teach me as I go along or are there classes that I have to taken before I can start participating in this research? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Sorry for the long post, and thanks for any responses.</p>
<p>2) I wouldn’t suggest getting involved as a freshmen. Instead, start looking at REU programs (<a href=“Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) | NSF - National Science Foundation”>Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) | NSF - National Science Foundation) for the summer between your freshmen and sophomore years. Go in and gain a rapport with your advisor, then ask your advisor for recommendation (even if you haven’t been there for very long). Apply for the REU programs, and do a good job once you get the position. You then have prior research experience, and hopefully a letter of recommendation from your REU professor that you can then use as leverage in the fall with other professors. No one will help you prepare for research, ESPECIALLY not a professor. Gotta learn on your feet.</p>
<p>Thanks for the quick response Chendrix. But, how do I get an adviser? And, just from a quick look at the REU website you gave me, isnt that for an undergraduate student wanting to do their own research? While Im sure I will want to do my own research someday, I would much rather prefer to start by working with others on a project that is not my own.</p>
<p>a) You will be assigned an advisor when you come in to Cornell. Depending on what you wrote down in the summer form, they will try to put you with someone in the same department (or related departments). That is who your ENGRG 1050 class will be with. You can always approach the professor of one of your classes and strike up a rapport with them too</p>
<p>b) If you looked here, under information for students ([US</a> NSF - REU - For Students](<a href=“http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/]US”>REU - For Students | NSF - National Science Foundation)) you can search for an REU site in an area you are interested in. You then contact those people for application materials. You will be given a project from your REU professor and will be under the guidance of them and/or grad students in his/her lab. It’s a fantastic program.</p>
<p>I found that APT is a really different tool than schedulizer. APT is a more complete picture, while schedulizer is more for a coming semester. Both are great!</p>
<p>Yeah, they are meant to complement each other, not compete. APT is for planning your 4 years out in terms of classes and credits, whereas schedulizer is used for day-to-day hours.</p>