<p>Hi all, the question is basically the title. I'm wondering if I could get meaningful research at other schools during my freshman year or if MSU's PA is very, very valuable. </p>
<p>I am a prospective Biology major (premed) and I have been accepted to Lyman Briggs. I have a really great idea for a research project and it would be great if I can get started on it right away with the help of a professor. I would like to get published because that will help a lot for medical school applications, but I also think that the experience of being at the forefront of my own research will be invaluable down the road.</p>
<p>The other school I am thinking about is the University of Texas at Austin. I will post about research there as well to get some viewpoints on this. </p>
<p>The cost for both schools will be essentially the same (Tuition Grant at MSU and in-state in Texas), so that is not something to consider. However, I do like the warm weather better and I think I might be happier at UT Austin, but just a little confused right now.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Oh, I found this @ UT Austin: [Freshman</a> Research Initiative](<a href=“http://fri.cns.utexas.edu/]Freshman”>http://fri.cns.utexas.edu/)
However, I don’t know how competitive this program is.</p>
<p>Getting research during freshman year is usually pretty difficult. Getting paid research as a freshman is highly unlikely except where there’s specific programs.</p>
<p>The Professorial assistantship program is kind-of a hit or miss. The expectations of you as a research assistant are all contingent on the professor you get. But as a bio major you are a lot more likely to be able to do substantial research (compared to me, who is a james madison major). We have venture.msu.edu which is a search for other research projects (and I receive several emails regarding studies that need students, volunteering and paid). I’d say the professorial assistantship program is particularly valuable because as a freshman pre-med biology major pretty much at any other school you will not be able to find/it will be very difficult to find substantial opportunities for research until you complete your sophomore year.</p>
<p>Like fa-la-la-lena said, experiences with the PA program vary. I’m doing mine in plant biology, and I got a terrific mentor and am doing a project I really love. I’ll probably have a paper nearly ready for submission by the end of the year. It’s really great being able to do research as an underclassman (actually, I’m doing two projects, but only one is through the PA program) because it really helps both to understand the research process and important concepts. PAs in subjects where most faculty don’t really conduct research (such as music performance) may not actually involve research but have other interesting tasks that most undergrads wouldn’t be able to do. Just make sure to find a good mentor, and don’t be afraid not to take one of the university’s suggestions!</p>