<p>I was just wondering how you guys found researching positions with professors at your university.</p>
<p>I read online that one should start doing research at the start of summer after freshman year if one wants to go to good graduate schools, but I don't know how to get that done.</p>
<p>I'm in a big university in Canada, so I don't think it's as easy to approach the professors... Also, there's this NSERC research grant that I found out about, but it seems to be aimed at higher year students since it asks for recent research awards and etc... Should I try for it anyways because first years have (rarely) gotten it before? Or for now, should I try to do my best on my studies first and focus more about research in later years?</p>
<p>I am going to cut it short.
Be brave - talk to them. Make an appointment if they are not your professors. Make sure you don’t knock on their doors without first making an appointment.
Shoot 2nd, or 3rd emails like a week after they haven;t reply the previous one.
If they still haven’t reply, go ahead and hunt them down.</p>
<p>Very often there is an undergraduate research coordinator in your school. Go speak to the person.
Or speak to your advisor, and ask for help.
Approach to upperclassmen, and join clubs.</p>
<p>Don’t expect researches are interesting and fun. I never liked the research in my school. I guess I have join one later though. You don’t really one, but if you want to go ahead.</p>
<p>If they reject you then tell them if you can prepare for it. I asked one and the guy gave me his handbook and told me to study it and come back after I finish my physics 2.
I am going back to him in the spring.</p>