<p>Hi all,
I'm new to cc and I was wondering how you guys narrowed down your research interests for grad school? I'm most likely going to apply to a clinical psychology program but I'm still not sure what my research interests are. Thanks!</p>
<p>Do research! Many things may sound interesting when you hear about them in a course, but that is necessarily a superficial description. It is tough to really narrow down what type of research you find fascinating until you actually try some out.</p>
<p>This is really important but I hope you understand that there is flexibility after you have started and even after you have finished graduate school. </p>
<p>I had worked in three labs as an undergraduate in pretty different disciplines but I graduated and didn’t really know what I wanted. I worked for several years as a technician, again in a couple of different areas until I was deadset on what I wanted to study. I picked programs based on the faculty who shared my intended career interests and secured a spot in the one that I thought would be the best fit.</p>
<p>Three months later, I discovered that there were better opportunities within the department in a slightly different field. (it all sounds so flaky when I say it like this). I started in the new area and have found that it suits me quite well. I fully expect that by the time postdoc applications roll around, I will want to shift again.</p>
<p>As an aside, my PI changed his research interests from a process involved in RNA biology and gene expression to the study of pathogenic tropical viruses at the ripe young age of 50-some. So I guess you aren’t locked in as a full professor either.</p>
<p>Doing lots of different research projects helps because it helps you know what you like and don’t like. </p>
<p>But you can’t try everything, so once you get a general sense of what you like, read the literature on it and see what particular area you’d like to research.</p>
<p>When something really resonates with you, you know that’s what your research interest is!</p>
<p>Great! Thank you for replying guys.
I’m an RA in a lab right now… so I guess I’ll just do more research and read. </p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>