Nurturing and Expressing your Research Interest

Graduate School
1

<p>There is a great prof I really want to work with for a structured undergrad research program this summer. I talked with him today. I could sense that he has the potential to be an ideal mentor and that I would be able to learn much more from working with him than from many other profs.</p>

<p>To first apply for this program I need to find a supervisor first.
So I approached and requested him to be my supervisor for this undergrad research program.
He asked me what I knew about his lab and if there's something about his research that interests me. I replied that all I know is he does research on RNA and, as for my research interest, I have nothing specific. (In fact, I briefly read one of his papers and general research descriptions from his lab webpage before visiting him.)</p>

<p>He went on to explain various things about his research, most, if not all, of which I barely understood, though I pretended as if I were getting it, by constantly nodding and smiling lol. (embarrassing)</p>

<p>Then he suggested that he wouldn't want to do it with a student who doesn't seem to have interest in his research. He encouraged me to first talk to his students in the lab to learn about their research and then if I get interested, to come back to him and demonstrate that I truly have interest in his research, only after which will he agree to take me for the summer research. </p>

<p>But even if I talk to students in his lab and listen to their stories, I doubt I'll be able to understand most of what they say, let alone getting interested in them, becaue I'm currently only a second-year and lack much background and prior basic knowledge in his research area.
He also seemed to assume that I'm really smart and interested in research, when, in fact, I'm not LOL. (In the first place, however, I've never even had the opportunity to try out real research to see if I like it or not, though I've been volunteering in another prof's lab from Fall to present; the volunteer work I did (cleaning, labeling, and washing beakers) can't really be considered research, though.)</p>

<p>The only reason I want to really work with him for summer research is he is brilliant and ideal as a mentor, not because I have a deep interest (not just any interest) in his research. Nurturing such kind of an interest is a big challenge for me. But still, if I don't have an interest in a particular field of research, should I not even bother doing research in that area in the first place? (Sorry if this is a weird question)</p>

2

<p>Do not despair. Many young (and old!) undergrads find themselves in your position. They have some interest in research or in getting to know really smart profs. But the problem is if you don't get passionate about the research, the prof is probably not going to take much interest in you. Profs have time for students who are enrolled in their classes or are interested in their research. The rest of their time is usually spent doing other professorial things. Hate to break it to you but if you want this person to be a mentor to you you'll have to care an awful lot about their research interests and specialize and eventually probably go into their subsubfield. This is very common. Students get stuck with on prof or one lab and then build their graduate career on that. But I'm not even sure if you want to go to grad school - those summer internships programs are geared towards people contemplating grad school. You'll be wasting your time and their money if you want something else. To hone in on your research, you've got to read your professors' papers and other things in the journals. It's not easy or fun for a beginner but you gotta start somewhere.</p>

3

<p>I think you are underestimating your ability to fill the void between what you know and what you need to know. As a second-year student, you need (or will soon need) the ability to identify recent reviews or textbooks that can give you background knowledge of the field: it sounds like this is a good time to develop that skill. If you just can't find the literature, then ask the prof or his grad students to recommend articles when you e-mail them to schedule meetings. This will give you the background you need to understand the descriptions of their projects. Heck, if you're willing to post the name, maybe we could help you. (You can always edit your posts later.)</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
He went on to explain various things about his research, most, if not all, of which I barely understood, though I pretended as if I were getting it, by constantly nodding and smiling lol.

[/quote]

If you are interested in this lab, and in a possible PhD and career in research, the first thing you have to get over is a fear of asking questions. People who ask questions in labs and in academia are highly valued, and scientists will never look down on people who ask lots of questions.</p>

<p>A good place to start basic background research on a topic in the biological sciences is the NCBI</a> Bookshelf, which is a collection of textbooks put online for free.</p>

5

<p>The other posters have given great insight to your situation.</p>

<p>I think most seasoned professors can tell if you really understand what they're saying or not, which may be why he told you to go talk to the other members of his lab. Give it at shot! Especially if he already has other students, because they should be able to clearly explain what they're doing in terms that you can understand. </p>

<p>And like mollie said, you have to be able to ask questions. Don't worry about trying to seem smart and know-it-all, but give a sincere effort to understand. They should be able to relate to that. It's also really important to get along with the other people in the lab, because they will probably be your first line of help. If they're not able to talk to you on your level, you might end up pretty miserable because your mentor will not always be around.</p>

<p>Think about what you want, and what your mentor wants. You say that you really only want him as a mentor because he is "ideal".. what do you expect from him? What can you learn from him, in his lab, if you have no interest in his work? How will he be different from a regular advisor? It takes two to have the kind of relationship you're looking for. From his point of view, would you want to take on a student that doesn't care about your life's work? I'm not saying that RNA has to become your everything, but if you don't care to learn it at all then its fruitless to pretend. Even if you're not interested now, it doesn't mean you won't be interested EVER. I never thought I would be in my field, but I gave it a chance and here I am.</p>

<p>
[quote]
But still, if I don't have an interest in a particular field of research, should I not even bother doing research in that area in the first place?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Do you want to do research AT ALL? I don't think I've gleaned from your post why you're interested in doing summer work in the first place. You don't need to pick a particular field because most scientists will not work in the same field their whole lives. I think the major thing here is to be willing to take an active interest in the work, even if you decide later that RNA is boring. </p>

<p>If you are genuinely interested in research, then do what you can to show it, by talking to people, reading papers, discussing the topics with the mentor. You don't need to present earth shaking insights, he doesn't expect that. You can use email to send him quick questions asking him to elaborate on an idea, or why he thinks a certain way. Or if you can, ask "so what would happen if.." and propose a scenario or experiment (even if its far-fetched!). If you're doing this because it looks good on your record and your career has nothing to do with this profession, then move on to something more productive. :)</p>

6

<p>
[quote]
You don't need to pick a particular field because most scientists will not work in the same field their whole lives. I think the major thing here is to be willing to take an active interest in the work, even if you decide later that RNA is boring.

[/quote]

Right -- you don't have to believe deep down in your soul that you want to do nothing but RNA work for the rest of your life, but you should at least find it interesting enough to learn more. It's like going out on a date -- you don't have to believe that the person is The One, but you have to be willing to spend some time with him/her alone and consider the possibility of a longer relationship.</p>

<p>Of course, you may get into the lab and find out it's much more interesting than you had thought it might be. I thought developmental biology was bone-crushingly boring as an undergrad, but I rotated in a developmental lab as a first-year graduate student, fell in love with it, and am now doing my thesis there.</p>