<p>Hey everyone,</p>
<p>I just found out that I got a research position at my college to do political economics & policy research. I'm absolutely ecstatic but also a teeny bit nervous. I'm an incoming freshman, and although I think I have more research experience than the average incoming freshman, I'm still not sure whether I have all the skills necessary to do this. This will be my first formal research experience.</p>
<p>So does anyone have any tips or advice on how to prepare? Any good books on research methods to read? </p>
<p>Thanks and I really appreciate it.</p>
<p>sorry if this is off topic, but i know you go to stanford…how did you get a position already?</p>
<p>Having some research experience at UCLA as an undergrad, I would suggest that you skip reading books and instead familiarize yourself with the research projects that you will be joining. If you’re working with particular professors(s), read up on their recent scholarship so you have a greater sense of where their work is heading. Also contact who you are going to be working with and ask them the same question, Is there anything you suggest I do to prepare? From the get-go they’re probably not going to have you crunching data or something super technical, its gonna be data entry, lit searches, preparing docs, pretty simple stuff. Just be sure to always be on time, professional, cross your t’s and dot the i’s. No worries, a freshman and doing research, you’re ahead of the game.</p>
<p>Hi omgitsover9000, it was too good to be true haha. The prof apparently thought I was a senior and yea…I’m not…so I definitely am not ready for this, turned it down, and am still looking now :S I’ll let you know if I find anything.</p>
<p>And thanks for the info, resha!</p>
<p>You or the professor turned it down?</p>
<p>I asked him what skills I needed and he said I should have had several stats courses under my belt. I don’t so I said I’m not ready for it and he said “probably not, come back in a few years though!” so it was kind of mutual.</p>
<p>I dont know if this applies to political economics, but…
when i was doing my research with a chemistry mentor, there was a cartoon on the wall that shows 2 scientists talking. One of them asks the other if he knows what he’s doing, so the other one responds that he does not know what he’s doing because it’s research. When you do research initially, it’s natural that you may not know 100% of what you are doing. Just do what you need to do, ask the prof. questions im sure he/she will help you.</p>