Research - Help me decide what to do!

Graduate School
1

<p>I'm a rising senior majoring in chemistry and minoring in mathematics.
Eventually I want to get a non-thesis Master's degree in Chemical Engineering and work as a chemical engineer. I just like the macroscopic approach of chemical engineering rather than chemistry. I'm not interested in doing research for my career.</p>

<p>This summer I contacted a Professor and asked him if I can work in his lab this fall because I wanted to do something during academic semesters, preferably on campus. I can't get paid and can only get 3 credit hours because he doesn't have enough funding. My concern is that I have to be in the lab 20 hours per week, and also go to a weekly group meeint. It's a bit too time consuming to me, and when I talked about this the Prof. told me I can come less hours, though I'll be doing more of a grunt work in that case. Is this even a good idea to work in his lab? Should I try to find an internship in engineering? I feel like I'll be wasting time this fall if I don't do any of them.</p>

<p>I think I have two choices.</p>

<p>1) Work 20 hours a week and get a good recommendation letter from the Professor by doing this</p>

<p>2) Just work in the lab fewer than 20 hours, doing minor work as he suggested since I still can put it on my resume. Work another job that at the same time. Get a recommendation letter from the professor by taking his class (upper level chemistry)</p>

<p>Will having this one year of research experience be useful even if I want to get course-based Master's degree?</p>

<p>Please help me! Thanks!</p>

2

<p>What would you think of you, if you were the professor you contacted? I would wonder why this undergrad who asked me if he could be in my lab is balking at the prospect of working 20 hours a week. I would expect that this student would flake out in less than a semester and not give them anything meaningful to do. I don’t know if any of those perceptions are accurate but that is the impression you give. You have soured this relationship unless you want to invest a lot of time and effort to impress this professor with your work ethic once you are in his lab. IMHO, you don’t really need the research experience as much as you need experience in general and solid references- go for the internship, or if you are deadset on being on campus, find a different PI.</p>