<p>I am a second year student, thinking about doing some research with a faculty professor. What procedures should I follow to get a researching position? What paperwork should I fill out.</p>
<p>I am in the College of Chemistry, so I am hoping to research with a professor in chemistry. Are there specific procedures regarding each college's policy on research?</p>
<p>Do I need to bring transcripts for interviews? Any other paperwork?</p>
<p>URAP is a great resource. I would imagine that contacting professors you've had and that know you or do work that interest you (even if you havn't had them) is another good way. As long as you send fairly short, polite e-mails expressing interest and thank them, I think it's very acceptable.</p>
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Do you think I should contact the professors prior to the beginning of the school year?
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<p>From URAP site::</p>
<p>If you have questions about a project, it is OK to go to faculty office hours at the end of the preceding term, but please do NOT contact faculty about URAP matters during the first weeks of the semester. Remember that faculty sign up for URAP because they want to use the URAP process and prefer not to meet with potential apprentices haphazardly. For most faculty, their priority in the first two weeks of classes is to get their courses running smoothly. Please respect this.</p>
<p>URAP is a pretty bad route to go unless you specialize early. Professors won't know you and will judge you based on your grades and what you bring to the table.</p>
<p>I would suggest doing well in classes and approaching professors in those classes for a job. Just read a paper they recently wrote and go talk to them about it. Realize that some majors are more impacted than others making it hardere to get a position.</p>
<p>Some of these impacted majors include MCB, Economics, and the like.</p>
<p>I think the most common way to get into research is to approach a professor. If there's one you particularly like, go ask about his/her research and if s/he has a position available. URAP is also a fine way to go, though I don't know much about it personally.</p>
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Some of these impacted majors include MCB, Economics, and the like.
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<p>Do you really mean impacted? If so, what do you mean by this? Perhaps more difficult to get than others makes more sense here. I mean, it's likely that every URAP position will have at least two applicants- certainly getting research in those fields is tough, and in MCB, perhaps particularly tough, but I really think there's at least some competition for each spot.</p>