So my prof asked me after class today if I wanna do research with him but I already have a full year commitment to a part time job (I am serving low income children with Jumpstart). Is both doable? I am a freshman and have never done research so it seems like a really great opportunity and it’s a class in my major. The quarter is about to end and I can still decide to do 3 classes instead of 4 for winter quarter if that would make it less stressful. Thoughts?
How many hours a week is the part time job? Many students do research on campus and a part time job, but how doable it is depends entirely on how many hours are required for each.
@guineagirl96 The job is technically 10-12 hours per week, but more like 16-18 hours if you include travel time. I have no idea how many hours the research would be.
You need to find out what kind of commitment the research is. I’d say it’s most likely doable, though.
Agree, you need to find out the time commitment for the research. Let the professor know of your other obligation and decide together if it is do-able.
Ask your prof how many hours it would take. Also, if you take one less class, does that jeopardize graduating on time (either because of number of credits or slowing down completion of pre-requisites)?
What is your plan longer term if you want to keep doing this research? You can’t reduce your courseload forever. You likely would have to pick at some point.
One question to ask your prof is whether there is any way to register for course credit for the research (especially if it is not paid) – my kid got research credit for working a lab during the year, and the amount was dependent on how many hours she was expected to put in (max was 3 credits, which is like a full time class at her school).
If you can’t make it work during the year, does he have any paid research positions over the summer? (And if you do decide to do it next semester, you can still ask that question).
@intparent Excellent suggestion! It completely slipped my mind that my D was able to have some of the research work she did with a professor count as an upper level class in her major (other research work she was paid for). This had to be arranged in advanced with the professor so when you meet with him/her it is a great question to ask.
Some schools allow that research work to be graded, too. If you do a good job, it is good for your GPA. 