<p>I was wondering how people who have done URAP juggled it with their courseloads. Would you recommend doing it if you have a relatively hard courseload?</p>
<p>I will have 17 units (19 if you count the DeCal I'm teaching). They are 3 upper div social sciences and 1 language course. Overall, it's 19.5 hours worth of classes. The research position will require 6-9 hours, so at the most I would consider myself taking 20 units (not counting the DeCal, as I've already taught it [we have all the lesson plans] and 2 other people are teaching it with me).</p>
<p>I think I can do it, but I don't know anyone who has done URAP so I don't have anyone giving me advice.</p>
<p>well, I am a freshman taking only 14 units this semester and an URAP, which was also advertised as 6-9 hours, but I feel like I have to put in hours in the range of at least twice as much if I am to participate at least a bit decently, though it may be just me… the thing I wanted to say is that the time commitment required should be taken as only a very approximate estimate, so beware when planning your schedule.</p>
<p>hmph. How did I not hear about this? Can you post more info on it, like is it hard to get into? How many hours do you do? What exactly is it and blah blah blah. What grade levels can do it?</p>
<p>clueless2400: The website can tell you more, but basically it’s a chance to help a professor and/or grad students with their research project. It’s all grade levels, since the one I want is also open to freshmen. Some are limited to certain grade levels. Some programs only are 3hrs a week (1 unit) and some can go up to 9hrs (3 units). But it seems like a lot of people put more time into it, as artinka mentioned. The difficulty of being accepted depends on the program, but they don’t expect anyone to have prior research experience.</p>
<p>artinka: Thanks for the info. Would you mind telling me what your 14 units consisted of, what you did for your URAP, and how hectic your semester was? Maybe through PM? Sorry to ask so many questions, but I really don’t know anyone who did URAP, haha. Thanks!</p>
<p>Research, in general, usually take a bit of time. Depending on how deep you want to go into research, it might take a bit of outside time to read research papers, etc. However, it looks like you know what you’re doing and it is definitely possible to do very well. You just need to put in the time to make everything work. (i.e. consider how much free time you are willing to sacrifice)</p>
<p>It honestly depends on how many hours you want to invest in your research. My friends and I usually work on our research projects for about 15-20+ hours per week, on top of classes too (40+ hours/week during the summer). So you’d be really, really busy with that schedule…We’re not in URAP by the way…</p>
<p>I know someone who took about 14 units, including 3 upper-div MCB/ESPM classes, worked 10 hours per week, and had URAP for 10 hours per week. Overachieving pre-meds…</p>
<p>I’m not in a program. I asked around and got lucky. I currently work in a division at LBNL, and I’m really happy there (we have an awesome view of the SF Bay). I’ve met some incredible undergraduates, and I’ve become good friends with them. When I say that we commit that many hours per week, it’s not because we have to, it’s because we’re so heavily invested in our projects. I believe 12 hours is the minimum for 4 units. My best advice for you, snowflake55, is to go to faculty web pages and read their publications, make a list of professors that are interesting, and then email them. Hope for the best because sometimes professors just don’t have room in their lab for another undergrad. It’s all about timing. (Although my experience doesn’t really count, per se, because again, I got really, really lucky).</p>
<p>To answer the OP’s question regarding the topic, consider this (my current schedule): Organic (112A), physical (120A), and inorganic (104A) chemistry + research + frat + managing an undergraduate chemistry website…doable, but super busy!!</p>
<p>I think if anybody is looking to apply for mcb labs, the general commitment is 12 hours minimum for most labs. In actuality, you definitely put in more than those 12 hours depending on the direction of your project.</p>
<p>Wow I thought research was only done on campus. SF sounds exciting! Okay, I’ll email teachers then thank you so much! Do you have an advice on how to word it? I don’t want just have the ordinary “I’m interested in doing research after reading your material…” etc. type of thing.</p>
<p>Whether or not you can juggle a research job with a full courseload depends on how well you function with having many different items on your plate, and how busy you WANT to be. How much free time do you currently have? If you find yourself getting restless with a good amount of time to kill, then it would be relatively simple to substitute research for that ten hours per week you normally spend on Facebook. However, if you think you’ve struck the right balance of work and play with your current schedule, then adding on 8-10 hours of research might be detrimental to both your academic success and your mental/physical/emotional heath.</p>
<p>I know people who are taking 13-14 units per semester and are so busy with schoolwork they don’t have time for anything else even on the weekends. I also know people who take 18-20 units, work or do research, and then take off for Tahoe every weekend from December through March. To each his/her own.</p>
<p>Personally, I did research with a lab on campus (not through URAP, since I got paid and I needed the money more than I needed the credits) during my last half of undergrad. In each of my last three semesters, I did 8-10 hours of research per week on top of 16-18 units plus 10-12 hours of work. I was busy, but I still had ample time to take off for a day or even an entire weekend occasionally to go on hikes or go backpacking (my non-academic pastimes of choice). This research job led to my dream summer job/internship after I graduated, and gave me valuable insight into working in graduate programs. Then again, if I had tried to load up on research during my first year when I was struggling with 13 units and 10 hours of work per week, I would have about died. Experience juggling a busy schedule matters, and experience testing the limits of what you can handle without going insane matters too.</p>
<p>In short though, yes I think you should go for it. The worst that can happen if you find that you’re overwhelmed is that you’ll have to quit. You’ll never know what you might possibly be missing though (in the way of discovering an academic passion, forging valuable connections in your field, networking with other researchers, helping ensure that you get a good letter of recommendation for grad school, even making a bit of extra cash if you’re lucky enough to find a research job that pays) if you never try it.</p>