Too many research projects?

Graduate School
1

<p>I'm a junior and I want to go to grad school (PhD, Electrical Engineering, Top 10 Schools). However I'm a bit worried. This past summer I did research, but I didn't like it that much. I was doing computer simulations on nanotechnology. </p>

<p>And then I'm doing another research project this Fall and it's also not turning out the way I liked it. This one deals with quantum computing/spintronics. And it's not as exciting as I though it'd be.</p>

<p>Anyway, I'm really stuck on what to do. I actually got the Fall research project before the Summer one (I applied to two different research programs at my school and I got into the Fall one before the Summer one). </p>

<p>My summer professor said we could publish a paper, but that means I need to keep doing research for him. Which I've been doing bit by bit this semester, although not as much as during the summer.</p>

<p>So right I kinda have one proper research project on which I work 10-12hrs/week. And one which I do more like 2hrs/week. But I don't really enjoy either one that much.</p>

<p>What should I do? I think if I keep it up with my summer professor, I'll definitely get a paper published + good LOR. But then, like I said, computer simulations isn't really what I see myself doing for the rest of my life. </p>

<p>Also, I'm worried how it'll look on my grad application. If I work with another professor next semester, will it look like I'm undecided on what I want to do (which I kinda am). Or will it be like, 'this kid has been around a bit, so at least he knows what he doesn't like'. </p>

<p>On the other hand, I think my summer professor will give me a decent LOR. I haven't met my Fall professor enough to be sure. And if I go with a new guy next semester, maybe that'll give me a LOR too. </p>

<p>But I wonder are 2 LORs coming from 1 semester of research each better than 1 LOR for maybe 1 year of research with the Summer Professor? Basically, should I stick with the Summer guy, (most likely) get a paper published and get a good LOR, even though I don't want to do that kind of research as a PhD? Or should I take the risk, start fresh with a new professor and maybe find out what I really like (and this time make sure I know a decent amount about his work before I commit)?</p>

2

<p>Why do you want to get a PhD? </p>

<p>^ You should think more about this. It is perfectly okay to explore different projects (I worked with four vastly different populations and labs before entering a PhD program), but you should have a strong research interest and be able to communicate this. How are you doing to decide on a program and the professors you wish to work with in grad school without an understanding of your own interests and goals? </p>

<p>Frankly, for a LOR you need someone who will be able to write about your strengths and vouch for you as a researcher (regardless of research topic). This I feel is minuscule compared to finding a research interest that will motivate you through your years in grad school. Really, it’s much easier to get in than to finish grad school.</p>

3

<p>I want to second aroundthecorner’s post. What you describe is really two issues: your grad school application and finding research that you like.</p>

<p>Grad schools don’t really care whether you liked your projects or not. They don’t expect you to continue undergrad work at the grad level, especially since you’ll be working in different labs with different goals. They just want to make sure that you understand the life of a researcher and that you will excel at it. The individual projects are less important than the projects themselves. If you can get a paper out of any of them, then that will definitely strengthen your application. Because of the above, working with several professors is a plus, not a problem, unless you leave them in the lurch when they counted on you to work in the lab. </p>

<p>A bigger concern for you should be whether you are ready for grad school if you haven’t taken to research. It’s one thing not to know what you want to do and quite another to dislike everything you’ve done. Granted, the issues and emotions behind your situation have been simplified for our benefit; however, if you need a sexy project to feel positive about research, you might want to rethink your readiness for grad school. Most of science is drudgery – repetitive, exacting work that doesn’t always yield results. The best researchers don’t mind this. In fact, they love it.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the honesty. Much appreciated</p>