Trying to plan ahead for graduate school

Graduate School
1

<p>I am a freshman in college and I will major in chemistry. I know it's generally a little early for a freshman to think about grad school, mainly because plans like major can change, but I'm 100% sure I won't change my mind. First, I have a very strong background in chem, much stronger than a regular AP class. I've been exposed to it for too much time now so a simple life-changing course in some other area can't make me change my mind anymore. Second, I am quite old for a freshman (almost 21) and at my age people are usually juniors and have at least a rough idea about what they want to do with their life. So do I. Third, I am so old because I took a gap year in which I did research in my native country (Romania) which convinced me that research is definitely the direction I want to go. One reason I am already thinking of grad school is that I really want to go to the perfect grad school for me straight after college because I took time off already.</p>

<p>Now that I hope I eliminated answers like 'come back on this forum one or two years from now' let me expose my questions. </p>

<p>While I am set on chem, I am not decided on a particular subfield of chem. My long-term goal is to do chem research to find solutions for pollution-related problems. While applying to college I checked many professors' research from all sorts of school, and saw that whoever did chem research on environmental issues was an Analytical chemist, so I figured Analytical chemistry is the way to go. Last semester I started doing research with an Analytical chem professor, the only one from my school whose research is environmental-related. However, I soon came across 2 issues. First, I realized that Analytical only measures how polluted the environment is and doesn't bring solutions to solve it. So I am thinking of choosing another chem subfield, but I have no idea which one yet. Second, I soon discovered that my professor hasn't published a paper at all for centuries, and hasn't obtained any grant or something. I also heard that he's been associate professor for way too long time, which apparently is not good (I'm not familiar with professors' titles in the US). After one semester, I can already see that I'm much more passionate about research than he is. On the other hand, almost all other professors publish tons of papers with undergrads. Right now I am thinking of staying with this professor for the next semester and summer, while I hope I'll figure out a subfield of chem that can help me find an actual solution to an environmental issue. But it means one full year of work wasted without publishing any paper.</p>

<p>Which brings me to my first question: how long does it usually take to publish a paper to have it in time when I apply to grad school? I know there's no recipe or timetable, but how likely am I to have a paper published, if I start a project from scratch early sophomore year? What do grad schools think of students that seem committed to research, but had a hard time finding a proper research niche? In my gap year I did research in Inorganic Chem, but I don't think I'll end up pursuing that either.</p>

<p>Also, how can I best approach my current professor and tell him that I want something else? We are getting along well so far and I want to keep a good relationship with him because I'll surely have him for some Environmental Chem classes and probably for Analytical chem too. I was also thinking of choosing him as a major adviser because he is familiar with both chem and environmental studies, in which I may end up minoring. So I could still form a close relationship to ask him for a letter of recommendation, but I'm not sure how he'll recommend a student that gave his lab up (especially since not many students join his lab in the first place, and he may end up with nobody if I leave). Should I ask him to be my adviser, or would that be too awkward? Should I approach him early so I can openly talk to other professors about their research, or should I do the lab search behind his back and tell him when I know exactly what lab I'd join? I wouldn't like hiding things, but I don't know how he would work with someone he knows is going to leave.</p>

<p>Speaking of that, how important is it to have very close relationships with professors in your field? I am a social person and I go to office hours a lot for class-related problems, and most professors seem to like me, but I am not the kind that goes to their office and just 'chat about life'. I didn't become buddies with any professor, and I'm not sure I can, because I don't know what means crossing the line and what not, so I tend to stay in the safe area. How close should I become to professors to get good letters of recommendation?</p>

<p>I didn't start thinking of particular grad programs, but I'd like to go to a very good one. What is a very good grad program? A top ranked school or a good professor at a not-so-known school? I once glanced through a grad US News ranking and I saw that very few schools appeared in 2 or more rankings. Is it better to go to a school with good prestige overall or one very good in your area of interest, but not that prestigious? Right now I am thinking of becoming a college professor (I recently discovered by helping my peers that I like teaching, and they say I have aptitudes for that, but still research will be my main focus). I am not sure if I want to go to a big uni or a LAC or even go back to the European Union. I guess people in the EU would rather hire me with a PhD from Harvard than from X State School, because they wouldn't know that X's program is much better in my area than Harvard. The same may apply to LACs where there are not many professors and usually they don't have more than an expert in an area, so they don't know how good is X in that area. So for what sort of programs should I aim for?</p>

<p>If you were patient enough to read all this, can you give me some advice?</p>

2

<p>

No one expects undergradutes to have “found a proper research niche” by the time they are applying to graduate school. Almost no undergraduates pursue in graduate school the exact (or even similar) research topic they worked on as undergrads. You should just be able to demonstrate that, with whatever research opportunities are available, you can be enthusiastic enough about it to perform good research.</p>

<p>

Again, everyone knows not all students will find the perfect fit of a lab environment immediately. If you find that there is a position in another lab that would cater to your interests better, your professor won’t “penalize” you for your decision to leave. You should in fact consider consulting your current professor for any advice that can help you in your search. In my current lab, I’ve already seen several situations where students decided to switch out without any apparent negative repercussion in their relationships to our PI.</p>

<p>

You do not have to be “buddies” with your professors. If you’re rubbing off positively on them, then they will be able to judge your socialness and character while maintaining a strictly professional relationship with you.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the advice! Any other opinions?</p>

4

<p>That was a lot of text. To start off- you are worrying way too much. You will choose during your postdoc what sub field you specialize in. It wouldn’t be outrageous for you to do your thesis in analytical chem and a postdoc in microbiology, given some intellectual connection between the thesis project and the postdoc project. So my first piece of advice would be to chill out and take these experiences for what they are: learning experiences. </p>

<p>I think it is terrific that you got some research experience during your year off and that you have been putting in some time as an undergrad researcher in your current lab. I don’t see why switching to a new lab would be wasting your previous experience- would you not have learned from them? would you never be able to apply the techniques you learned? If you want to change labs, now is a great time to do it. Nobody would take offense at that, you signed no contract and if the PI you are working for doesn’t seem all that committed, then he really wouldn’t care. I worked in three different labs as an undergrad, none in the same department.</p>

<p>If you realistically intend to publish, it could take as little as six months of lab work and about an equal period of time in the writing, submitting, reviewing and redoing processes. It could take years in either phase though too. Don’t count on this happening, maybe attempt to work with grad students or postdocs that already have an idea for a publication and play a supporting role.</p>

<p>Don’t freak out too much about things, it sounds like you are doing everything right and feeling out the research world. Change to a more vibrant lab or a different discipline if you like, it won’t haunt you.</p>

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<p>Do you talk the way you write? That might be a problem for you. That is way too much text. You could distill that in half easy and fourth if you gave any effort. I’m sorry but it was way too much convolution for me to even know how to begin to answer any question that I might have insight on. (but I don’t have much.)</p>

<p>In forums like these, I think it is best to post one or two related questions at a time and avoid digressing from research to social ettiquite in the same post. One doesn’t know where to begin to comment.</p>