<p>So I sent in the app for Georgia Tech (electrical engineering), and I was just wondering what kind of undergraduate research opportunities there are?</p>
<p>I don't know much about them, apart from what the website said, so please tell me everything you know!! =D</p>
<p>thanks in advance</p>
<p>bump? 1ochar</p>
<p>I don’t know about EE, but I know there was a lot of opportunities in the College of Computing (such as SGI lab, human interactive lab, etc). Also, GTRI (ga technology Research institute) is next door. </p>
<p>However, very few people is going to give you chance if you don’t have any experience. So either you can get some experience by getting a co-op assignment or do well in one of those junior class project and impress the professor.</p>
<p>can you explain what exactly is a co-op assignment? And how do you get them?</p>
<p>Ga Tech has one of best co-op program in the country. If you assign up as freshman or new transfer student, you are in. If you apply later, there is certain GPA requirement.</p>
<p>Although you supposedly have to work three semesters, you can always quit after one assignment (normally three months). Then you can find other internships and/or research opportunities after that. Also, since nobody expects student have any experience, as long as you have good grade and speak reasonably, you can get an assignment.</p>
<p>IMO, best thing about Ga Tech is the co-op program. It teaches student how to write resume, how to act professionally and how to get good assignment. All those skills are very important when come to find real job. </p>
<p>[Georgia</a> Tech :: Division of Professional Practice](<a href=“http://www.profpractice.gatech.edu/]Georgia”>http://www.profpractice.gatech.edu/)</p>
<p>hm…all right</p>
<p>So to get a research position you have to do a co-op first?
And generally what year will you be in when you realistically have a shot at getting a position? (frosh, soph, etc)
Is it possible to get a freshman research opportunity? I wonder because incoming freshmen wouldnt know much…</p>
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<p>No. Undergraduate research is different than work experience.</p>
<p>The good thing about undergraduate research is that there are more opportunities than students. The bad thing is that most opportunities are not for freshman. Even if you’re making no contribution to the research at all, you’ll usually need some upperclassmen courses just to understand what is going on, so professors lean towards juniors and seniors.</p>
<p>Of course, that is not always the case. Some research positions require you to simply repeat a menial task (e.g. “push button, measure, record. Push button, measure, record”), but those aren’t always the most interesting positions. There are also some cases where professors will take a young student with a ton of potential in order to mold that student over several years. However, that is also rare since most professors do not have time to spend with MS students, let alone BS students. </p>
<p>Your best bet is to start with a co-op/internship and keep your ear to the ground regarding research opportunities.</p>
<p>G.P Burdell- you are my CC savior lol</p>
<p>all right thanks for the insight. So for co-ops, you can start them in freshman year right off the bat? Or do you have to wait halfway through the year so you have some background in the field before you can get a co-op / internship? And what exactly is the difference between a co-op and an internship??</p>
<p>Apart from looking into co-ops, what would you recommend doing freshman/sophomore year at GT while no research opportunities are available? Are there other engineering related activities to do?</p>
<p>thanks again!</p>
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<p>You can co-op/intern right away. Interviews start in September/October, so you have to interview a few weeks into school (so, obviously, no GPA - hiring is based off of high school performance and/or personality traits). Most students start the summer after freshman year, but you can start as early as Spring of your freshman year. To be eligible for a co-op/internship, you need to contact the division of professional practice:</p>
<p>[Georgia</a> Tech :: Division of Professional Practice](<a href=“http://www.profpractice.gatech.edu/student_information.php]Georgia”>http://www.profpractice.gatech.edu/student_information.php)</p>
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<p>That is confusing for most people. First of all, to employers, there is no difference. Most use the phrases interchangeably and make no distinction. You’ll work on the same projects.</p>
<p>To Georgia Tech, there is a difference. A Co-op is a student enrolled in the Undergraduate Cooperative Education Program. Companies that hire co-op students commit to 4 to 5 semesters of work experience for a student, and students work full-time every other semester with that company (usually outside of Atlanta). So Fall 2010: in school, Spring 2011: work, Summer 2011: in school, Fall 2011: work, etc. This is a 5-year plan that includes 4 or 5 semesters of work experience by the end of the program. Co-op students earn a diploma designation for completing the program (e.g. your diploma will say “Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Co-Operative Education Program”).</p>
<p>Internships are not governed by a program. So you can intern whenever you want (e.g. every summer) rather than based on a schedule. This is good because summer semesters are shorter and allow for less hours, so an intern can get 3 semesters of work experience and graduate in 4 years (vs. a co-op who has 5 semesters of work experience but graduates in 5 years*). Also, interns can switch companies if they do not like a particular assignment, whereas co-ops are discouraged from doing so.</p>
<p>The downside to the internship program is that you are not guaranteed a position for multiple semesters (though, if you are a good employee, most companies will invite you back). So you may have to interview multiple times. This is a bad thing in that it creates uncertainty, but it’s also a good thing in that you get plenty of interview practice. There is no designation for your diploma.</p>
<p>You can also switch. Many students start as co-op students in their freshman year (there are more jobs available for freshman co-ops than freshman interns) then switch to internships after a semester or two. </p>
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<li>There are diminishing returns after three semesters of co-op experience. The first semester adds enormous value to your resume, the second adds a good amount of value, the third adds some, the fourth and on add little to no incremental value. So, I don’t think there’s a huge difference in terms of employability if you have 3 or 5 semesters of internship / co-op experience. </li>
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<p>Anything that can get your foot in the door at a lab is a good thing. If you find a menial project (like one mentioned in the previous post), go for it. You can also look at the faculty’s current research, then approach a professor and offer free lab (no pay and no credit). Some professors are more courteous to undergrads than others, so you’ll want to talk to an upperclassman or graduate student before approaching a particular faculty member.</p>
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<p>The biggest thing to do in your freshman year is to figure out that the field you are in is the correct field for you. To do that, join the professional society for your field, go to presentations if there’s one being held for your major (for electrical engineers, IEEE <a href=“http://www.gt-ieee.org/”>http://www.gt-ieee.org/</a> will hold meetings where former graduates discuss what they do now). That way, 3 years down the line, you don’t say to yourself “ahhh… I should have been a mechanical engineer”.</p>
<p>Other than that, try to find an internship, look for research, keep the grades up, and try to have some fun - you’re in college.</p>
<p>Getting a co-op is easier than getting an internship as freshman due to 1) there are more co-op job opportunity at tech, 2) internship normally require higher GPA and certain courses taken. Since internship is only three month arrangement, I found employee tend to ask more requirement so that student can fit the job. Employee treated co-op students as longer term trainee so if students don’t have skill, that’s ok and the students have nine months (three terms) to learn. That’s why I suggest getting a co-op assignment. Then if you want to do research later, find another assignment. Also, at tech, you could literally finish fall semester and be on the assignment for spring semester.</p>
<p>Of course, regular job is different from research opportunities. However, a lot of skills are transferable. For CS, if you did any java programming on co-op assignment, you can use same skill on your research opportunity. It is always good to talk to professor and say I have three month working experience with XYZ company.</p>
<p>wow, you guys answered all my questions =D</p>
<p>I’ll definitely look into co-ops and menial research positions (haha) freshman year if I get into GT</p>
<p>thanks again</p>