<p>For those who were or are currently involved in undergraduate research, how did you start? I know people have said to just approach a professor you like and enjoy his/her research, and ask if there are any opportunities fro you (who know essentially nothing).</p>
<p>My concern is that when you are "accepted", you still know nothing but theory in the classroom. How do you even start?? How do you even come up with a research topic? Would it be a waste of time for someone to train you, so that you can finally learn about some of the apparatus in the lab or how they work?</p>
<p>You may try any of the following venues:
1. Look into something called the REU program. It's sponsored by the NSF and provides tuition and direction in research. It's an amazing way to get your foot into the door of academic research. It's competitive, but you should be able to get into a few of the programs to which you apply. Look around, and if you need help finding information, let me know.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Be mindful of the opportunities for undergraduate research that exist on campus. You don't necessarily have to approach any professors; visit websites and ask desk staff. Be polite and they'd be more than happy to help you out, especially since they will know of the real opportunities in their department. Be on the lookout for research centers, projects, and laboratories. Find lists of people working for these things and find out whether or not they're undergraduates. If you find something with undergraduates working on it, then go ask.</p></li>
<li><p>Look for independent study classes, directed reading classes, and even thesis classes. This lets you work independently with a professor, and this often leads to research. After the course, the professor will be able to either take you on or recommend you to others.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>While it is, in some respects, a burden to employ undergraduates, many professors see this as a way to advance themselves in the department. Also, it can be rewarding and pay off huge, as undergraduates are cheap compared to graduate students. Professors may not be falling over themselves to get you, but I'd wager that a healthy 2/3 of them would agree to a reasonable appointment.</p>
<p>Thanks csprof! I just stepped in today at a boiling heat transfer lab and was intimidated even just by all the equipment set up. I enjoyed heat transfer, but I have no idea about the design, or even how one single thing works!</p>
<p>I have heard of REU and NSF, and I think that's the best way to start out. Would you consider that as a better experience (in terms of hands-on, outside the classroom) than an internship at a large company?</p>
<p>Also, where is a useful website for the REU program besides just googling it? I hope it's not too late to be considered for a summer position.</p>
<p>Well, the REU would be a better bet if your goal is graduate school. If you want to enter the workforce with a BS / BA, then an internship with some work experience would look better.</p>
<p>Don't worry about not knowing how the thing works. You'll figure it out, as most of the stuff people do in labs like that isn't fundamentally very different from what you learn in class. It's just more in depth, not any more difficult. It's intimidating at first, but everybody learns the ropes.</p>
<p>There is a website for the REU program, and it can be reached by googling:</p>
<p>nsf reu (subject name goes here... i.e., mathematics)</p>
<p>Let's say for the sake of argument you are in chemical engineering. Then, if you search: nsf reu "chemical engineering", the first hit is the NSF REU page for engineering programs. In fact, that may very well be for any number of engineering majors, maybe all of them.</p>
<p>Similar sites exist for computer science, mathematics, etc. Look around, and don't rule out any particular program just because the brief description doesn't seem to match your interests exactly. Check out the most interesting ones... check them all out, if you want, but be open to the possibilities.</p>
<p>Sadly, it may be too late this Summer to do one, unless there's an open position somewhere or other. You could always have an internship this Summer and do the REU later.</p>
<p>This question is a bit of a tangent, but if my plans is just to get a B.S and work in the industry, what disadvantage does this path have against those who went to graduate school? Graduate school means more theory, more research, and probably more knowledge. Would those who just have a B.S be at a higher chance of getting laid off?</p>
<p>What would be the difference? Would it be easy for those with PhD and masters to work in the industry after, or hard for those with just a B.S?</p>
<p>If you can handle getting a master's, do it. Only do a Ph.D. if you aren't afraid of staying in academia; while it's true that many Ph.D.s enter the workforce, it's cost to benefit ratio is much higher than the master's.</p>
<p>A master's is pretty much the ultimate for someone who wants to maximize earnings potential. Also look into Engineering degrees (some schools differentiate being a master of science and being an engineer / master of engineering).</p>
<p>S knocked on prof's doors in his major, spring semester of freshman year. One of the profs said she needed a gofer, unpaid, credit only, for experience. No credit for that spring, but more hours and credit fas sophomore. He had three years with this prof who became his mentor and adopted advisor. He now has a standing offer to become to be one of her phD students. </p>
<p>Being an student assistant, lead to a completion of critical project that was partially completed by a graduating grad student, a small research project, a glowing recommendation from this professor who won Young Professor Award and just recently won the MacArthur Award (Genius Grant)... All from a knocking on a door.</p>
<p>It's nice hearing these stories, but I just want to know what exactly do you do once you're given the opportunity to get started in research. Are you given a research topic right away, or do you get to choose?</p>
<p>Also, I just see a banner in the engineering building with researcher's picture and his/her resarch topics, and I hear stories about how they're always stuck in the lab (or can come and leave anytime), but I don't see what they're exaltly doing. </p>
<p>Can someone tell me what goes on during research in the lab?</p>