<p>Are you just like a personal assistant for the professor? Filling test tubes and doing calculations and recording data? If you're joining a prof who has already been doing the research does he get to do all the fun (challenging) stuff and you just do the boring (easy) stuff. And if you come up with your own research project is it different. I have to write an essay about how i can't wait to do research but idk if i should mention how I love solving problems if i won't even be able to do that.</p>
<p>I did research for a CS professor, I was more or less in charge of a mid-sized software project as part of a bigger research project. It was fun, and I got to work closely with a professor which was pretty cool. And you learn a lot, since research tends to go beyond what you do in the classroom. My professor had a ton of things he wanted done, and he was always looking for more students to join in and take charge of different parts, even though it was an established project with a lot of stuff already in progress or finished. I’m not sure if more science-y research works the same way, I’d imagine every professor is different as well.</p>
<p>If there’s a specific professor you’re interested in doing research for, can you stop by their office hours? Show that you’re interested, ask them about their work, and see what they can tell you about it. :)</p>
<p>As for the essay, write about why you want to get involved in research. Right now, what parts appeal to you? Why are you interested in it? Problem solving is a plus, regardless of what they have you doing (what else would you write, “I love menial labor”?). Maybe write about why you like the subject/research project, and what you’re hoping to get out of the experience. Be yourself, show passion and enthusiasm, that’s usually what they’re looking for in that kind of essay.</p>
<p>Thanks that helped! I’m still in high school and this is my honors college application essay, so no i can’t ask a prof haha. </p>
<p>If you’re in the humanities and some social sciences, “undergraduate research” will involve your own creative work on a project of your own design or helping run experiments/coding for a professor’s research.</p>
<p>In the sciences, you will likely be a “team member” in a larger lab setting. This will most likely involve the kind of boring, menial work that nobody wants to do, but if you do it cheerfully and competently, you might get to participate in the more intellectual and creative tasks at hand. That “low level” work is the kind of work you need to do in order to advance scientific research, but you might get your name on a paper. It gives you an insight into the culture of the field and a network of professional contact. According to DH, a scientist, “science involves lots of little stuff. You’re limited only by your intelligence and curiosity.”</p>
<p>It really depends on the field. </p>
<p>The undergrad researchers on my project essentially do data entry- but they’re welcome to use the data to write papers and do independent research. </p>