I know I want to get my Master’s or a doctorate(Computer Science or Data Science, either way I want to go into Data Science) but I want to prep everything I need in order to do so. What should I focus on?
As in:
Should I try to become a TA or should I focus more on research?
Instead of research should I get an internship?
Or should I just focus on keeping a good GPA?
Maybe I should take summer courses to try to get out of Undergrad ASAP?
From what I have heard so far Research Papers are important, should I focus on pumping those out?
Should I focus on getting recommendations? If so from who? Well known professors or ones that like me?
I am currently in a small school now, should I transfer to a more well known school?
Or for those who have not chosen a college yet: Should one choose a smaller school that will have more research opportunities or go for the big schools with well known professors?
Sorry , I know this is a lot of questions. One person doesn’t have to answer all of them, just answering one is already great. Thanks!
You are a freshman. Focus on doing exceptionally well in your first year courses and enjoying college. The rest can wait until later on. If you really want to get a head start. You can volunteer in a lab with a professor but don’t expect to do a lot of independent work until you have some CS courses under your belt.
Definitely research. A lot of labs won’t take you until you’re a sophomore though.
No if you want a PhD. Research is definitely better. Maybe if you want a master’s.
Yes. You must do this and other stuff. This is a given.
Not necessary. I honestly wouldn’t do this unless you have financial concerns. You can use summers to do research and/or get internships.
Undergraduates don’t “pump out” research papers; the average undergrad is lucky if they can get on just one. You don’t really know enough to contribute meaningfully to a paper until your junior year probably, and then you have to be lucky enough to be on a project at the exact right time. Focus instead on just acquiring experience.
No. For now, focus on fostering the relationships with professors necessary to get those recommendations. But don’t do it for the recs; do it because you are genuinely interested in learning from professors and getting their professional mentorship/advice/knowledge. If you do well and act normally you should be able to get good recommendations.
No.
Neither of these is mutually exclusive. You should focus on going to the best college for you, that has a combination of factors - both academic and non-academic - that appeal to you. Most good to excellent colleges and universities offer good professors who are doing research and the opportunity to get involved in research. It kind of doesn’t matter whether you go to MIT or Harvard or Oberlin or Rhodes in that sense. You don’t need famous professors or the most cutting-edge laboratories to get into graduate school.