<p>So Im a freshman. Its been 2 weeks since university started. I am planning to have a conversation with an engineering professor (or maybe a couple) to "get started on my career". </p>
<p>I want to do something simple that I can add to my resume. What do you think I should ask him so that he doesnt just laugh me out of his office? You know, like something not too substantial that I cant handle but substantial enough that I can write on my resume and so that the prof gives me reasonable thought, regardless of me being a freshman?</p>
<p>I am planning to impress him first by talking about my 2180 SAT1 score and AP scholar with Distinction.</p>
<p>Impress your prof with interest in the class or research work. Everyone at the university was accepted by admissions. No one cares what your sat score is, least of all your engineering prof.
I would do my homework and find out what research is being done that interests me. I would approach that prof and ask if there are any opportunities for first year students, keeping in mind you should be happy doing grunt work at this point. Earn their respect. Writing your resume after you’ve earned something to put on it, not created it.</p>
<p>Yeah, sounds like you got the charming thing down pat. I mean what professor wouldn’t be impressed by a young student who goes to his office hours and brags about his SAT score?</p>
<p>Bragging is probably not the best way to endear yourself to him/her. You should try to talk to the professor about what you are learning in the class or their research that interests you.</p>
<p>research waht he has done, what he is working on, what the class is about. Talk to him at the beginning of the year, and then ask him about research if and only if you get an A in his class</p>
<p>Do not tell him an SAT score or any of that other crap unless he asks you first. No reason to broach the subject.</p>
<p>Also, no, I did nothing “productive” my freshman year besides meeting new friends, getting adjusted to life on my own and going to a buttload of football and basketball games.</p>
<p>This is not highschool where you have to jump in and get things stacked on your ‘resume’. You’ve already been accepted to college. You are past that. Get past that mentality. </p>
<p>You are in college to learn and to gain valuable experience. Don’t get me wrong. You should seek out opportunities for research, even a first year. We spoke to an eng prof at a top public about research opportunities for underclassmen. His response was, “If a student came to me and truly was interested in the research I was doing, had done his homework and knew what it was about, was happy to be there to observe and learn and do what needed to be done (ie be a gopher if needed), I would not turn them away.”.</p>
<p>You should seek out opportunities to be involved in engineering student groups. Many schools have competition teams. You should seek out internships over summer breaks, where again you are looking to gain experience.</p>
<p>Nobody said ‘Do nothing’. Simply get rid of the highschool thought process that you have to have something, anything, on your resume your first semester or you’re toast for the rest of your life.</p>
LOL
Not to be a meanine, but 2180 isn’t that impressive. 24000 is impressive. I am sure there are plently of people scored higher SAT scores than you do at your current school. Your professor will not care about your scores.</p>
<p>Before you speak to professors, make sure you do the followings:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Research about their recent works. You don’t have to understand everything, but a solid comprehension of the purpose of research and the process of research is necessary. Know some technical words from reading it.
How do you do that? Usually there is a list of publication and conferences that they have written and attended. </p></li>
<li><p>Make sure you email the person before visiting him. Don’t go to his office because that’s a curt action. In college you should always make an appointment. However, if he happens to teach your class, or if he happens to be in a club fair or freshman research fair, you should take the advantage and speak with him.</p></li>
<li><p>When you email the person, make sure you give enough time before sending a second or even third email if he hasn’t respond to your request yet. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>
There are quite a few freshman in our school that get into research lab since first semester. We do have a program here called “undergraduate research”. The coordinator acts as a bridge between the student and the professor. But she expects everyone to follow the three things I mentioned above, especially the first one. </p>
<p>Scores are meaningless. Your resume should reflect your achievement and your work in the past, meaning competition that you attended, or engineering project that you did. </p>
<p>When you do meet the professor, you should be expected to tell him your goal, why you want to join the lab, and what makes you a good candidate to be in his lab. In our school, professors have to take freshman into research lab if they want to receive more funding from the school. </p>
<p>As far as the email goes, keep it short. Tell him you are a freshman and you have read about his works and you are interested in and that you want to make an appointment. You may attach your resume along with the email. That’s it. No more.</p>
<p>You want to impress your profs 2 weeks after stepping onto the college campus? How about showing up for classes and getting A’s instead of thinking about ways to inflate your own worth and kissing ass?</p>
<p>And “getting a head start on your resume”… please. Dont go putting the cart before the horse.</p>
<p>As a professor, I can offer than nothing you were planning to do sounds particularly charming. It just sounds annoying and instrumental. </p>
<p>What does 65 students have to do with anything? I teach similar size classes, sometimes up to 100. The students that stand out ask memorable, thought provoking or insightful questions. Genuine questions that show they are not only following, but thinking a level deeper than the rest of the class. Or they are able to make connections to other things learned elsewhere. Or they are confident enough to ask the question that everyone has but is afraid to ask (but in doing so, brings everyone’s learning up to a different level).</p>
<p>Is the conversation with the engineering professor required by department? To me, it sounds like those mandatory meetings that you have to attend to setup your classes for the next few quarters. I thought they were pretty much useless at my school, and looked like an added annoyance to the professors. Tons of freshmen change majors numerous times by the time they hit their junior year, so you can understand how those meetings can seem useless.</p>
<p>Since you really have no course work and not even upper division, you might be laughed out his/her office. Probably the only thing you can do now is search read the professors research papers. In the long run, a good grade in the professors course will prove very usefull for a position with them.</p>
<p>If they were to take you in now, then maybe it’s because you have skills like webpage building, powerpoint, or how to fix computers. If you want something on your resume now, then just join an engineering club or something.</p>
<p>By the way, professors aren’t going to care about your SAT scores or high school stuff. Similar to how the NFL can are less about a heisman trophy. Your past accomplishments got you to where you are now. Now you must prove yourself again.</p>
<p>I second the idea of joining an engineering society. I joined my school chapter of ASCE as a freshman and participated in the concrete canoe competition. Even though there wasn’t much I could do design-wise, I helped out whenever I could. My involvement in ASCE and our competitions did come up in my job interviews.</p>
<p>Civil engineers have the steel bridge competition and concrete canoe competitions with ASCE/AISC. Mechanical engineers have Mini Baja with SAE. There are probably others that I’m unaware of.</p>