My previous post talked about how awesome undergraduate research is. Now, here are a few ways to obtain a research position. It's tough work, but if you are motivated and excited, you'll definitely learn a ton!
1. Figure out what you like, or at least, what you think you like. If you like materials, go with materials. If you think you like systems, go with systems. Pick a general area.
2. Study your department's website. There will be a listing of faculty and their research interests. Their interests are likely to be very broad (or specific). If you are unsure about what it means, look it up! There's a reason Google was invented.
3. Identify which professor's research interests sound cool/interesting to you. Do this by looking at faculty members' websites. Look at their papers/ publications (many of them are out there on the web!). Usually, you should be able to get a gist from the abstract. If it's super interesting, go ahead-read the paper!
4. Read the Bio of the professor. Sure, it sounds kinda creepy, but that's why it's posted! It's just like when someone posts something on Facebook; they expect you to read it! Get to know their Alma Maters, potential graduation dates (give an estimate to their age when they graduated with their Phd- it'll give you an idea if to ask "Did you work before graduate school?"). Some professors are very impressed. Like I read about a professor being a Student Adviser during his undergraduate and related it to a summer job of mine. He knew I did my research and was not taking research lightly.
5. Email 2 or 3 professors. Dr. Louie at UC Davis has written up a blog post about it. Make sure you take a look at her helpful hints. Serena's Helpful Tip #1: Don't email all professors on the same day; they may want you to meet at conflicting times. And you may find you like one lab more than another. Serena's Helpful Tip #2: Say, "Below is my availability for an appointment." Then, list all available times for the next week. Be flexible. I usually post times between 8am-5pm. I know you're a college student, but a successful college student doesn't sleep in until 11 or noon.
6. Wait for response, but check your email often. Sometimes won't get back to you on purpose; they want to see how motivated you are. Usually I give them about a week. One week later, shoot an email (with the original message below), and say "Dear Professor ___, I sent you an email about 1 week ago regarding your research and my potential involvement. Would you be able to set up an appointment with me? Below are my available times." And list your available times.
Sometimes, they will send you an email back immediately! Don't dilly dally! If you said you were available at 10, you better be available at 10. Stick to your said commitment. This is your first chance to impress them, and you don't want to mess it up by changing your mind.
7. Meet with the professor. Say, "I read your stuff about ____. Although I don't know much about ___, I would love to learn more and get involved." Ask them about their current research projects. Would you be working under a graduate student or directly with the professor? Both are good! What kind of qualifications do you need to work in their lab? Some professors want some upper division coursework, but if you show you are motivated and excited (and have done your research), they are often willing to make exceptions.
Serena's Helpful Tip #3: It's okay to get rejected. Some want upper division coursework. Some just don't have room or the time! Usually, the reason you get rejected is not because they dislike you. This is why you have multiple professors in mind.
8. Be ready to start almost immediately. Again, this depends on the professor. They may never contact you again. It's up to you to maintain the relationship. They may also set you up with a graduate student almost immediately. Be ready for an increased work load. It might be a lot of stress quickly, but don't worry, you're smart!
Serena's Helpful Tip #4: Be willing to devote about 10 hours per week for at least 2 quarters. If you don't have this much time to devote, don't even start your search. You know your coursework. You know your graduation plan. Don't waste your time or the professor's by dropping out because you were "too busy." This excuse does not make for very good letters of recommendation.
9. Work Hard. At first, you won't know anything!!! It's okay; just be willing to learn and do research on the side (look at papers, publications, wikipedia pages- often a good resource for general information). After you get the gist of it, don't be lazy and sleep in until 11. After I got my initial training, I would often show up before ALL of the graduate students in the lab. Some told me that I worked too hard. If you are surpassing the expectations of the graduate students, THIS IS A GOOD THING and keep doing it!
10. Have the goal of publishing or presenting your work. Ask your adviser (he/she is no longer your professor to you- however you should still address them as so) about doing this. It shows your motivation to have an individual project and willingness to take on new challenges.
Serena's Helpful Tip #5: Don't expect to get paid until you've put in enough "time". It's okay to ask, but the professor doesn't know anything about you; would you pay someone you didn't know? After a few months, you can ask. But again, don't expect anything.
I hope this list is extensive enough. Again, research is tough work. But don't let other people dissuade you if you really want to get involved. If I didn't answer all of your questions, feel free to comment.
Showing posts with label unpaid internships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unpaid internships. Show all posts
Monday, November 14, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Why would I? Undergraduate Research
I'm a huge advocate of undergraduate research. Now, you're probably asking, "Why would I ever go into undergraduate research? I don't want to be a professor. Why would I want to go to grad school with an engineer's salary? No more school! I don't want to go into R&D. I don't know enough about a subject." I've heard ALL of the excuses- I was there about 3 years ago. So here are my top 10 reasons of why YOU should do undergraduate research.
1. Get GREAT letters of recommendations from professors. You're going to need letters of rec regardless of where you go (unless you graduate and go sit on the couch). If you do work for them, they'll actually find out how motivated and awesome you are, and this will enable them to write a very extensive letter about YOU.
2. Learn about what graduate school is really like. I knew a lot about graduate school before I started research, but you get to interact with graduate students. Grad school isn't all school (as many think). It involves writing, experiments, code, and a ton of interacting with other students and professors. It's definitely not a task for the weary, but you may find that graduate school is actually for you.
3. Learn about an in-depth subject. I knew nothing about materials when I started in the Material Performance Laboratory. I've gained more knowledge from cleaning and sanding down samples for endless hours, rather than hear my professor talk about the mechanical capabilities of his car. I've been able to see stress-strain curves develop before my eyes, and I've helped to solve problems on the go! There's now a TON I know about the cyclic stresses on an airplane, and every time I take a flight somewhere, I explain to them about the material stresses on the cabin!
4. Rule out things you don't like. I've realized a lot about what I want and DON'T want in graduate school or, even, in the working world. This is a very harm-free way of doing this.
5. Have something on your resume. The economy's tough right now. It's very difficult to get internships, especially if you are a freshman or sophomore. Sure, you probably won't get paid. But this will be a GREAT way to get engineering experience and contacts with little risk.
6. It's possible to get Technical Elective credit. One less class I have to take? Sign me up!
7. Get your hands dirty. I used to love coming out of the lab with grease on my hands. I felt like I actually accomplished something and be one of the few students that can actually use tools.
8. Get mistaken for a graduate student. There have been many instances where I've been mistaken for a graduate student. It makes you feel very confident about your work (even though you probably don't know much), and other students look up to you! Another perk: free coffee at the Graduate Student Union- don't worry, I was invited, and nobody could tell the difference.
9. Have something to talk about. Many engineering students ramble on about this lab report or this code or that professor. Be excited about your research, and other people will get excited around you. It definitely is a change of pace from the day-to-day routine.
10. Present or publish your research before you graduate! Employers absolutely love to see that you can speak in public. It's not what you said. It's how many people you spoke to at once. Also, who wouldn't want their name all over a paper! Sure, you may not think it's a big deal, but graduate schools and employers LOVE to see that you can communicate effectively.
Now that I got you excited about undergraduate research, I will post about how to obtain a research position in the near future.
1. Get GREAT letters of recommendations from professors. You're going to need letters of rec regardless of where you go (unless you graduate and go sit on the couch). If you do work for them, they'll actually find out how motivated and awesome you are, and this will enable them to write a very extensive letter about YOU.
2. Learn about what graduate school is really like. I knew a lot about graduate school before I started research, but you get to interact with graduate students. Grad school isn't all school (as many think). It involves writing, experiments, code, and a ton of interacting with other students and professors. It's definitely not a task for the weary, but you may find that graduate school is actually for you.
3. Learn about an in-depth subject. I knew nothing about materials when I started in the Material Performance Laboratory. I've gained more knowledge from cleaning and sanding down samples for endless hours, rather than hear my professor talk about the mechanical capabilities of his car. I've been able to see stress-strain curves develop before my eyes, and I've helped to solve problems on the go! There's now a TON I know about the cyclic stresses on an airplane, and every time I take a flight somewhere, I explain to them about the material stresses on the cabin!
4. Rule out things you don't like. I've realized a lot about what I want and DON'T want in graduate school or, even, in the working world. This is a very harm-free way of doing this.
5. Have something on your resume. The economy's tough right now. It's very difficult to get internships, especially if you are a freshman or sophomore. Sure, you probably won't get paid. But this will be a GREAT way to get engineering experience and contacts with little risk.
6. It's possible to get Technical Elective credit. One less class I have to take? Sign me up!
7. Get your hands dirty. I used to love coming out of the lab with grease on my hands. I felt like I actually accomplished something and be one of the few students that can actually use tools.
8. Get mistaken for a graduate student. There have been many instances where I've been mistaken for a graduate student. It makes you feel very confident about your work (even though you probably don't know much), and other students look up to you! Another perk: free coffee at the Graduate Student Union- don't worry, I was invited, and nobody could tell the difference.
9. Have something to talk about. Many engineering students ramble on about this lab report or this code or that professor. Be excited about your research, and other people will get excited around you. It definitely is a change of pace from the day-to-day routine.
10. Present or publish your research before you graduate! Employers absolutely love to see that you can speak in public. It's not what you said. It's how many people you spoke to at once. Also, who wouldn't want their name all over a paper! Sure, you may not think it's a big deal, but graduate schools and employers LOVE to see that you can communicate effectively.
Now that I got you excited about undergraduate research, I will post about how to obtain a research position in the near future.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Introduction
Hi Everyone!
I decided to start the blog by introducing myself. I'm a Senior at UC Davis studying Mechanical Engineering, and currently, I am taking a quarter off to intern at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. I'm working with the International X-Ray Observatory group working on Mirror Technology Development.
Inspiration: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. One of the female engineers talked about her work on the Mars Land Rovers (2006) and her PhD work through Stanford (She was only 25). I basically said, "I want to be her." I would say I'm well on my way.
My start in research: I had always wanted to get involved in undergraduate research (after realizing it would be both interesting and a resume boost). One day, I asked one my professors, "What are you doing this summer? I'm bored." It was very frank, but it got my point across. I ended up working at the Material Performance Laboratory at UC Davis for a year. I was able to learn about a lot of different machinery, break stuff, and I even got interviewed for the news! Link Below:
Internships: I got the opportunity to move to Dallas, Texas to intern for an air separation company. I worked across the street from Texas Instruments' headquarters. (no, I didn't get a free calculator) :-( I got involved with many efficiency projects by increasing the efficiencies of turbines and analyzing the potential crack propagation in some of the tanks. It built on the existing knowledge from my research at the university. I was also able to run around in coveralls, a hard hat, and steel toed boots! Take that boys! :-)
What I do at NASA: I've applied for the past couple of years for internship positions at NASA, and I never, ever thought that I would get to work there! I realized, you don't need straight A's (but a high GPA definitely helps), and you don't need to be a genius. Enthusiasm and a drive to work hard will get you through most of life. :-)
I am still an intern, but my group has given me some very interesting projects. I currently figuring out ways to mount x-ray telescope mirrors without distorting them. We've learned that if you stand across the room from one of these mirrors, your body heat will distort them! Right now, I'm working on some experiments regarding friction and the material strength of different adhesives.
After NASA: I go back to school for the Winter quarter, and I will complete my studies in about a year. However, I am researching PhD programs to apply to. I am looking into a project involving biological research with my engineering background. Some ideas have been the thermodynamics of drug transfer in the blood stream or way cells move throughout the body. But we'll see!!! :-)
Thanks for reading!
Serena C.
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