scientist410
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Posts posted by scientist410
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Hello everyone,
For the first time this summer I am holding a research position in an actual research lab! I am excited but at the same time a little bit leery because it will be the first time I am venturing outside of conventional classroom/wet lab lessons. My field is in the biological sciences (in this particular case - cell/molecular biology).
I wanted to you guys if you had any particular tips and/or advice about how to make the best out of this experience as well as in general conduct with working in the lab?
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Hello,
I am a third year undergraduate student applying to a studentship when I came across a section asking about "Relevant Experience". Seeing as it will be my first time working in a laboratory setting I don't really have any "relevant experience" other than wet labs, papers, presentations from course work in school. My supervisor said to talk about a course that I did well in and another professor stated that I should mention an extracurricular that I did.
What sort of things do you guys think should go in this section and you don't have a lot of meaningful experience?
Thanks in advance!
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1 hour ago, TakeruK said:
Diversity in LORs is important and a good asset. However, you really do need to be interested in the lab too! It sounds like you are only interested in PI#1 because you want to have more reference letters and I don't think this is the best thing for you either. And, if you're not really into the work of a particular lab, you might not do as well and you might not get a great letter/experience after all.
There's also advantages to staying with the same lab---you can now develop an even better relationship with the professor/lab and you can do much more meaningful work when it comes time to do your final year thesis work.
And you haven't worked with PI#2 yet. Maybe after this summer, you'll find that you have other interests for your thesis work!
Finally, to repeat what I said above, the purpose of summer/thesis research is not to acquire a LOR. The purpose is to develop research skills and experience. The good LOR will come as a result of doing good research--if you focus on only the LOR then you might end up missing out on some good experiences that will actually help you later. In general, graduate school applications are not a series of boxes to tick and achievements to collect---this approach may work in some cases, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Yeah I understand that the purpose of research was not to get a good LoR that was just me planning ahead. Sometimes I overthink and go too ahead of myself - things to work on for the new year haha.
Thank you everybody for your input!
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12 minutes ago, fuzzylogician said:
"Did well in class" letters won't hurt you per se, but they won't help. They're just short and generic letters that come from someone who doesn't know you very well. If you have two strong letters and one like that, it's usually fine. It can be hard for undergraduates to have strong relationships with three different faculty members. If you have two of those and one strong letter, I'd worry more. But hopefully you can find someone who knows more about than the grade you got in just one class, even if you didn't work in her/his lab, e.g. if you took more advanced courses with the prof and participated a lot or wrote a meaningful paper, went to office hours, etc.
As for your PI#1-PI#2 dilemma, I would have told you the same things if I were PI#1. I think it was clear from your conversation that you don't actually want to work with this PI, you are only using this opportunity to get a letter but you really want to work with PI#2. If so, why shouldn't PI#1 prefer to spend his time and lab resources on someone who actually wants to work with him? And you'd benefit more from actually working with the PI you want to work with--PI#2. So, I'm not sure you can walk this conversation back, but in the future if you talk to someone else, I think you want to concentrate on the actual reasons why you want to be in that person's lab, and "getting a letter (to do more of PI#2's type of work)" probably isn't what you want to say. Although PIs are fully aware that undergrads may want letters after working with them, having an undergrad around who is solely there for that and only cares about keeping up appearances for the letter isn't something many want around. They want someone who wants to learn what the lab has to offer and to contribute to ongoing projects.
As an addendum I will be taking another class with the third "generic letter" prof making it my third class with him (I got an A in one and a B in another so hopefully I can make the A again in this third class).
And yes I suppose you and PI#1 are right I guess I just needed to see it in words to synthesize it. Thanks!
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Hello all,
Lately I've been grappling with a dilemma as to what lab I will find myself in for the summer. I just came from a meeting with a potential PI (first time we met, let's say PI#1). He probed my interests in his lab/ why I want to get summer research experience and it came up that I was looking around with a variety of labs as it would help out a lot when it comes to graduate school applications because some need 3 reference letters. I also mentioned that the PI (PI#2) for this particular lab is already interested in taking me for the summer as well as being my thesis supervisor for my final year. The work PI#2 does also aligns with my grad school interests.
After some more discussion he immediately advised that I should basically forget his lab and go for the lab in which I was most interested in working. Now don't get me wrong, I met this professor because his work was something that also interested me as well. I get where he's coming from that I should go for the lab in which the topic is something I that I am most passionate about. But what's working against me going into PI#2's lab is that when it comes to applying to the grad school I'm shooting for, I might be short a reference letter. PI#1's workaround for that was to ask a professor in which I got an A in the class (and in this case I have taken a class in which I got an A and PI#1 is buddy's with and basically gave me a confirmation that he'd be down to give sort of a generic LoR). That brings me to another conundrum: I thought sort of generic LoRs from profs with which you simply took a class with are looked down on?
So working with the advice PI#1 gave me I find these pros/cons with going to PI#2 instead:
-Pros: lab is doing work in which something I am really interested in, I'll have a head start in working in this lab when I am going to do my thesis project
-Cons: I run the risk of being short reference letters, perhaps not have the opportunity to PI#1's type of work
It's okay if some of you comment and tell me that I'm crazy and probably overthinking it all and to go with your gut instinct - PI#1 basically told me the same thing haha. Sometimes I feel like I might be answering my own questions but I think I just need some external opinions to help solidify my feelings about this so all opinions/ advice are welcome!
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Hello all,
I realize how generic the title sounds but I needed some clarification on this question:
When asking for a LoR I know that the PI/ Professor is the best to ask however for many Grad Schools you need three LoRs and I was wondering if asking a Post-Doc or Research Associate (with a PhD) you have worked with is okay to ask for a LoR (assuming they're willing)? I should be able to (hopefully) land a lab position this summer making one LoR and I will be doing both a semester/year-long project in my last year (two LoRs hopefully). However given my possible choices for summer labs I may end up in the same lab for either of the semester/year-long project (hopefully this doesn't sound as bad as I think but I like the work they do).
So overall, if I should end up in the same labs for either my semester project or year-long thesis project would it be okay to ask a PhD Research Associate or Post-Doc in the lab (if there is one) for a LoR as a means of getting an additional third LoR (apart from the PIs)? Or I might be lucky and be able to find my way into three different labs for summer, semester-project and year-long thesis project.
Thanks for reading!
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Yeah talking to professors is how its done. If I was unclear, Internships/Co-ops are meant for fields that can have direct industry jobs out of university to say (ie. Ecology, Computer Science, Applied Chemistry).
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Yup, GPA was always a clear goal to fix although I wasn't aware the "last two years rule" could also apply to schools in the United States, I thought it was just cumulative GPA. This may sound slightly redundant but do school research courses count as research experience? Also at UofC doesn't officially support any Co-op/ Internships for my field so looking outwards I found a bunch of things in the States I'm not eligible for (because not a citizen) or international ones where I don't have much competitiveness, any further ideas that may help broaden the search?
Edit: also take the GRE right?
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Hello everyone,
Before I start my question I just want to clarify the title. When I say I'm " 'dreaming' of wanting to go to a top ranking graduate school" what I really mean is that it's a nice thought to hypothetically explore but practicality/ reality would dictate it to be seriously unlikely for me. So really it's just a thought experiment and can even be a guiding motivator for myself.
Anyways on to the point - the field that I want to do graduate school for is Immunology & Infectious Disease. The two websites that I've used to gather what the best schools in the USA are: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/infectious-disease-rankings, and http://www.phds.org/rankings/immunology.
I used the phds.org for a Top 10 List because I couldn't find one (I don't even fully understand their ranking to be honest). As for my stats I currently have a cumulative GPA of 3.27, going into my third year of university and no laboratory experience yet. If you're reading this and thinking "yikes", trust me I know, I already have my work cut out for me to try and get into a Canadian grad school. Regardless I thought it would be nice to explore the question: what could I do to turn myself around for my last two undergraduate years to potentially make myself competitive to be a graduate student at these schools? I was hoping some of you may be able to help me answer that.
If you've read this and are thinking "yeah he's basically got not chance anyhow" go ahead and put it anyways because that's how I really see it anyways. In all seriousness though I know how important this is to other people and I don't want this post to sound like an entire joke, it was just meant to help my pondering about how such a pipe dream can be achieved.
Thanks!
Edit: I just realized that my question was geared towards getting in straight out of undergrad but for the sake of argument the idea that I've done a Master's degree in Canada can also be considered as a possible launch point for getting in.
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If it makes you feel better, U of T really only looks at your past two years of undergrad. Cell and Systems Biology doesn't look at your cGPA at all.
So that means that you have time to get yourself on your feet. Any particular reason for the B/B+'s? Is it motivation? Test anxiety? This will be something to reflect on if you want to improve your grades.
I had a 2.9 GPA after my first year and improved dramatically since. Now I'm at a 3.6 cGPA and will be going direct entry to the PhD for Cell and Systems Biology at U of T (Which requires an A- average your final year).
I've been trying to pinpoint where I'm going wrong - I mean for classes I generally make notes after lecture, make flash cards and review but I still feel like I'm not doing enough despite all this work I'm putting in and it brings me down. I don't know perhaps its the test anxiety which really stems from not having studied hard enough so it looks like that's where I need to improve.
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Hey all,
I just finished my second year of Biological Sciences and moving into my degree major of Cellular, Molecular and Microbiology. However (despite my current best efforts) I was still under my goals for the semester and will finish second year with cumulative 3.14 GPA (projected, depending on how I do regarding two more classes). This isn't nearly good enough to be competitive for Grad Schools in Canada and I've started to get down on my future prospects for Grad School because I'm starting to feel like I've done myself over. However I do still have a couple more years, do you think its possible to turn myself around in time to get into Grad School? My dream schools are McGill or UofT.
PS. In case some ask about the low GPA, my first semester I basically tanked out of not being used to University (GPA 2.9) and after that I started to get better but as of 3 semesters later its just a wad of B's and B+'s.
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Hello,
I wanted some advice on how to approach my next year. I was planning to take four courses with the fourth course being my option. However I recently learned that my option choices have been restricted to first-years only and I'm unable to find any options that will satisfy me (I don't want to invest money into a class that will bore me out my mind to pass a requirement that can be put off for the time being). So the way I see it here are my options:
1) Take only the three science class (Molecular Genetics, Microbial Physiology and Metabolism & Basic Nucleic Acid Biochemistry). The last one, the Metabolism course I hear is a real killer and with my original plan my option would have been an online terminology class (which is very easy which is why I think there would have been a balance).
2) Take the four recommended major stream courses (so the three science classes above plus Virology). I mean I guess this would be the recommended course of action anyways from the school. The only thing is I'm also currently taking four heavy science courses no options (Organic Chemistry II, Intro to Cell Bio, Intro to Microbiology, Intro to Biochemistry). It's hard and makes life hellish at times but I'm getting through it (I think...). The reputation of the Metabolism class is what scares me into taking four science courses this time around.
3) I would take the option in the Spring semester (assuming it could rationalize taking the 3 courses in the Fall).
Now on top of all this is of course the grades. I have average grades (pulling ~3.14, even then I'm pretty sure that's below average for Second Year Science). I want to get into Grad School so I really need to focus these last 3 or so years (taking five years to finish my degree) to pull up my grades enough to get into a good grad school (the dream is McGill but it all depends). So being able to streamline my courses into three sciences per semester plus the option requirement would be great but I'm worried about people looking at my transcript when I start applying to Grad Schools thinking I'm lazy for only taking 3 science courses per semester through the remainder of my degree.
Help please!
Edit: I thought I should mention I only have 2 Elective arts options to finish my degree plus 2 Geo courses which is what my fifth year is for.
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Grad schools will not care that you took 5 years to finish. I would say that about 40%-50% of grad students in my field (also a STEM field) do not begin grad school right after 4 years of undergrad (usually they take 5 years of undergrad, like me, or take time off between undergrad and grad school). 4 courses instead of 5 is no big deal and that's what I did in my 5th year because I didn't need to take a full load to meet degree requirements.
Also, many students have to work part time or have other obligations during undergrad that prevent them from finishing in 4 years (with 5 courses per term). If you are going to take 5 years to finish anyways, you should pick the distribution of courses that work best for you. My advice would be:
1. Try to use the extra year to get as much research experience as possible. Perhaps taking 4 courses per semester from here on out will allow you to do a directed studies / part time research during the year.
2. If possible, take advantage of the summer between years 4 and 5 to do research. This will give you one more summer of experience than other applicants.
3. When choosing courses, I would try to do the more important courses within the first 4 years so that when you are applying to grad school in your 5th year, they will see good grades in these important courses already. That is, leave some of the more tangential courses for 5th year, if given a choice.
Yeah that's what I wanted to do anyways, worry about options last and focus on my major/ core subjects. I have a question for you though? I mentioned earlier that I had OK grades (about 3.13 or 3.16 depending on my last deferred final but its not like it really matters, this might not even count as 'OK' ") if I clean my act up do you think there's still a chance of me getting into Grad School? (I say my words with a heavy emphasis on the work that lies ahead of me)
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Hello,
I wanted to hear some opinions on taking four classes per semester but all of them being science courses and then taking a fifth year to finish off options? The fifth year is something that will already happen because of a schedule mishap and I'm missing some classes that are graduate requirements so there isn't really much to avoid there. But what I wanted to do was just do the rest of my options in that fifth year as well, my program only allows 4 options from this point on (I'm in second year of a BSc aimed towards microbiology) so my schedule is always packed with core science classes plus that option.
However the only thing that stops me is grad school opinions, will they think less of me for taking four courses (but likely better grades, currently only okay grades) and graduating in five years?
Opinions?
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Oh sorry I was in the middle of studying for a final when the thought of doing this popped in my head
. I am meeting him for the possibility of being a summer research student as an undergraduate. The only thing is my first year grades aren't exactly a great reflection of who I am and what I want to do and surprisingly he was still willing to meet lol (even though all the rest said no). So one thing I remembered I should do is read some of his previously published articles as a start. -
Hello,
So I managed to set up a meeting between a professor and I, so I wanted to you guys here if you have any tips for that could help seal the deal for the following summer?
Thanks
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Actually I live in Canada so our Thanksgiving weekend was last month
but classes also end this week... -
Hello,
Sorry I feel like I may have been blowing up the forum but I had another question and it looks like there aren't any other places to put this. My question is should I email a professor again after having had no response as to whether or not he'd consider me as a summer student? It's been almost a week now and I'm just wondering. I however don't want to feel like I'm hassling him and if that entails hassling (opinions?) then maybe it'll be better to wait.
Thoughts?
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Yeah that's what I was thinking, if I don't learn now then when? I have an OK GPA but I want to get into Grad School so I need to adapt or die basically haha
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@neuropanic they are 3 credits each and yes those options are just breadth requirements *sigh* if I could only just take the sciences. I'm still thinking about possibly just dropping that option though but then I keep thinking how is it going to be the next year when it'll be the same? Four heavy sciences plus that option. Thanks for your input though!
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Do grad schools particularly judge whether or not you carry a course load of four or five? Just because I am more willing to drop the option if needed but the science can stay.
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Hello,
So at my school my second year Winter 2014 semester looks like this: Organic Chemistry II, Intro Biochemistry, Intro Cell Bio, Intro Molecular/Microbial Biology plus an option. I currently have a GPA of 3.067 and am still unsure how Fall is going to turn out. Would you advise that I drop a science course or the option course? Will Grad Schools look down on this? I want to get in the Cellular Molecular Microbiology Program at my school too so it's already a hard program which makes me say perhaps I should just forget the option and focus on the science because regardless my courses are going chock full of science and labs in the next year and up.
So any advice would be nice, thanks for reading!
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Generally when you show your transcript it is to show that you have the minimal background required to participate. My GPA in my second year was lower than yours and I had no problem. I have a persistent personality, though, and did hear no a lot. A professor tells me no, I move on to the next. I heard "no" from every biology prof at my first university. I then went to the Chemistry Department, where I got an RA position.
I cold-called on most of my experiences. I basically went to office hours, mentioned I had an interest in their research, said I wanted experiences for graduate school, and that I was willing to volunteer if need be. I didn't wait for positions to be posted.
I didn't say anything about my GPA, I focused on my enthusiasm to help with research.
That's really helpful to hear, thanks!
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Hello all,
I'm a second year biological sciences student and have been contacting professors in hopes of getting a summer research position but my main issue is my GPA which is 3.067. I have already been rejected by one professor because of it and I was wondering if any of you had some tips on how I can maybe add an extra blurb or something when I send my unofficial transcripts to the other two professors that are still considering me (hopefully). Please note I'm not trying to sound manipulative or trying to be above what I got in terms of grades just seeing if there's something I can add to make me seem less 'dumb' for lack of a better word.
Thanks
Affairs to Get In Order for Relocation to a New City
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Hello all,
I have been admitted into the grad school of my choice! However, right now I am in a bit of a mess as to what exactly I should start preparing for. Off the top of my head I know - housing and awards. But what else should I start looking into now so as to be fully ready to be settled by September?
Thanks