Post Baccalaureate/Gap Year Question

[Teaching Faculty Wannabe]

Hi there!

I am currently taking a gap year. Since I don't have a job right now, I have bee focusing on my grad school applications. However, I hate just sitting around and not doing anything, so I was thinking of asking professors at the university I graduated from and in the field I am interested in for my PhD if they have any positions in their research group I could undertake. Do you all think this is a good idea? I am not sure how professors I have never contacted before will react to do this. Any advice would be great.

Thanks!

[PsyDuck90]

Yes, more research experience is always a good thing when it comes to PhD applications. If you take a gap year, schools want to see that you have been productive in that time. And overall a PhD is a research degree so you should have a significant amount on your CV to make you competitive.