How to get involved in research?

[yoconman]

Hi, I'm currently a sophomore undergraduate at UT-austin in the ECE department. I'm seriously looking at getting a masters or phD in computer engineering and would hope to attend one of the top engineering schools, Carnegie Mellon is my dream school right now. As I understand it, research is really important when applying to graduate school as it tells the admission board that this person has the potential to do research for us. After doing a little surfing on the UT engineering page, I found a website that lists all of the research professors at UT and their research interest. The website also suggests I email a professor, expressing interest in their work, encouraging them to ask me for help. I'm wondering as to how I would approach such a topic in an email, and also if anyone has advice on other ways I could expand my research potential. Any help would be much appreciated!

[psych.77]

Hello!

Though I am not in the computer engineering field (I just completed my Master of Arts in Developmental Psychology), I thought I would share some general advice about aquiring research experience in your desired field.

1. Volunteering with a Professor. Identify 3-5 professors in your desired field whose research interests you. Next, find out more about them. Consult their list of recent publications to gain a sense of what research projects have currently underway and what research projects they may see in their future. Ask around about this professor. See if you can identify people who are currently working with this professor (either an undergraduate or graduate student) and ask them about their experience. While someone's research may interest you, you need to also consider whether this professor would be a good match for you in terms of work ethic, expectations, time commitment, etc. Ideally, you want to find someone who can develop a vested interest in your development within their lab and who may be available to offer you some mentorship along the way. You want to find a good fit. Finally, when you narrow down your list to 2-3 professors, instead of emailing them, I would suggest you visit them during their office hours. An email may be sufficient to make a first point of contact, but in my experience, meeting in person is always best. Emails are easy to lose track of. You can spend hours drafting a beautiful email in which you express your interest in a professor's work and encourage them to ask you for help, but ultimately, you are not guaranteed a response. Visiting a professor during their office hour and just asking if you can have 5 minutes of their time can go a long way. It shows that you are able to take initiative and makes you memorable. While you meet, explain that you are interested in gaining research experience, heard great things about their research, and would like the opportunity to volunteer in their lab. Professors appreciate people who are concise (since they are always pressed for time), direct, and willing to offer first before they want something in return. If a professor is not looking for any help at the present time, offer them your contact information and ask them to keep you in mind. Next, move on to the next person on the list. Don't feel discouraged. Taking the time to find the right professor for your first research experience is valuable.

2. Research Courses/Independent Research Projects/Undergraduate Thesis. Many Canadian universities have undergraduate courses devoted to research: statistics, research design, and/or independent research projects and theses. See if any of these courses are available in your field of interest. If you are interested in applying for graduate school, conducting an independent research project or writing an undergraduate thesis can be valuable additions to your CV. Certain programs (e.g., many Psychology Graduate Programs in Canada) expect applicants to have completed an undergraduate thesis. Completing this type of project indicates that you have experience conducting a research project from start to finish (i.e., design, data collection, data coding, data analysis/statistics, writing) and that your work was held to a certain standard set by the university you attend. I highly recommend broadening your research experience with either the independent research project or undergraduate thesis (if it is available within your field of interest). These courses can give you a better sense of what graduate school is really like!

3. "Just keep swimming." Though I mentioned not to feel discouraged in point 1, this piece of advice is so vital it requires a second iteration. Graduate school is a long haul. It's important to cultivate a positive attitude, to commend yourself for the work that you've already done, and just focus on doing the best that you can. Just keep swimming!

[yoconman]

Thanks sm77, that all sounds like really good advice!

The ECE department at UT does have senior projects that involve doing some research, but that's about it for courses dedicated to research. I think I'm going to talk to one of my current professors whose is the head of the computer engineering research center. I'll bring to him the name of a few of the research professors that have gotten my attention and see what he knows about their needs for undergraduate assistants. From there I'll do you what you've suggested and go to their office hours, talk about their work, and then volunteer my time to them. Hopefully one will be interested in me and agree to take me on.

[ChemPhysMatSci]

Do you know any of the faculty? Express interest in person to a professor you know and like, and they can generally direct you or refer you.

Edited December 6, 2012 by ChemPhysMatSci

[intirb]

Do you know any of the faculty? Express interest in person to a professor you know and like, and they can generally direct you or refer you.

Yes, this! As an undergrad, I told my academic advisor that I was interested in research and gave him a general field. He arranged meetings for me with professors in the area, which was FAR less painful than emailing them myself.