Summer Research before MSc?

[brainwanderings]

I just came back from a month-long trip overseas and realized I had no other plans for this summer. I'm missing life in the lab and am thinking of either contacting the PI I had last summer and asking if his lab needs any help with their current projects or contacting my new MSc PI and asking if I can begin my graduate project early. I realize it's June so it's probably too late to start any real independent research work before my MSc. I wanted some advice on which option would be best/most likely. Thanks!

[Jay's Brain]

Considering all the work that you'll probably end up doing when graduate school starts, perhaps this is just a good time for you to be well rested and take some time off? You never know if you'll have such an extended period of freedom from work for awhile, so why not enjoy it.

 

If you are itching to go back, I think contacting your new PI might be useful. Even if you don't start on anything right off the bat, at least you can learn more about the lab and start building a strong relationship with your PI by showing initiative. And you'll get a chance to transition into the lab so you won't have to hit the ground running come Fall.

 

Hope that helps!

[eeee1923]

Just relax, you'll be doing plenty of research in a few months anyhow