By Anabelle Bergstrom, Peer Research Ambassador
Research is often advertised as being an aspect of the college experience that is geared towards STEM majors. You spend hours in a lab, dissecting animals, and writing detailed mathematical reports on your findings. You suit up in your lab coat, safety goggles, and closed-toes shoes to look at different molecules under a microscope. Did you know there is another world in research, one world that exists in your dorm room, or at your state’s legislative building, or through conversations with your peers?
Many students are surprised to know that social sciences and humanities majors can participate in research just like their STEM peers. These opportunities may not be as visible as those pertaining to biology, but I can tell you from experience they do exist. You just have to know where to look.
This is not folklore! At the end of the Spring 2022 semester, I started my Holster Scholar research project for the summer. I knew I wanted to be a research assistant at the same time, so I emailed a professor whose work I found interesting and who I had met before. Unfortunately, they did not have any RA positions available for the summer. They did tell me to reach back out towards the end of the summer for the possibility of a position opening in the fall. Before the fall semester, another professor in the same department reached out to me asking if I was still interested in an RA position. This was such a surprise to me! Luckily, I was, and am now working with that professor.
Finding research in the social sciences and humanities is one thing, but what does it look like to actually do the work? My favorite part of research in political science is how versatile it is. There are so many professors in the social sciences and humanities who have many different experiences and interests. Chances are, you will find one or two who are interested in the research you want to conduct. Plus, you don’t need a lab coat to participate! My favorite method of data collection is one-on-one interviews with participants in my studies. I get to know people and hear stories of life experiences I had never thought about before. That is where my research really comes to life for me, and is something so unique and special about social sciences and humanities.
The most important thing within research, and college in general, is to stay balanced. This is something I have always struggled with. There are so many opportunities and grants to apply for, how to I only choose one or two? I want them all! I learned the hard way my first semester at UConn that it is not sustainable to do everything at once. Overcommitting myself made me physically and mentally sick, and by the end of that semester I didn’t recognize myself. That was a wake-up call for me. I need to be selective in what I do instead of trying to juggle a million things at once.
Research is such an important part of my college experience. I have truly love every second of it and will continue to do so. But within that drive and passion is self-care and balance. The only way to fully enjoy your research is to be at your best while conducting it. Take part in all the wonderful opportunities social sciences and humanities have to offer, but don’t forget about yourself in the process.
Anabelle is a sophomore double majoring in Political Science and Philosophy. Click here to learn more about Anabelle.