By Darren Lee, Peer Research Ambassador
Another fall semester at UConn. Undoubtedly, it’s been a whirlwind of moving in, seeing new faces (or re-acquainting yourself with familiar ones), and settling into the rhythm of classes. By now, you’re most likely aware that many of your professors and TAs are involved in research in addition to just teaching. Whether they’re using their research to introduce themselves to the class, weaving references to it in between lecture slides, or complaining about deadlines (professors are human too!), they’ve probably made that fact abundantly clear. Without a doubt, research is an integral part of the work being done at this university. But what does this actually mean for you?
Most students’ first exposure to research is in college, so there’s naturally a lot of confusion and apprehension about it. Maybe you’re in awe of all the cool research being done at the university and you’re itching to work on your own project, but you don’t know how you can find a mentor or if you even can do research as an undergraduate. More likely, your eyes are glazing over as you wonder if you could ever get to that level of knowledge in your subject—research seems like an interesting way to get there, but it just seems so hard to get started. If those scenarios describe you at all, then you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we’ll be trying to dispel some common myths about research and help you understand what it’s like to be involved in research (Hint: you can do it and it can be really great!).
I’m just an undergraduate student. Are we even allowed to do research?
Yes! Many professors are happy to take in undergraduates who show a strong interest in their work. We even have an entire office at UConn (OUR!) dedicated to providing support and resources to undergraduates who want to get involved in research. Generally, there’s a really great culture surrounding undergraduate research here at UConn, and we’re always excited to have more students share in that!
Isn’t research another word for lab work? I know that’s not something I really want to do.
When we think of the word “research,” we’re probably most familiar with the idea of a biologist or a chemist holed up in a lab, hiding among unwashed flasks and fancy equipment. In a broader sense, however, research is simply the process of discovering new things, which is a process that can be done in any subject area. Research in the humanities often entails analyzing or creating art and literature. Meanwhile, social scientists (e.g. in psychology, economics, political science) might spend their days searching for correlations in public data or creating frameworks to understand social trends. Even research in STEM fields can be a lot more diverse than you’d think—a mechanical engineer, statistician, and field biologist all do completely different things from each other, none of which line up with the common view of “lab” work.
Obviously, these are broad generalizations, but the point is that research takes many different forms. Even if you’re not a science major or you’re not planning to do research as a career, it’s worthwhile to explore the huge variety of opportunities available at UConn.
I’m interested in research but I don’t know how to get involved. Is there anything I can apply to?
Most research opportunities are organized independently rather than as part of a formal program. To get involved, you’ll have to find a focused interest, identify researchers whose work aligns with your interests, and reach out to see if they’re open to mentoring you. If that sounds like a lot, it is! The vast majority of students aren’t familiar with the process of looking for research opportunities proactively, so it’s perfectly natural to feel uneasy about it. We’re here to help you at any stage: feel free to explore the resources on the “Students” section of the OUR website, ask questions at OUR workshops, or meet with us PRAs. Don’t be scared to reach out: we remember what it’s like to be in your position, so feel free to ask any questions you have!
If you’re looking to apply for posted research opportunities, that’s certainly possible too! You can check the Funding and Programs section of the OUR website to learn about the programs that OUR supports for research work: for more structured opportunities, you might be particularly interested in the Health Research Program, SHARE apprenticeships, and the work-study research assistant program. There are plenty of off-campus research experiences as well, but be warned that you’ll have to do your homework when looking at those since they all have different deadlines and goals. Some programs are focused on introducing students to research, but others are primarily looking for students who already have research experience. Most will offer generous funding but are generally very competitive and probably won’t translate to a long-term experience. However, they can be really great experiences that give you a fresh perspective on research, so don’t limit yourself by any means!
It’d be really interesting to do research in my field, but I don’t know what I want to work on.
Before you start looking for mentors, it’s best to have some research interest in mind so that you can get the most out of your research experience. Now, that probably doesn’t describe you at this point—most students aren’t casually thinking about their research interests, and that’s totally fine! Take some time to explore the work that’s out there in your academic field and think about how research can help you pursue your interests or further your future goals. To do this, feel free to explore resources such as Lincus and the faculty section of the website for your major (here’s such a page for MCB). It can also be helpful to engage with the classes in your major—personally speaking, my major coursework really helped me to solidify my interest in microbiology research.
I’ve tried to find mentors but I’ve been turned down… maybe I’m not cut out for research.
It can really sting to find someone who seems like a great potential mentor only for them to turn you down or fail to respond. As hard as that is, part of your research journey will be learning to deal with “no”s and failures—I promise you that it gets less difficult with experience. For now, keep in mind that professors are busy people and they have many reasons to miss or forget about communication—take a breath and follow up with them or reach out to someone else. If a professor says they can’t take you in, don’t take it too personally. Although many professors are excited to work with undergraduates, be mindful that it’s a big investment on their part (especially if they do laboratory work). A lot of the time it has nothing to do with you (e.g., they have a lot of students at the moment and feel that they don’t have the capacity to take another), so focus on the aspects that you do have control over. Confidently communicating your interest, sending well-crafted emails, and building relationships before asking for research opportunities are all things that help assure professors that you and them can develop a fruitful mentoring relationship.
I want to get started in research, but I’m worried it’s too early/too late to get involved.
There’s no such thing as too early or too late! For early-career students, you’re 90% of the way there if you’ve taken the effort to hone in on a well-defined research interest. Your ability to do research doesn’t depend on your age by any means—in fact, many professors would be excited to have more time to mentor you and see your growth as a researcher, and you’ll be better able to move your projects forward and get results if you start over. At the same time, your first priority as a new student is to adjust to college life, develop a good social circle, and keep up with classes and extracurriculars. If you need to, take that time now to set yourself up for success later—research will be there whenever you’re ready.
For late bloomers interested in research, just go for it! Your first research experience can be really impactful even if it doesn’t last for very long, and the knowledge from your upper-level classes will put you in a great position to understand your work from the get-go.
I hope this post was helpful to clear up some of the common questions that many people have surrounding research. Far more than just a resume stocking-stuffer, research can be an exciting, insightful, and often transformative experience, and it’s our goal at OUR to help students access the fantastic opportunities that are available at UConn. Wishing you the best for your research journey!
Darren is a junior majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology. Click here to learn more about Darren.