You will experience research in all aspects from beginning to end: an idea, literature research, hypothesis development, fieldwork, lab work, sample and data analyses. You will also synthesize this information and communicate it.
You will be trained in specific procedures and the use of instruments, which are important skills to have.
It may seem far away but you will need letters of recommendation for internships, grad school, future employers even unpaid internships. I will be able to provide more meaningful letters when I can report on self-motivation, team work, diligence and resourcefulness.
But consider this:
Research takes time, effort and self-motivation.
Your research project might turn out differently that you had expected. For example you might disprove your hypothesis or have to redo an experiment 3 times.
You might find some aspects tedious (hours of literature research, repetitive lab work, fieldwork during freezing rain).
Generating knowledge is very different from learning about what is already known. It might feel like leaving solid ground.
We take small steps and often only add a small piece to a mosaic rather than finishing the entire piece.
Still interested?
Wonderful! Download the undergraduate research manual for more info.
Contact me early (several weeks prior to the start of the semester), my lab group fills up quickly.
