Tips for Getting Started and Having Success
Understand the environment.
Remember that "research" refers to any time you are working with faculty to create, design, or discover. Also remember that Washington State University is a "research university."
In general, faculty at a research university such as WSU do more than teach classes. What makes a research university different from a primarily undergraduate institution is that a critical aspect of the research university is the creation of knowledge as well as the dissemination of knowledge. That doesn’t mean that every faculty here is working on research, or that faculty members at other schools are not carrying out research projects, but in general that’s a distinction which makes the nation’s research universities different from other schools.
WSU is also a "land grant university." As such for the State of Washington, we balance teaching, research, and extension to the state. And that means you have opportunities to work with world-class faculty in fields ranging from agriculture to zoology, and English to engineering.
"Working with" faculty as your mentor.
Ask yourself why you want to choose to work with faculty on a research project. You’ll be part of a team (even a team of two) with that comes rights and responsibilities. Working on research projects is not a hobby, it’s not something you can do only in your spare time, and it’s not something where the faculty member is there to help you do whatever you want to do on your “pet” project. You’re entering into a mentoring relationship.
It's important to know that different faculty and fields have different standards and expectations. And that means there are different ways of working with faculty ...
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volunteering
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working for academic credit (either a 499-numbered course or for a specific course)
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working for pay. This includes ...
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hourly "timeslip" work
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stipend-supported work where you receive a fixed amount as a scholarship
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work-study support where the government matches the hourly pay from the faculty.
Finding a mentor.
To find someone you might be interested in working with, you should begin by checking out research (scholarship or creative activity) faculty members are doing. You need to research them.
Start with a Web search. And, use the search function within the website.
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Tip: Universities are organized into various colleges, schools, departments, centers, institutes, laboratories, and a host of other categories. And, they may not be named what you think in terms of research. For example, at WSU we don’t have a department of cancer research, or a school of alternative energy, or a college of biofuels. But we do have faculty in all these areas.
Talk with others to find the names of possible mentors--ask other students or a professional advisor in your department.
Go to some of the on-campus "poster sessions" where students are presenting their work.
Etiquette and good first impressions.
"Be prepared" is more than a general admonition. It is the best way to approach a person new to you who may turn out to be your mentor.
When you find the name of someone you might be interested in working with, it's usually best to email or call them as a first step.
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Introduce yourself briefly
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State briefly but clearly that you are interested in their field and specialty, and in their work, in particular. Be sure to have done your homework about what exactly they do!
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Ask if they are interested in help on their research projects.
If the professor and you decide to meet in person ...
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Prepare and bring a copy of your up-to-date resume.
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Be ready to discuss your background, skills, and motivation for working.
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Know how many hours you can work on a project each week. Bring your class schedule.
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Be clear about when you want to participate--during the school year or in summer, or both!
Keep your enthusiasm.
You’re going to be working on projects that don’t necessarily have an answer (or we’re not sure yet what it is, which is why we’re working on it). So you need to be prepared to work on open-ended projects. You might well go down some dead ends. This is part of the process that all researchers go through; remember this when the going gets tough.
You're a "student first."
You need to remember that being a student researcher is just that: you are a student and a researcher. The student part can’t be diminished--your advisor should expect you to be working on classes, getting good grades, and moving toward your degree. These are vital to balancing a successful undergraduate research experience.
We’ve found that students working in an active research group sometimes show improvements in GPA, and sometimes decreases; there’s no one “right” way to balance your research activities with coursework, but keep in mind the balancing is part of the learning experience.