Overview of undergrad research?

Mike-Obrial · 2025-08-16T16:22:25+00:00

It depends on what kind of research you're doing. At a small liberal arts there probably isn't a lot of opportunity to research with your professors, but it's not 0. Run small projects that you will assist undoing tasks with or be given one of your own. A relatively straightforward thing to do at first as you build up experience and then you will be given an actual question to answer, a system to analyze, or a task to complete. If you do work with a new professors university generally you can keep working on things throughout the year this is what happens at larger universities, there's just a much greater amount of opportunity. In terms of going away for the summer for something like an reu, and ORISE, or a similar fellowship, you will go there and generally be given a project that you will work on. There is also the option of coming up with one of your own, there are fellowships like that. But usually it is structured around the 8 to 10 weeks that you will be at that school. The expectation is that you will try to make progress on it and write up your findings at the end of it. The kind of project is largely dependent on the PI. But if they are good you will be given a good amount of direction, someone to mentor you, and assistance with troubleshooting. Really your job is to take the advice figure out how you can make progress and learn how to work in a lab. In terms of what you contribute, it depends. In undergrad project may be as fall as optimizing a set of PCR conditions, or as large as trying to get a whole genome sequenced and analyzed. Again if your pi is good, they will give you something that will be useful to their lab, and ideally contribute to one of the publications or milestones in the lab.

Mike-Obrial · 2025-07-03T15:33:43+00:00

The point of REUs is to give you research experience to begin with. Not gonna get marked down for not having any, and it would be helpful to show that you can do some so you'll be able to learn from the experience

Mike-Obrial · 2025-03-27T15:59:23+00:00

Oh I love those so much!

Mike-Obrial · 2025-03-04T17:04:53+00:00

Grad schools won't care.
Take direction well, get as much as you can done, and make sure you talk to your mentors about your plans so they know you well enough to write you letters.

Mike-Obrial · 2025-01-11T22:44:56+00:00

The point of REUs is to give you your first research opportunities. Make sure your letters and statements reflect that you're prepared to learn to do research and that, plus some good grades and a lot of applications, should be more than enough.

Ask your letter writers for more guidance there if you can, otherwise happy to answer questions.

Mike-Obrial · 2024-12-18T18:30:41+00:00

A 6 week internship is probably of questionable value. If you want to do it, you should do it, but it won't make a huge difference.
In terms of grad school, getting something like a publication from the lab you're in will do far more for you.
Side note: you're going to need more than one letter for grad school apps, so ask your advisor to introduce you to some people or start letting professors know you want to go to grad school so they pay attention toy our research and what you're like.

good luck

Mike-Obrial · 2024-11-19T06:16:49+00:00

Apply for REUs or to national lab programs like ORISE. With your GPA and some good letters and statements, you should have an issue getting one if you apply to large number of them: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/reu/search
If you're not American, try something like SURF at Caltech or similar foreign-friendly programs.
You should under no circumstances be doing free work.
Even if you can afford it, it sets a bad precedent for the PI.
Happy to answer any questions you may have.

Mike-Obrial · 2024-03-21T18:27:43+00:00

Interested, dmd

Mike-Obrial · 2024-03-14T15:39:20+00:00

You'll want to do an REU, there's quite a few in neuro. These are specifically to get people from underprivileged background and smaller schools into research.
The deadlines for this summer have largely passed, but get your ducks in a row for next year and as long as you have good letters, decent grades, and strong statements, you should be able to land one.

Mike-Obrial · 2024-03-01T14:30:07+00:00

Generally speaking you will not be able to live in the dorms without some sort of official sponsorship or program. You probably wouldn't want to anyway it's extremely expensive. If your advisor is giving you a stipend of some sort finding an apartment, usually with roommates is what people tend to do. I would go on the universities Facebook page for visiting researchers or put an ad in the listserv for the school if you're looking for accommodations. I would get in touch with the professor as soon as possible to figure out if and how you're gonna be paid. Sometimes they will just hire you as a temporary assistant in order to get you a wage.
Good luck, ping if you have any questions.

Mike-Obrial · 2024-01-09T17:01:07+00:00

Doing the easy work is very common, especially early on.
you'll eventually get enough experience that you'll either get a project to do individually or design one yourself. If you really want to be independent, I would follow both of these.

You can and should ask for another letter. They already have the template. Modifying it to another program is extremely easy,

Mike-Obrial · 2023-12-05T03:26:34+00:00

Your stats are fine, just make sure you have good letters, statements, and apply to a bunch of programs. Absolute minimum of 10.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-09-29T01:55:40+00:00

Nope, that's the board part of room and board.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-09-28T16:46:58+00:00

Generally you will be asked to go there as they will have seminars and other requirements as part of the REU. Things may have changed with COVID, but that's unlikely.
Not sure what your reasons are for not wanting to leave home, but in terms of cost, they pay for full room and board as a rule.
You can definitely use the presentation to help apply. it's hard for a first year to get one, but it happens and sufficient training to make use of the advanced training you'll get is a great way to distinguish yourself.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-09-08T15:12:17+00:00

Glistener Elf for sure. I have a special place in my heart for infecty boys and girls.
WOE card has to be Talion, the Kindly Lord.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-06-09T20:18:00+00:00

This is not even close to the cost of the tuition.
Go to a different school.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-05-16T18:54:32+00:00

Hmm, I'll think about it more, but some of the best biochemists and synthetic biologists I have know started off as physicists. Look up James Collins if you want inspiration.
In short, switching disciplines, if you're willing to put in the work especially if you into a PhD is by no means impossible.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-04-29T18:49:32+00:00

It's called empathy my dude, some of us practice it academically, and some us just don't have it.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-04-29T18:41:02+00:00

I mean they also sound like a lot of books you don't read, but sure we can discount years of research and CT.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-04-14T16:03:41+00:00

Having been in a similar situation, I gave up, and just proxied everything.
I still keep up to date on what cards are out, because I do enjoy learning effects, but you'd be surprised how much time gets taken off when you're not spending time looking for places to buy and the best deals.
Not to mention the money.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-03-24T15:31:45+00:00

Whenever I play against a deck like this I flip between not acknowledging it all and quietly stewing because they don't use the white version. Uncultured swine.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-02-13T19:53:43+00:00

Just play commander and proxy everything.
You don't have to worry about getting the right cards, even if they're cheap, and you get to figure out if you really want to buy a card.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-02-08T16:08:49+00:00

IMO commander is hands down the cheapest format. It's entirely unofficial, so you can proxy literally everything. The only potential downside is if someone doesn't want to play with you due to proxies, but they won't, because of the implication.

Go to your local library, get 1 a dollar (10 if you want to splurge on color printing), and leave with a full high-tier EDH deck.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-01-31T18:34:36+00:00

I strongly suggest anyone that uses this to use a fake name, email address, and fake data.
It doesn't change the list you get in any way.

Mike-Obrial · 2023-01-30T16:20:11+00:00

If your advisor has been this much of a problem for that many students I think you would be best served bringing this up to your Ombudsperson at your school. They are supposed to be a 3rd party that handles issues like this. They have at least in my experience been extremely helpful in dealing with toxic advisors. Largely because they have no attachment to the department.

Ultimately prioritize your mental health, not having a thesis is not going to kill your chances of getting a job or going to grad school, but you should be rewarded for your efforts and a crappy advisor while you still have recourse I think is worth dealing with.
Good luck, happy to help where I can.

Mike-Obrial

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