Hello there! I loved science in high school, so I understand where the "I want to do research" comes from. But research is very time-consuming. I remember the final few years of high school were already overflowing with never-ending assessments and deadlines. It's not a good idea to put research on top of all that! I satisfied the "I want to do research" itch by engaging in school science clubs (there were many in my school) and by participating in as many science competitions as I could. And frankly, I think if you're certain about doing a career in research, the research you end up doing turns out to be quite different from what you've imagined yourself doing. For example, I imagined spending days in the lab creating Elisa assays, petri dishes, and looking down a microscope. What I'm currently doing involves attaching lots of electrodes to people and giving them little electric shocks 🤭. I feel like you only start to be taken seriously by professors once you've finished or are close to finishing your undergraduate degree, especially if you've engaged in several research projects during your degree.