Physics GRE Discussion Forums

Hi, guys. I am an international freshman of UIUC. I am currently outside the US and taking online courses. Thank you for spending time on my questions and concerns.

My major concern is about research. Personaly, I really really want join undergraduate research in the summer of my freshman year, which is next summer. I know most freshman don't do research in the first summer. But I have good computation skill and physics knowledge, so I am confident that I will meet the requirement of doing research next summer.

The question is, I can't go to campus this semester, and I suspect that I will not be able to do so next semester too. So let's suppose I can go to campus next summer. Here is my questions:

1. How can I maximize my possibility of getting research opportunity in UIUC when I go to campus next summer. Of course I will try my best to improve my ability, but are there any method for me to enlarge the possibility of geting research opportunity in UIUC?

2. Beside UIUC, I also want to research in other top school, like MIT. So I want to do 2 years research in UIUC than go to a another top school to get further opportunity. How am I going to do that? Should I apply for the summer research opportunity on their website or I seek the opportunity in UIUC that can go to other top school.

Thanks again for your spending time on my questions. If you have any other suggestions for me, I am willing to listen. Hope you stay safe and healthy!

What I did in my freshman year is to ask the professor who is teaching the freshman class if he has a research opportunity in the summer.

After all, you are freshman so you have nothing to start with. Furthermore, with online environment, you won't be able to meet and discuss with many other professors other than the ones teaching your classes right now. Any project is a good project in the first summer, so secure this first one with the professors teaching your online classes this time, and build on the good impressions to get recommended by him/her on your next projects in the future. Do it one by one, i guess.

Nishikata wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 09, 2020 1:17 am

What I did in my freshman year is to ask the professor who is teaching the freshman class if he has a research opportunity in the summer.

After all, you are freshman so you have nothing to start with. Furthermore, with online environment, you won't be able to meet and discuss with many other professors other than the ones teaching your classes right now. Any project is a good project in the first summer, so secure this first one with the professors teaching your online classes this time, and build on the good impressions to get recommended by him/her on your next projects in the future. Do it one by one, i guess.

Thank you for replying me, Nishikata. I am currently taking the course of a nice professor, who is researching in the field of high energy physics. So, should I send a email when this semester finished and ask whether I can do research with him next summer?

you can send an email right now, it won't make much difference.