undergraduate research

>>8453216

Where are you studying where they expect you to be making undergraduate research? And are you sure there was no miscommunication and the prof actually meant if you're studying something on your own?

>>8453216
bumping for interest

>>8453237

I go to a shitty state uni, but he was talking specifically about a grant for undergraduate researchers, and when I told him I wasn't doing it, he replied with "not yet, huh?"

I hadn't really considered it because I didn't think I was cut out for it, but his comment sparked my interest in it

>>8453248

Do it you fucking pussy loser. Ask him about it.

He clearly thinks that you have the brain cells to rub together to potentially not be a complete waste of space as a human being, which is saying a lot for an undergrad.

>>8453251

okay, but what does it entail and how do I get into it?

>>8453253

Ask him, not fucking /sci/.

>>8453248
Then ask him if he has any opportunities for you.
I'm doing undergrad research. It's pretty boring sometimes but you learn more about your field of interest. A lot of universities count it as work-credit too, so you get to skip 1 or 2 elective classes.
I learnt I don't want to work in a lab. So overall I'd say worth it.

I don't know about how math works, but for lab-based sciences, if you want to go to graduate school then at least a year of undergraduate research is a de facto requirement for admission.

>>8453216
Look up what profs and research heads at your uni are researching, and find one who's researching a project you're interested in. Do some background research of the area on your own, and go to their office. Tell them you've looked into their research and are interested in the area, demonstrating some knowledge of the topic, and ask for a spot on their research team. Send a followup email if you don't hear back.

>>8453253
Probably entails you creating a research proposal (your PI will help with a lot of this) that shows you will be working on SOMETHING followed by submitting it, promising to work on the research 10 hours/week and also do a poster.

>>8453394
>>8453393

not the OP, but curious as an undergrad also interested in the topic. What does undergrad research in fields like mathematics/CS actually consist of you doing since there is no 'lab' per se. If I ask to work on a math/CS research project what is it that you typically end up actually doing? Formatting their LaTex? What does mathematical grunt work actually look like? I can kind of understand how CS would probably be about doing code-monkey stuff implementing their ideas for them.

>>8453216
Usually you sucking off the professor

No not really. Usually you just assist them by doing menial tasks.

I worked with bees and for four hours a week I weighed, tagged and pinned bees. The person I was working under wrote some code in R to figure out some shit about the bees.

>>8453800
i co-mentored someone with a math student once. most of our time was just giving him papers to read, getting him to write small bits of noncritical code, and trying to get him to keep up with what we were talking about

>>8453846
So if I was doing undergrad research in pure maths it would basically just be me reading papers and typing stuff into matlab or mathematica?

>>8453216
Go to one of your mathematics professors, ask if any other professor they know is doing research and could use help. Then you could at first volunteer, and then do an independent study overseen by that professor. Worked for me in neurology and made me a shoe-in for a reputable grad school as I had my name on 10 published papers, three of which I was given full authorship, and on 3 lectures. I started doing research my first semester of my sophomore year.