Question 1

When did you get into research?

Accepted Answer

The first experience I had with research was in high school through a marine biology research program. Although I didn't end up pursuing marine biology, it was still so helpful to gain experience with research in general (pilot testing, collecting data, analyzing and presenting results). If you are struggling getting research experience in your specific area of interest, I would definitely suggest broadening your search and working on something a little different than what you may be used to. You will still learn invaluable skills if you go into it with the goal of learning!

Question 2

How do I narrow down my research interests?

Accepted Answer

This has always been hard for me because I love big picture questions. But it's important to think of a few specific questions that you want to answer. I would start by reviewing recent papers in the field you are interested in (i.e. cognitive psych, social psych, developmental psych). Write down any follow-up questions you have to the research that was conducted (i.e. What if this research was done on a different population? What if they changed this independent variable? What other variables might be influencing these results?). From there you can start categorizing your questions and hopefully you'll find a running theme. Start big and narrow it down. Write down any and all questions that you have, no matter if you think they're "bad questions" or "not important" - there is no such thing, I promise.

Question 3

How do I connect with my professors?

Accepted Answer

I was always a fan of attending office hours. While that may be harder to do in an online environment, even just sending them an article you found interesting and your takeaways can be helpful. I think most professors just want to get a sense of your interests and if they are genuine. Definitely schedule a meeting or show up to office hours with the goal of chatting to them about their research interests, your own interests, and seeing if they have any positions in their lab that would be a good fit for you. Even just asking to join their lab meetings can be a great start to get a feel for the lab and to help you stand out.

Question 4

Can I get paid for research?

Accepted Answer

First off, I'll start by saying many of my research positions were unpaid in college. Unfortunately that is still a pretty typical practice however at a lot of colleges you usually can get course credit. The one paid opportunities I had in college was for an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) at my school. I applied for this and had to submit a project proposal along with a proposed mentor. Depending on your school these can be competitive so it's usually good to develop a relationship with your mentor before you apply. If you are applying for a research position, always ask if they have funding for a paid position. It never hurts to ask. Especially if you are a bost-bac. I would also suggest joining any sort of psychology club if you are in school. These will usually send out job postings where you can look to see if any are paid and a good fit for you! Check out my "Resources" page for more info on scholarships and grants.