Research Related Opportunities
There are a number of reasons why you may want to consider conducting research during your undergraduate career. The benefits for undergraduates who get involved in research are many. They include:
A summer research program is an opportunity for undergraduates to get paid to work on a research project for the summer with a researcher. In many cases, participants also take various workshops or seminars related to the research and/or future opportunities such as graduate school. Sometimes these summer research programs have alternative titles such as summer internship or REU - Research Opportunity for Undergraduates.
- hands-on experience exploring concepts learned in the classroom;
- a first-hand exploration into how hypothesis-driven lines of thought are examined;
- practice engaging in critical thinking, numeracy, discipline-based literacy;
- an opportunity to engage in both independent and team-based, collaborative efforts which are both invaluable skills for many careers;
- an opportunity to decide if you like research and might want to pursue a research-related career in the future;
- additional experience that professional schools regard favorably since it can allow for a unique insight into health-related curriculum and literature;
- a chance to work more closely with and provide mentorship from faculty
A summer research program is an opportunity for undergraduates to get paid to work on a research project for the summer with a researcher. In many cases, participants also take various workshops or seminars related to the research and/or future opportunities such as graduate school. Sometimes these summer research programs have alternative titles such as summer internship or REU - Research Opportunity for Undergraduates.
Why Should I Consider Participating in a Summer Research Opportunity?
- There are a number of reasons to undertake research projects in the summer
- As an opportunity to get involved with types of research you may not have here at California State University, East Bay
- To get a chance to see how a national laboratory or observatory runs
- To make contacts at other universities, laboratories, observatories (these may come in handy later if you go on to graduate school)
- To get a different perspective on the kind of research that exists in your field of interest
- To spend a summer somewhere really interesting
You can read more about the importance and benefits of undergraduate research in this 2007 Science article