Discovering undergrad research

Student conducting research

If you asked me three years ago about my college plans, I would have told you that as a pre-med student, I would be studying all day trying to get those perfect scores. Of course, things change once you arrive on campus, and new experiences bring new desires and goals. For me, one of those experiences was undergraduate research. Finding research on campus isn’t hard at all; the University of Illinois is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as having very high research activity. There are tons of opportunities for undergraduates to get involved. No matter which department you’re in, there are plenty of faculty members who are looking for eager undergraduates to help out. For me, it was as simple as going to my favorite professor and asking if he had space in his lab. Luckily, he did and it wasn’t long before I was behind the bench. 

I will admit I was initially intimidated by my research topic. At the time, the only background knowledge I had was some general chemistry and introductory biology; I thought there was no way I could handle the complex research topic that was handed to me. Who was I to investigate free-energy landscapes and protein folding kinetics? Nevertheless, as my project continued, I was able to learn more about my topic and why research in that area was necessary.  I began reading scholarly articles and texts in order to gain a deeper understanding of the material. Once I gained a thorough understanding, I was able to perform my own experiments and make my own contributions to the field. Nowadays, I’m working on an independent project that will serve as my senior thesis.

This past week, I had the opportunity to present at the Undergraduate Research Symposium here on campus. The symposium is a campuswide event that allows students from every college and department to present their research. It was a fantastic experience not only to present my own research, but also to see what other students have done. I presented my topic to fellow students, prospective students, faculty, and even to the dean! In all, it was a rewarding experience that allowed me to display what I’ve learned and accomplished so far. Getting involved in research was one of the defining moments of my academic career here at the university and it showed me how learning doesn’t always take place in a classroom. So I urge all of you to get involved and to pursue research during your time here. Who knows what you might discover?

Blog Source

JONATHAN TAI

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