Directed studies at UBC

[thami]

Has anyone done a directed studies at UBC before? I am trying to decide whether or not I should go for it--I have a potential supervisor but would like more information on what the time commitment is like. Would doing a project take up the same (or more) time as taking a non-directed studies course? I suppose this would depend on the individual supervisor, but if anyone would like to share their experiences (good and bad) I'd love to hear them!

 

~thami

[Adversary]

I have done 2 directed studies before... years ago. Man, I feel old.

 

Anyhow, I remember talking to many friends about it. The amount of time needed really depends on the project and your professor. One of my friends just needed to go into the lab once a month. That's it. I, on the other hand, did one during the summer where I was paid for half the week while the other was devoted to directed studies. I was pretty much in the lab full-time.

 

One thing you gotta keep in mind is you need to write up a report and hand it in. I did it under Biology so that was all I need to do. I know that for Biochemistry, you have to do a presentation a la the honors students. Plus, in Biochemistry, the honors students get first dibs on professors. Hence, I went with Biology so I didn't have to wait for them to choose first.

 

My second one was arranged with a professor during my unclassified year. I took 3 courses and worked in the lab full-time. The one thing I should caution you on is making sure you define the boundary between school and lab well. I found during that year, I skipped classes because my research went over time. Needless to say, it did hurt my grades a little bit. Looking back, I regret pushing myself in the lab, but I know you get sucked in... hoping that if you push a little more, you might get a paper out of it. Just be aware of this slippery slope issue.

 

I would like to end on a good note. I did enjoy directed studies and it open the door for me into research. Through those, I had the experience that easily landed me a research job when I applied.