what if I don't have any research experience?

[confused007]

A research-based graduate program sounds very interesting (ie. physiology, neuroscience). However, I don't really have any research experience besides volunteering at a lab in first year. Is it at all possible for supervisors to consider me? Does anyone have similar experiences? What should I do at this point? Thanks in advance for your help.

[youngdad]

A research-based graduate program sounds very interesting (ie. physiology, neuroscience). However, I don't really have any research experience besides volunteering at a lab in first year. Is it at all possible for supervisors to consider me? Does anyone have similar experiences? What should I do at this point? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

I was in the same boat. I lucked out when I emailed a couple of profs that were doing cool research last summer. I told them I had no real experience, but would love to help out any way I could. I got a great position with a prof doing some cutting edge brain research. I started off volunteering for a couple of months. When the school year started my super. suggested a directed studies project so I could get university credit for my time in lab. I have been there for a year now and I am currently applying for a summer NSERC award that my super. said I have a decent chance at.

Moral of the story: if you want to get some exposure to research just market yourself well and confidently to any profs who are doing stuff you are interested in. Timing plays a huge role too. Grad students have stuff that comes up in their research that is not the best way for them to spend their time and don't mind offloading it to an undergrad. If you apply while a grad student feels like they are spinning their wheels on a few things you could get lucky.

Just talk to the profs. And find a nice one, it makes a huge difference. Your inexperience won't matter too much if you get lucky. It will probably mean you get some crappy tasks at first until you prove you can take on other stuff.

[JohnDakota]

Just talk to proffs that are doing research you're interested in. No researcher takes on a fresh graduate student thinking they're going to be independent. They know they're going to have to teach you basically everything. Just be sure you're legitimately interested in the subject because you will be spending the next 2-3 years dissecting it.

[sparkles3288]

Just be honest and make sure they know you are very interested in the research and are willing to put in the time and work for it to happen. Proffs care more about someone who is enthuastic and hard-working than someone who has great grades, tons of expierence, etc (to an extent, of course. And some proffs..although in my expierience a small minority prefer the latter).

 

I know a few people who had NO expierence whatsoever before doing grad school--it took them a little longer to catch onto some basic techniques and such, but they are all doing fantastic..so give it a try =).

[confused007]

Thanks, guys, for your encouraging replies. I think I'm going to try contacting a couple of profs. Is it too late, though, considering that the deadlines for grad school are pretty soon? How early do most people start looking for a supervisor?

[JohnDakota]

Thanks, guys, for your encouraging replies. I think I'm going to try contacting a couple of profs. Is it too late, though, considering that the deadlines for grad school are pretty soon? How early do most people start looking for a supervisor?

 

It's not like med school where students can only start in september. Grad schools go year round. You can start in September, January, or May. So there are deadlines for the formality of being enrolled, however because research is constant i'm sure you can work something out with a proff if you really find one you like and he/she wants you to start right away.