What is the best way to get a research opportunity as a college freshman?

Arushi, I feel like I was in your exact same place four years ago. We all have those general education requirements which have 250+ students and it can feel totally overwhelming and impossible to have some sort of personal connection to a professor. Relationship building is a vital skill to learn and it will serve you well during your time as a student as well as during your time in the workforce.

1) If you haven't already, you should be sitting towards the front of the room. While it may be tempting to sit in the back with your friends and talk, your professor will see your face and will have a better impression of you if you sit towards the front.

2) Participate in class when given the chance. This doesn't mean be the teacher's pet and suck up to them, but if you are given the chance to answers questions in class or participate in a group discussion, DO SO. After you raise your hand and participate, your professor will soon learn your name and it is much easier to have a relationship with a given professor if they are able to call you by name.

3) This really should be number one, but introduce yourself to the professor as soon as you can. Go to their office hours and say hi to them. Tell your professor your name and a little bit about yourself. All professors have office hours so finding 15 minutes to swing by their office for a quick chat really isn't that hard to do.

4) Go to their office hours if you have a question, it'll only help and it will further develop your relationship with the professor.

I wish you the best of luck and I hope this helps!!

Best,

Austin

Hi Arushi, There are a number of ways you can go about getting some research experience as an undergrad. As Austin pointed out to you, introduce yourself to your professors and let them know of your interest. Even if they aren't doing any research at the moment, they may know someone else who is and can keep you in mind for any future possibilities. Next, check with your college's career center. They can often steer you in the direction of research volunteer opportunities/internships, both on and off campus. Also, check your college's web pages. Many colleges have research opportunities either on faculty web pages or a central location such as a "Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program" or something like that. At my undergraduate institution it was called the "Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities". So do some general reviewing of your college's web site to see what you can find. I also recommend looking at specific faculty member's web pages to see what their research interests are - to see if they mesh with something you might be interested in. That can tell you who you might want to approach about possible research assistance type positions . And lastly, talk with your high school guidance counselor or college academic advisor about your research interests. If they don't know about something off the top of their head, they can find out what might be available in terms of research experiences. Below are some websites about how to get involved with research as an undergrad. Check out the National Science Foundation's (NSF) website for research opportunities for undergrads at locations nationwide. Good luck on the road to research!