Rank: Frosh
Groups: Member
Joined: 7/24/2008
Posts: 30
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I'm a current university student, and I realize that if I were to do any kind of postgraduate studies I would need references from profs at university. How do I get to know the profs and do enough goodies for them so I can use them as a reference? Last term I actually applied for this undergrad research assistantship and I found a prof whom I think was ready to accept me, but then I quit (before any contract was signed) because I felt I'd be too busy with my courses. I'm worried that this might happen again. I was thinking about maybe emailing the profs that I'll have courses with but it could be embarrassing if I end up doing poorly in the course. How should I approach this? Thanks.
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Rank: Student Body President
Groups: Member
Joined: 6/5/2008
Posts: 1,758
Location: Edmonton, AB
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I actually managed to get to know one of my profs in first year. I was generally fairly vocal in class (it was encouraged) and did well, so he knew who I was.
It also helps to go to office hours and stuff. You don't have to do stuff for them they just need to know who you are. And then you can see how well you do in the course and ask for a reference later.
University of Alberta - Mechanical Engineering '11
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Rank: Student Body Vice-President
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/5/2008
Posts: 776
Location: London (UWO)
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Send profs who do research that interests you an e-mail stating that you would like to volunteer for them. A lot of them have so much work that they'd be stupid to not want an undergrad to do their most remedial stuff. With a volunteer position you aren't as committed as you are with a paid position, and, because every little bit helps, if you only want to do 5 hours a week, the prof isn't likely going to turn you down.
One of my friends had an NSERC with a prof the summer after first year. In second year, he hooked up one of my other friends with a volunteer position with that prof. Both of them are now starting their Master's theses (through an honours thesis [they are both only fourth years]) with that prof... and both of them have been published already. Until now, they have only been doing simple things (e.g. one was training cats, the other was looking at microscope slides). What you do will probably be similar: boring, but you do have to start somewhere. You'll end up with a good reference, research experience (which shows graduate schools that you have an interest in research), and, like job shadowing, you should be able to guage whether or not research is for you... plus you get to meet profs and grad students. That prof I talked about above was cool enough to chase a friend we dressed up as a leprechaun (for St. Patty's Day) out of his class. And through knowing grad students, you learn a lot about life as a graduate student.
Honours BMSc Specialization in Medical Science, Minor in Psychology UWO '09
Bachelor of Pharmacy Alberta '13 ???
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Rank: Valedictorian
Groups: Member
Joined: 5/22/2008
Posts: 679
Location: Kingston, ON
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stand out... go to office hours, talk in class, do well, be friends with the grad students.. they'll notice you for sure.
ask only profs who know you well. A neutral reference is not a good sign.
if you're stuck ask the departmental secretary for help. I know queen's has the dept head write you a academic reference based upon your transcript if you aren't friends with a prof.
BAH '08 (Queen's) MA'11 (Queen's)
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