A while back I posted a rather frustrated entry about my experiance pursing an undergraduate research opportunity. As a result of that post, I was contacted directly by Mrs. Janet McGlynn, who was able to offer me a number of encouraging suggestions. Since them, I have secured an excellent position at the University of Maryland School of Medicine - here's what I learned:
- Being persistant means to try a number of different options, not banging your head against the same few places again and again. Spreading your net wide increases the chances of getting a response.
- Start early. A lot of people take forever to respond to emails and you don't want to be stressed out while you wonder if they've seen your message or not. By starting mid-fall semester I was able to secure a position starting in January without much trouble, but that was a considerably advanced start.
- Don't be afraid to go to the top. I contacted directors of several programs in subjects I was interested in, and often they were able to direct me to others within their departments whom I could contact.
If you have additional suggestions, feel free to add them in the comments section!
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