An undergraduate-designed (and -driven) solar-powered catamaran.
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1. Make a list of the subjects that really interest you and
that you’d like to explore.
2. Decide what you could gain from working on
a project—such as simply learning more about
a field of study, being better prepared for a future
career, and working closely with faculty and graduate
students who can offer professional guidance and
mentoring.
3. Check out UCSB web pages to identify researchers
working on projects that interest you. You might
want to sit in on an upper-division class to get
a sense of a subject’s scope.
4. Tell your professors of your interest after class
or during office hours. Make a specific appointment
to discuss.
Before your appointment, read about the general research area and,
perhaps, read one or two published papers
before your meeting.
Develop a description of up to a page explaining why you want to do
research and why a faculty mentor should want to work with you. Include
information on your major, if you have identified it; background courses
you have taken; and time availability and commitment (number of quarters
you will be available; hours per week; times available). Be sure the
faculty member knows how to get in touch with you.
5. Click on Contacts or
talk with the academic adviser in your major. (And don’t limit
your thinking to just one discipline. Most UCSB professors work in
at least two fields, and 30 percent of faculty members have appointments
in more than one department.)
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