Is Research Right For Me?

Written By: Nyrobi Whitfield ’26, Research Ambassador

When I first applied to Oberlin, one of the first things I learned about was its prolific research opportunities across several disciplines. For students aiming to go into careers in science, medicine, or other non-stem-related research, research experience can be incredibly beneficial. Amongst my peers, I have felt a sense of stress about whether or not they should or are ready to participate, and I wanted to write this article to provide them with support and answer common questions that I have come across as a Research Ambassador.

Assessing whether you should conduct research

Do you have time to participate?: Research can be incredibly time-consuming and demanding, depending on the project. Before committing, make sure that you have the time and energy to participate to the best of your ability. Talk to your proposed research mentor about the time commitment expectations.

Are you genuinely interested in the research area?: Before attempting to participate in research, ensure that you are genuinely interested in the research topic and working with your proposed mentor. Research is a big commitment and should be an exciting endeavor.

What are your future goals?: Before committing to a lab/project that is focused on a specific research realm, make sure that you have a clear understanding of your interests and whether they align. If you participate in a project that you have no interest in, you will not get as much knowledge out of the experience and may find that a better fit would be with a different project and mentor. The goal is to have fun and get the most out of it!

Do you have experience in the research area?: Most professors prefer for students to have taken one of their classes or have an established relationship with them.

Are you comfortable working individually and/or collaboratively?: Depending on the project, you will be asked to work either on an independent project or in a group under the guidance of the professor. Make sure you are aware of and excited about what is being asked of you.

Are you willing to learn new skills?: In several of the projects I have worked on, I had to learn and even teach myself new skills to complete the project. Conducting research allows and requires you to develop new skills to make you successful in your projects, and that will transfer to new opportunities. Are you willing to take the time to develop new skills and troubleshoot challenges?

Are you willing to read research papers?: The very first thing I had to learn how to do when I first started research was read a research paper. This helps you gain background knowledge and guide your research in certain directions based on past research. It can be very tedious but also incredibly useful. This ties back into the “Are you genuinely interested in the research area”. It is much easier to read a paper on a topic that you like.

The wrong reasons to get involved in research

Professors receive many applications and requests for their labs and can have a hard time vetting which students to accept. Their goal is to find a student who is interested in their field of study, curious about a career in science or research, and eager to work hard and learn. It can be hard to assess students’ true intentions, and, commonly, professors may unintentionally reject those whose goals align with theirs and accept others instead. As an ambitious student myself, I speak from experience when I say that I understand how imperative it feels to bulk up my resume as I prepare for the “grown-up world” outside of Oberlin. One thing that I have had to learn, however, is that filling your resume with random activities that you only participated in for appearances sake is not beneficial to anyone. It is more important to take part in activities that you are interested in and that you believe will help you grow personally, academically, and professionally. To prevent students from missing out on opportunities, it is best to critically consider why you want to conduct research and if now is the right time.

If you have assessed that research is not right for you, that’s alright! There are still plenty of opportunities available to gain similar skills within data and computer science classes, research skills classes, science class labs, and more. Furthermore, just because you are not ready now does not mean that you never will be. Here are some tips to prepare yourself for research in the future:

Thoroughly investigate the labs and projects available to you: Find the lab or professor that relates best to your areas of interest.

Gain a background in the research area: If there is a professor whose research you are interested in, take a class with them or someone else who covers a similar topic. This will allow you to gain the valuable experience and knowledge that professors look for when deciding which students to accept.

Build a relationship with the professor: You should either take a class with them, as advised before, or meet with them in office hours where you express your interest.

Consider whether you want to participate in a long-term or short-term project: when discussing the prospect of research with a professor, make sure to address how long you would like to be in the lab. This will influence the type of project you have.

Consider what skills you would like to gain: When discussing the possibility of conducting research, the professor will likely ask what you hope to gain from working with them.

Consider the type of research you would like to do: Not only are there a variety of labs and professors to work with, but also a variety of ways to conduct projects. Some of the common types of projects include lab work and data analysis. Make sure you discuss what a possible project will entail with the professor.

COME TO RESEARCH AMBASSADOR OFFICE HOURS: Our job is to help students with anything related to research. Whether it be deciding if it is right for you or helping you find opportunities, WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!!!!

Main Menu

Resources For

Is Research Right For Me?