Charles Smith, an Honors College Fellow majoring in exercise science with a minor in medical humanities, draws inspiration from his personal experiences to fuel his research passions. His personal story led him to explore new methods of measuring physical activity, a passion that was not what he thought he would study when he arrived on campus. Charles agreed to share his research journey over the past two years and offer some great tips based on his what he’s learned.
The idea of conducting research as an honors student can be daunting, especially as a freshman. You’re introduced to all of these complex ideas and examples of what students have done in the past, and if you’re anything like me, it constantly sits in the back of your mind. You know you need to start, but where? As a freshman you hardly know any professors, and you may not even be certain what direction you want to go in college. Fear not! You are not alone in this experience. It’s okay to feel uncertain! As someone who came into college with a gameplan only to switch it up completely in my first semester, I’m here to reassure you that not only is research way less scary than it seems, but it may also be just what you need to confirm that you’re following the path that fits you best.
Identify your Passions Early and Reflect Often
Your freshman year should be a time for getting a feel for the major you selected. Your classes won’t consist of the most in-depth, high-level content, sure, but it should be a strong representation of what’s to come in your following three-plus years. Are you enjoying your introductory engineering class, or is principles of biology fun for you? Great, it sounds like you’re enjoying your classes, and I urge you to keep going! If not, I encourage you to do some reflection. Why have I chosen my major? Do I see myself still talking and learning about the content in my classes ten years down the line? If you’re not able to answer those two questions and feel satisfied with your trajectory, keep asking yourself more questions. What are my passions? Will I enjoy my future career path? 
As I sat in my late-night general psychology classes freshman year, I began asking myself these questions. I had gone into college with the plan of double majoring in biology and psychology, going on to graduate and medical school, and becoming a psychiatrist. What did I know about psychiatry? Not a thing. I knew it paid good money and hadn’t thought much about it past that. But the content of the class was not something I was passionate to learn and talk about. I quickly realized that I didn’t want to spend my life discussing psychological theory. So, I began reflecting. What are my passions? Well, I had discovered a great love for exercise. Prior to the beginning of my freshman year, I had lost over 100 lbs in about a year after learning about dieting and exercising. It was something I loved to talk about, and I never passed on an opportunity to learn more. As the end of my first semester quickly approached, I knew I needed to make a change. I wasn’t enjoying my classes, so it was harder to show up, harder to learn, and it was beginning to reflect on my grades as well. Following my passion, I switched my major to exercise science and never looked back.
Changing Your Major: Not as Scary as You May Think
The initial process itself was incredibly easy. After scheduling a meeting with my advisor and explaining my intention to switch majors, she took care of everything for me. Because I was switching colleges entirely (Fulbright to COEHP), I was assigned to a new advisor, but again the process was incredibly easy. I met with him, built my schedule with some classes I was finally looking forward to taking, and just like that the second semester had arrived!
Being able to go to class and enjoy what I was learning about made all the difference for me, and it was reflected in my grades too. No longer did I dread going to my classes, I was now consuming information on topics that were important and interesting and relevant to my personal passions. I’m not saying you must enjoy every single part of every single class to know that you’re in the right major for you. Since switching, I’ve had the occasional class that has been harder to sit through than others. But you should be enjoying most of the content in your major classes, or at least find it interesting.
As my second semester began to wrap up, I knew I had found the major for me. But still, the prospect of research loomed over me. I knew that by sophomore year, I needed to start meeting more professors If I wanted to be on track to begin my research as a junior.
Research: Professors Want You to Meet with Them
So, you’ve found the right major for you, you’re going to class and enjoying the content, and you’re ready to begin chipping away at the process of research. How do you start?
The first thing I’d suggest doing (and what I did) is to go to your department’s directory and start looking at the professors. On each of their pages, a general summary should be included of what they’re researching (if they have ongoing research). Treat this like your own personal menu. Each professor is usually doing something unique compared to the others. Find one that interests you and send them an email! Simply explain that you’re an aspiring researcher who finds their work to be interesting and send them your availability. If they’re taking on new students at the moment, they’ll meet with you and see if you’re a good fit. You do NOT need to have your personal research topic picked out in order to do this. You should be able to explain to the professor what about their research you find interesting, but this is simply a time for you two to get to know each other better.
Did your meeting with the professor go well? Congratulations! You’re now officially on a research team. What next?
Chemistry is Everything
When you’re choosing your honors research mentor, you want to make sure you two are a good fit for each other. As you spend the next semester engaging in their research, helping them or their graduate students if they have any, you should be paying close attention to a few things:
- Do you and your professor have good communication? Do they respond to emails quickly, and do you feel like a valuable and important part of their team?
- Are you still enjoying their research?
- Do you see an opportunity to add to their research?
This is the one thing I wish someone had explained to me as a freshman. Research ideas probably won’t come to you from hours of sitting and thinking about what you want to do. They may come to you from out of nowhere while helping your professor. Or your professor might just present you with an idea of their own.
After spending a semester with my research professor, I was certain that their project was where I wanted my research to originate. Now, my research is focused on observing the differences between cut-point and machine learning data analysis in wrist-based accelerometry. I just finished applying for my first SURF grant and have the next year blocked out for collecting and analyzing data. I look forward to continuing to write about my journey and sharing my experiences with you all!