Whether you are a STEM major or not, if you attend a university, chances are that there is research is any and every field. I personally conduct undergraduate research here at Florida State University, and have some input as to why you should try to get involved in research as an undergraduate.

1) Experience

No matter what field you want to go in; regardless if it will not require any research in the career itself, it is an amazing experience. Research will teach you how to think critically in a real-world application sort of way. It leads you to be smarter than just book smart, the type of skills you will obtain from working in a research team will be applicable to any career.

2) Resume Builder

Being an undergraduate research assistant is a huge resume builder! Any graduate school or job knows this, solely because research positions are only given on an individual basis. Usually how someone would go about obtaining a research position is by going to many research lab interviews and facing many rejections. Only the truly dedicated student will persevere until they get a yes!

3) Collaborative Opportunities

As a member of a research team, everyone inputs ideas on a problem the lab might be having. By having multiple people work on the same problem, more creative solutions will come to light in a faster fashion. It also teaches you great teamwork skills, especially by amplifying the fact that you are an undergraduate student and your ideas may be shut down due to a misunderstanding of the concept at hand. This will teach anyone how to take constructive criticism well. And trust me... it won't be like when you had to "collaborate" in high school.

4) Presentation Opportunities

In research labs, it is common for the team to have a weekly meeting. Here, a member of the team will present the research they have been conducting or a scholarly article that is related to their research topic. Sometimes labs will even pick an undergraduate to do the presentation. This helps build public speaking skills, and allows for helpful input on your research.

5) It’s Fun!

Above all, research is fun! While sometimes your academics will not be fun, research is! Instead of worrying about your grade and having that as your main goal, in your research lab, the main goal will be to learn about the topic thoroughly test stress free.