In graduate school, undergrads are gold mines. At times, they can be more excited about my research than I am. When I started my thesis, I wasn’t really thinking about the data collection process. I guess I figured I could do it all myself. Collecting 300 surveys from 300 people and entering all the data from those surveys can take a lot of time. Learning how to delegate some of that work to undergraduate students not only lightens my load, but gives me the opportunity to expose students to the ins and outs of research. Every meeting I have with an undergraduate student is a teaching opportunity for me and a learning opportunity for both of us.
Undergraduate students of psychology need to understand what it means to be a professional in the field. When I was an undergrad, I learned a lot about research by helping graduate students collect data, enter data, and participating in experiments. There were always more graduate students than professors, so if I had a question about my coursework or research, they were always there and ready to help.
Now, it’s my turn to be the teacher. Undergrads look to me for direction, mentoring, and research experience and it’s up to me to oblige. It is really easy to get caught up in my work, but in my position, I have to remember that I have a responsibility to be a resource to others. Besides, undergrads are great to keep around. Not only can they help me with my research, but they always know where all the free stuff is on campus.
