Internships aren\u2019t the only way for students to prepare for a post-graduate career \u2014 now, more and more undergraduate students are gaining research experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In an increasingly competitive job market<\/a>, students are leaning towards pre-career experiences such as undergraduate research or undergraduate teaching assistantships to help their resumes stand out<\/a>. Some studies have also shown that participation in undergraduate research can increase graduation rates<\/a> for university students and help close equity gaps<\/a> in higher education. At Pitt, hundreds<\/a> of undergraduates participate in research across the University\u2019s disciplines.<\/p>\n Kabba Kargbo, a junior public health student, said student research set him on the right path towards a medical career. However, he said research also built personal skills that he\u2019ll use in his future career, including a boost in confidence.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m definitely not as shy as I used to be,\u201d Kargbo said. \u201cNo matter how poised you are, or what you can do or how much you can achieve, no one will ever be able to know that unless you actually open your mouth and speak.\u201d<\/p>\n Kargbo initially started his research experience in a wet lab<\/a> but eventually realized he wanted to explore different fields of research. After guidance from a professor, Kargbo switched his focus and participated in an independent research program at Pitt with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>.<\/p>\n Laura Nelson, the assistant director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity<\/a>, encourages students of all different backgrounds and disciplines to get involved in undergraduate research.<\/p>\n \u201cResearch doesn\u2019t just take place in a wet lab or a health sciences setting,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cThere\u2019s research that one could do in social work, in nursing, in education. If you\u2019re wondering if research is happening in your major, minor or certificate, the answer is yes.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Nelson, undergraduate research builds some vital skills like cold emailing<\/a>, which students often use to find research opportunities in the first place.<\/p>\n \u201cResearch prepares students for all kinds of postgraduate opportunities,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cWe\u2019re not just talking about graduate school \u2014 we\u2019re talking about internships. We\u2019re talking about career opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n Students like Campbell Toler, a junior psychology major, are gaining professional and interpersonal skills through positions such as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant<\/a> for First-Year Program<\/a> courses FP0001, \u201cAcademic Foundations\u201d and FP0003, \u201cFirst-Year Seminar.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s giving me some really good collaborative skills,\u201d Toler said. \u201cEspecially in a degree like [psychology] where everyone has to communicate \u2014 and [psychology is] very communication driven \u2014 I feel like it\u2019s important to have those stronger personal relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n Brian Cabana, a sophomore biology major, also served as a UTA last semester for BIOSC0150, \u201cFoundations of Biology I,\u201d where he said he enjoyed experiencing education from the other side of the classroom.<\/p>\n \u201cYou never really understand how much work and time and commitment your teachers and UTAs put in [to study sessions and office hours] until you do it yourself,\u201d Cabana said. \u201cI think going forward as a student and as a UTA, I\u2019m just going to be more aware of these [study] opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n Grey Yang, a senior international studies and economics student, said they have had a range of experiences assisting with research at Pitt, mainly in economics.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing I like about research is that you\u2019re learning a lot, but it\u2019s not like sitting in a classroom and having a professor regurgitate information to you,\u201d Yang said. \u201cIn some ways for me, it helped me more than the classes I\u2019ve taken because I need to apply real-world skills and also learn at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n Yang has participated in a variety of projects, from exploring female employment in Bangladesh<\/a> to questioning paternalistic discrimination<\/a> and even helping a religious studies professor write a book.<\/p>\n \u201cI would just recommend everyone to do it,\u201d Yang said. \u201cI can use my strengths as well as make an actual difference in the world, so I feel like it\u2019s an experience everyone should be able to have.\u201d<\/p>\n Carl Sell, the Associate Director for McNair<\/a> and Undergraduate Research Programs<\/a> at Pitt, said undergraduate research is a great way to \u201cfind entry-points into critical discussions in their field early in their careers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCollecting and analyzing data is a critical skill that is necessary in any career, and critical-thinking skills are best honed by practical, hands-on work in a discipline,\u201d Sell said.<\/p>\n Sell believes getting involved in research before postgraduate opportunities, like graduate school, helps build professional skills for any field.<\/p>\n \u201cSpeaking for myself \u2014 and I teach and research English Literature \u2014 the same analytical and communication skills I use to present and publish findings are used across disciplines,\u201d Sell said. \u201cWhile the types of data and their conclusions might change, the skills in exploration, analysis and presentation of findings [are] more similar than different.\u201d<\/p>\n