Can I do Intel STS without being in a lab or having a mentor?

thebioguy
Sat, 07 Apr 2012 21:37:01 +0000

Background:
So, last summer, I did research in a lab involving biochemistry and such. I came up with an abstract and such but was not able to finish my experiment due to the high cost and time length. So, I basically helped conduct the experiments of other graduate students and analyzed the results with them.

But, I decided what I really want to do is physics. I’ve taken AP Bio, Ap Chem, Ap Enviro, Ap Comp Sci, and Ap Calc, but haven’t taken AP Physics yet. I’m either going to take General Physics I over the summer at a college and take Ap Physics C during 12th grade or self study one or some combination of that. I’ve been reading physics books though just on my own throughout 11th grade.

Thus, since I haven’t completed any formal physics class, it would be highly unlikely that any professor would take me in. And the physics class I want to take is from 1-5 o’clock so no labs would fit my hours. So I was wondering is it feasible to complete a physics science paper on my own? I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could link me to an intel paper about physics with a mentor/lab and one without one.

Or, do you think it would be better to just extremely thoroughly research some professor’s topics and try my luck emailing them? So I would be self studying physics while doing labwork?

Thank you.