The new FAFSA automatically pulls income information from your tax returns. From reading on other threads, I understand that if it did not ask you to input assets, that means your income was low enough that you will qualify for the Pell grant without having to input your assets.
I took chem 1 in the fall and I’m in physics 1 now. I didn’t come in with any AP credits, so the only “boost” I got was testing out of writing 1 and into calc 1 last semester.
I didn’t know freshmen could get research positions, I’ve heard people talking about sophmore year/summer after as the starting point because that’s when you’ve actually learned how to do things.
They can determine that without any of my personal information (beyond the have you been homeless, etc, ones)? I didn’t file a tax return last year, so it has nothing on me, just apparently very limited info on my parents.
Yes freshmen can definitely get research positions. Some professors even prefer younger students because they invest a lot in training you and then it’s nice if you can stick around for a few years. I started doing research as a freshman, and my kid is as well. You have to be proactive but I’ll be surprised if you can’t find a position.
That is a great way to challenge yourself. Sometimes you start out doing things that are boring or feel like chores, but you’ll be given more responsibility as you prove yourself. There will be plenty of things to learn; a great way to do so is to read your lab’s own publications.
ETA: I’m a professor and I usually only take freshmen and sophomores for research positions. In my field juniors and seniors are often looking for a rubber stamp for med school and don’t actually care about the work. I’d love an ambitious freshman who has a sincere interest in the lab’s research.
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You’re going to find your college years very unsatisfying if you’re basing your information on “heard people talking”. You have actual professors in your life! Go talk to them! Explain to them what you want to learn and see if there’s a spot on their research team.
Like I said- it’s time to invest at least as much time in fixing your current college as you’d need to expend in order to transfer.
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By “people” I mean my advisor and professors, not just other freshmen. All the professors but one I’ve met so far are assistant teaching professors, so I don’t know that they actually do research (other than my economics and history professors there’s no papers research projects/interests listed on any of their faculty profiles). Does it make sense to just go to the mechanical engineering department office and ask whichever professor is in there if he can point me in the right direction?
So you’ve already asked your advisor about how you would get started in research?
If your advisor really isn’t helping you… this is what they should be telling you to do (advice is from random school websites but it’s mostly the same):
https://ugresearch.osu.edu/new-researchers/3-steps-getting-started
https://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/students/get-started.html
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You should reach out to every department office- walk in! Introduce yourself! Let them know you are really excited to be part of a team-- how can you get started?
And econ research is really fun-- and if you have any programming skills at all you can probably contribute even as a freshman.
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Your institution probably has some resources and information that are specific to the school, including some special programs you could apply for. I don’t know what school you attend, so I can’t point those out to you, but I’m sure there’s something…
Hey, it’s like a week late but I just wanted to say taking time off sounds kind of nice, but I can only afford to go here because of a merit scholarship for “maximum of 8 consecutive semesters”, which isn’t totally clear but seems like if I leave I might not be able to come back.
Maybe talk to the Dean of students to see.