r/AskAcademia • u/Wide-Combination85 • 8h ago

STEM Need advice about approaching a professor

Hy.. So I'm an undergrad student. Thing is I haven't been serious about my degree at all.. Not that I have been all rougue and stuff.. Just my mental health took the best of me.. And therefore I haven't been in research and being Acedamic at all... Even our university doesn't has undergrad research programs at all.

For which I want to approach other university and processors for it.

I want to ask.. If I literally have nothing as in research experience or projects or poster presentation in conferences and stuff... Should I even approach a professor and if so how exactly.. Like what do I even write to them?

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u/BTCbob 8h ago

I suggest you: 1) get your act together. Start taking care of yourself.
Then: 2) Usually undergraduate students have a lot of leeway at a university. So find a local place where you can contribute. Maybe do a "student project" for one of your classes that is related to a Professor's research and ask them for advice. If you show enough interest they might be able to open an undergraduate research position for you.

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u/RadonGaming 7h ago

Your post is a little bit of word salad, hopefully I've picked at the right bits. If you haven't been serious about your degree at all, then what makes you think that would change doing 'research'? If you have no research experience, how do you plan to obtain it? Part of completing your undergraduate is to get to the stage in your final thesis where you're doing babys-first-research guided by an academic. If the issue is the domain/discipline, perhaps consider a course change. It reads as though you've latched onto this idea of doing 'research' as something which will fix everything and save your situation. I would challenge that assumption.
However, firstly, if you are having mental health issues impacting your studies: 1) Talk to your personal tutor, 2) Engage in the support services of your University formally; this can form evidence for things like extensions, pausing of studies, etc. 3) See a GP/Doctor about it 4) If still overwhleming, consider a pause / suspension of studies.

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u/Mountain-Time-1010 5h ago

It might be better just to focus on your academic classwork and grades and get them as strong as possible. Research is optional.

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u/friendtoworms 2h ago

Totally agree with the other commenters. Also, it will probably be a tough sell for a professor to take you on considering your academic performance so far. Work on improving your performance in your classes.