Doing two research projects as an undergrad - crazy?

[DieCommie]

Hello all,

I have been trying to get an undergrad research position for some time, and have now got two offers at once! They are disparate fields and I want to do them both!

Reasons I want to do them both are - One is theoretical and one is experimental and I want to try both of those. Each professor is one whom I will ask for a letter in the coming months. Plus I like both professors personally. And more experience is better, right?

Reasons I may not do both - Time of course. Certainly I need to find the specifics of time requirements, but I think neither will be more than 10 hours a week. I also wonder if either of the professors wouldn't appreciate me dividing my interests...

Of course I will discuss all this with them tomorrow and figure out what I am going to do. I wonder what you guys think. Have any of you done, or know anybody who has done two undergrad research projects at once?

 

[tmc]

Doing two research projects at once sounds like a terrible idea. Choose only one, and if you find you have extra time, then simply spend more time working on that project, which should help you get a nice letter of recommendation. It's nonsense to think neither will be more than 10 hours a week; research projects take as much time as you're willing to put into them (unless you'd be a lab drone, in which case the projects shouldn't sound quite that interesting). If the project is indeed short, then you'll finish it early and could consider working for the other prof once that's done.

If you're not a senior, simply consider doing the other one in another semester / year / this summer.

 

[DieCommie]

Very true. I am leaning against doing this now. I don't know if the second offer I got is lab drone stuff or not, I will find out tomorrow.