- #1
redflactober
- 8
- 5
Hello,
I'm more stressed than anything else. This post is somewhat just venting.
When I first came to undergrad, I didn't know what field I'd want to go in. In beginning research, I just took advantage of my university's affiliations and spent time at the National Maglab. Here I used continuous wave EPR measurements to characterize the magnetic anisotropy of various paramagnetic biomolecules. This didn't result in anything major, but my PI wanted me to at least present a poster on the in-situ two-axis capability of the cavity we used for measurements, it wasn't even anything novel. I used MATLAB scripts to analyze spectra, and fit anisotropy parameters. Pretty basic stuff I suppose.
I then switched after a year to do work at the John Fox Lab. I measured 29Si(d,p)30Si reactions to make Jπ assignments for mirror states of 30S above the alpha-threshold. This was relevant to reduce uncertainty in Type 1 X-ray burst models. I did a lot of work with the Split pole spectrograph we used, and oversaw the data acquisition process during my campaign. Lots of electronics and data analysis involved from the start until finally getting proper assignments with uncertainty propagation. I'm actually writing a thesis on this work now, as I had to choose a topic for an honors thesis at the end of 2024.
This is where I did some looking into what I want to research in grad school, as I just started my senior year this semester. After lots of time, influence from the numerous deaths in my family since I started undergrad, and pure amazing alien-like behavior of cells, I decided I wanted to study physical cell biology. That is, how physical ingredients like intermolecular forces, fluctuations, and crowding scale into the structures and behaviors we see inside cells. Quantitative biology is exciting, and I would get to use analytical methods that I find so interesting from the classes I take. In my SOP I talk about how I aspire to build models of organelle regulation at DOE sites, such as the EMSL. After 4 months of daily thought, I believe I have a firm grasp on what I truly want to study for the rest of my life.
Though I'm stressed because none of my research is particularly relevant. I've been told constantly that what you do in undergrad doesn't lock you into that field for grad school. But one professor who gave an "SOP" talk to the seniors in my class specifically recommended we "Lie like crazy" that we want to continue our undergrad research into grad school (then switch fields when we're there).
Well for one, low energy nuclear structure is not a very big field. I could get by with using this method maybe for ARUNA affiliated universities, but for the places I want to go (Like RIT, Brandeis, Northeastern, Syracuse U, or UBuffalo) they dont even have research in the field my thesis is in. And my experimental condensed matter work was so introductory as a student just starting mechanics 1, that I'd have to stretch my contributions pretty far to sound meaningful.
I don't know, I guess I'm not sure whether I should lie about my interests and claim that I want to do some experimental biophysics work relating to self assembly or nonequilibrium systems. At least that way it's adjacent to my interests and my experimental approaches from undergrad seem more connected?
I'm not sure what to do. I joined a biophysics computational group in the engineering department (since my physics department has no biophysics presence) as soon as I realized thats what i want to do, but I only just started and don't have anything meaningful to say about it except that I've done a bunch of parameter sweeps on simulations of helical microswimmers in various confinement geometries, fluid yield. stresses, and propulsion torques to investigate its ability to degelate mucus membranes. This stuff is inspired by how H. Pylori infects people by crossing the gut barrier. It's really cool, but I've only been here for 2.5 months.
I can't get a letter of recommendation from my first research professor, because I barely spoke to him much as he was never there and always. at conferences. I can't geta letter of recommendation from my biophysics research professor because I just started. I can only get my Nuclear experiment professor, and 2 teaching faculty I'm close with to write letters. I have a 3.75 GPA, I've done undergraduate TA work for 4 semesters and counting now, but I feel like my research experiences are so mixed up and unrelated that I wont be able to get into grad schools aside from my undergrad:(
Maybe I'm writing this because subconsciously I'm procrastinating from finishing my SOP. Various programs have even written articles on "How to write a killer SOP", like one from Rice that I keep referencing. They mention that you want to use the CV to mention what you literally did in research, but use the SOP to talk about how that research prepared you for graduate school and what it taught you. I just don't know how to leverage my research experience as preparing or teaching me anything at all about the field people like J. Kondev or L. Mohapatra research in. I've spent 6 days trying to make progress and have only written about everything EXCEPT my past research.
I'm more stressed than anything else. This post is somewhat just venting.
When I first came to undergrad, I didn't know what field I'd want to go in. In beginning research, I just took advantage of my university's affiliations and spent time at the National Maglab. Here I used continuous wave EPR measurements to characterize the magnetic anisotropy of various paramagnetic biomolecules. This didn't result in anything major, but my PI wanted me to at least present a poster on the in-situ two-axis capability of the cavity we used for measurements, it wasn't even anything novel. I used MATLAB scripts to analyze spectra, and fit anisotropy parameters. Pretty basic stuff I suppose.
I then switched after a year to do work at the John Fox Lab. I measured 29Si(d,p)30Si reactions to make Jπ assignments for mirror states of 30S above the alpha-threshold. This was relevant to reduce uncertainty in Type 1 X-ray burst models. I did a lot of work with the Split pole spectrograph we used, and oversaw the data acquisition process during my campaign. Lots of electronics and data analysis involved from the start until finally getting proper assignments with uncertainty propagation. I'm actually writing a thesis on this work now, as I had to choose a topic for an honors thesis at the end of 2024.
This is where I did some looking into what I want to research in grad school, as I just started my senior year this semester. After lots of time, influence from the numerous deaths in my family since I started undergrad, and pure amazing alien-like behavior of cells, I decided I wanted to study physical cell biology. That is, how physical ingredients like intermolecular forces, fluctuations, and crowding scale into the structures and behaviors we see inside cells. Quantitative biology is exciting, and I would get to use analytical methods that I find so interesting from the classes I take. In my SOP I talk about how I aspire to build models of organelle regulation at DOE sites, such as the EMSL. After 4 months of daily thought, I believe I have a firm grasp on what I truly want to study for the rest of my life.
Though I'm stressed because none of my research is particularly relevant. I've been told constantly that what you do in undergrad doesn't lock you into that field for grad school. But one professor who gave an "SOP" talk to the seniors in my class specifically recommended we "Lie like crazy" that we want to continue our undergrad research into grad school (then switch fields when we're there).
Well for one, low energy nuclear structure is not a very big field. I could get by with using this method maybe for ARUNA affiliated universities, but for the places I want to go (Like RIT, Brandeis, Northeastern, Syracuse U, or UBuffalo) they dont even have research in the field my thesis is in. And my experimental condensed matter work was so introductory as a student just starting mechanics 1, that I'd have to stretch my contributions pretty far to sound meaningful.
I don't know, I guess I'm not sure whether I should lie about my interests and claim that I want to do some experimental biophysics work relating to self assembly or nonequilibrium systems. At least that way it's adjacent to my interests and my experimental approaches from undergrad seem more connected?
I'm not sure what to do. I joined a biophysics computational group in the engineering department (since my physics department has no biophysics presence) as soon as I realized thats what i want to do, but I only just started and don't have anything meaningful to say about it except that I've done a bunch of parameter sweeps on simulations of helical microswimmers in various confinement geometries, fluid yield. stresses, and propulsion torques to investigate its ability to degelate mucus membranes. This stuff is inspired by how H. Pylori infects people by crossing the gut barrier. It's really cool, but I've only been here for 2.5 months.
I can't get a letter of recommendation from my first research professor, because I barely spoke to him much as he was never there and always. at conferences. I can't geta letter of recommendation from my biophysics research professor because I just started. I can only get my Nuclear experiment professor, and 2 teaching faculty I'm close with to write letters. I have a 3.75 GPA, I've done undergraduate TA work for 4 semesters and counting now, but I feel like my research experiences are so mixed up and unrelated that I wont be able to get into grad schools aside from my undergrad:(
Maybe I'm writing this because subconsciously I'm procrastinating from finishing my SOP. Various programs have even written articles on "How to write a killer SOP", like one from Rice that I keep referencing. They mention that you want to use the CV to mention what you literally did in research, but use the SOP to talk about how that research prepared you for graduate school and what it taught you. I just don't know how to leverage my research experience as preparing or teaching me anything at all about the field people like J. Kondev or L. Mohapatra research in. I've spent 6 days trying to make progress and have only written about everything EXCEPT my past research.