Is it possible to change fields mid-project without damaging relationships?

[Emmanouil]

I am about a month off of starting my Honors year at university (essentially an extra undergrad year aimed at getting students ready for research) and since I was very eager to get into research, I went around my department 6 months ago asking for a supervisor and found a project joint by 2 supervisors who I respect and are very strong in their respective fields. After spending the past few months bogged down in my classes I finally got around to researching the project only to find that while I thought I enjoyed the field I find it bland and uninteresting which has made me a bit depressed at the prospect of having to commit to this for a whole year after next month. As a result over the past few days I have been thinking of swapping to another field which I believe is more 'meaty' and that I would enjoy more (I am already on good terms with a supervisor for that field) but at the same time I don't know if it is a sort of academic suicide for me to drop this project and build bad blood between my previous supervisors as I respect them and have nothing personal against them. Essentially, is it possible for me to swap fields to something I actually enjoy while staying on good terms with everyone?

 

[ZapperZ]

The one thing about being an "adult" is that you are true to your word.

Presumably, you made a commitment to these professors to do something. Put yourself in their shoes and imagine what you'd think if you try to pull this with them.

This is not a death sentence. It is not as if you are going to be stuck in this area for the rest of your academic life. Instead of thinking if it is interesting or not, you should be thinking of the type of experience and skills that you'll be getting out of it. Instead of thinking on how to abandon it, think of what you can get out of it and how to maximize the benefits and useful things you can acquire.

We ALL have to go through the experience of doing something that we don't have that much of an interest in. It is about time you learn this aspect of life that you will encounter many times.

Zz.

 

[Emmanouil]

I understand what you're saying. I definitely would not have done it if I had already asked them to invest a significant amount into my project, however it hasn't begun yet and the furthest that the project has advanced is to recommending papers for me to read so I would say that their current commitment is negligible, while I have been researching and finding myself quite unhappy with the situation. Is this the reality of the situation; they won't understand my position at all?

 

[ZapperZ]

I understand what you're saying. I definitely would not have done it if I had already asked them to invest a significant amount into my project, however it hasn't begun yet and the furthest that the project has advanced is to recommending papers for me to read so I would say that their current commitment is negligible, while I have been researching and finding myself quite unhappy with the situation. Is this the reality of the situation; they won't understand my position at all?

1. Have you taken a period of time from the moment this project has started? You may not have done much, but what was the starting date of the project, or how long since you made the commitment?

2. Have you taken away a place that they could have given to someone else?

If I'm looking for an intern, and this is what you tell me, I will not hire you, because you'll only do what interests you, and abandon the one that don't.

Zz.

 

[Emmanouil]

1. The project is scheduled to start next month, I was just looking out for a project that I thought would have been useful to me.
2. Not at all.

Thanks

 

[Choppy]

Probably the first thing to consider is whether this new field will truly be what you think it is, or if in another six months you'll be back in the same position, wishing you had done something else. I realize that as an undergrad it can be difficult to know whether or not you're really interested in a particular field, and that sometimes, what you think something is about isn't what it really is about when you dive in. In fact, often, that's one of the big reasons to get involved in research as an undergraduate in the first place - to learn about your own preferences. But on the other hand, to an outside observer, such as myself, it seems that you've lost interest before you've really gotten started.

Secondly, a lot of potential frustrations or negative feelings can be avoided by having a direct and honest conversation with your current supervisor(s). Book some time with them and let them know how you're feeling and why. Any uncertainty as to how much work they've put into the project already can be resolved with a few direct questions. (For the record, setting up an undergraduate project can involve quite a bit of work for the professor that you don't see. It's not always easy coming up with a project that has a reasonable endpoint for someone who has to climb a learning curve.)

That said, most professors are well aware that undergraduates can be fickle and may need to explore other options. In most cases, if you're professional and up front about your concerns and feelings they will be the same way. It's not ideal to have a student back out on you, but in my experience, that's better than struggling with a student who isn't engaged with the project.