How to get research positions at Skidmore

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Skidmore chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

One of the best parts about being at Skidmore is the countless opportunities for research, even if you’re a first-year. Professors want students involved, and labs are a great way to become involved. But, people don’t know that labs aren’t only about the research and boosting your resume, but also about discovering where you want to go in life. 

When I first came to Skidmore, I was set on either Chemistry or Biology. I was invited to join a physical chemistry lab focused on climate change after taking chemistry in the first semester, where the research would start in the second semester. I jumped at the chance. I was a part of a collective team finding which particles are present in the climate change studies we performed, and I really felt accomplished. The work was very challenging, but also extremely exciting. I loved it, and loved even more to see how hands-on research works at the college level.

But, I then took Comparative Politics and International Relations, and something clicked in me. The discussions about the international system, democracy, and global structures, all really grabbed my attention. With this, I felt a shift in what I really wanted to pursue. I then started to delve deeper into Political Science, and am now doing research in comparative politics, diving into questions regarding how genetics in war can be weaponized. 

Research at Skidmore is all about exploration. Sometimes it can confirm your interests, and sometimes it can completely change them. But, no matter what, you grow. 

If there’s anything I would advise you to do, it would be to reach out. Emailing a professor that you enjoy their class and are wondering if they have any open research positions can get you far. And to be fair, that’s what I did, and it ended up in me being the research assistant to my favorite professor. Even if it doesn’t work out the first time, be open to new research positions as well, because they may open your eyes to something new.

Whether you end up in a lab coat or analyzing countries’ dynamics, research at Skidmore can be a great help to discover yourself, your interests, and your future.