Many Kennesaw State students have been involved in research at one point or another and it has benefited them greatly. More undergraduate students should get involved in research as it helps students stand out in their respective fields and develop transferrable skills for jobs and graduate school.
There are many benefits to being involved in undergraduate research. These benefits include improving performance in one’s major, increased graduate school attendance rates and better success once in graduate school, according to the KSU Office of Undergraduate Research.
It can be very important to conduct research at the undergraduate level, according to Noble Precision. Undergraduate research has the potential to be a catalyst for a long and fulfilling career. An abundance of skills will likely be learned while conducting undergraduate research, giving an applicant with research experience an edge over others.
Many careers require both individual and collaborative work, which is similar to undergraduate research. Undergraduate research can help students learn how to balance working as both an individual and collaborator according to the Penn State University Library.
With approximately 400 to 500 students conducting undergraduate research at KSU, according to KSU director of undergraduate research Amy Buddie, and hundreds having attended the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, it is likely that a new undergraduate researcher could play a big part in a well-represented university such as KSU.
For an undergraduate, involvement in research offers learning opportunities that are not available in lectures. Research gives students the chance to be involved in hands-on problem solving that gives them an advantage over students without research experience.
“Undergraduate research is a high impact educational practice that is associated with a lot of good outcomes for students, including improved critical thinking, problem-solving, presentation skills and writing,” Buddie said. “At KSU, we are really committed to advancing undergraduate research.”
Having research experience can set a student apart when it comes to graduate school applications. Schools have found that those with undergraduate research under their belt to be more impressive applicants than students with only an undergraduate degree.
While it is a common misconception that only STEM students benefit from undergraduate research, that is far from the truth. Researchers develop inquiry and analytical skills that are beneficial to all majors. Research can be conducted in all disciplines, from elementary education to engineering.
In fact, research has been conducted by KSU students in non-stem majors, some of whom attended the 2019 Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference. KSU students from all majors submitted abstracts to NCUR 2019, according to Buddie.
Students involved in undergraduate research have the opportunity to do important work that can make a difference in the world at the academic and professional levels. Several KSU students have published professional research papers on topics that they both value and enjoy.
Students should get involved in research to get a jump start on their next step in life, whether it is graduate school, their career or simply expanding their skillsets. Students of all majors and all experiences would benefit greatly from conducting undergraduate research while at KSU.
