Jit Hui Tan is a recent graduate who majored in Psychology. She was awarded a Spring 2017 Independent Grant which she used to conduct research on the cultural dynamics of elder care under Dr. Nancy Bliwise.
Embarking on an independent research project evokes many occasions of self doubt and self criticism. Two recurring, and unhelpful, rhetorical questions float around my head frequently: “Why did I put myself through this?” and “I will never make it.” The journey to completion seems long, almost impossible, and yet time seems to fly by and the deadline looms ever closer. Despite this depressing opening monologue, there were very genuine reasons for setting myself on this path. It began with the ambition of having an experience that would be novel, challenging, and set me apart from others. As the term ‘independent’ prefaces, an independent research project gave me the opportunity to exercise control over a research question of interest. Personally, I have a strong interest in the aging population and elderly people. However, there were few psychology research opportunities at Emory that overlapped with my interests. Doing my own research allowed me to delve into a subject that, while I had no formal education of, intrigued me. Luckily, I managed to find a professor/advisor that was not restricted to a particular psychology lab and allowed me free reign to explore my topic of choice: family and cultural predictors of willingness to care and ageism. While there are several days I begrudge not having a full laboratory of graduate students and existing data to support me, I am immensely grateful for having such freedom to shape and mold my project. That, I believe, is very important: let your project be driven by a question that you personally have about the world, because your personal inquisitiveness will sustain you through the arduous times.
Take heart, because along with all the challenges of an independent project, comes personal growth. You learn to reach out and communicate with professors, be comfortable sending out several formal emails a day, schedule and manage your time, be able to outline and map your timeline for the coming few months, find the discipline to stick with it, and, most importantly, accept that plans fall apart and you may not always meet the deadlines you set for yourself.
Learning to commend myself for little accomplishments, like finishing one paragraph of my introduction instead of condemning myself for not having achieved more, helped stem rising anxiety levels.
As my research methods merely involved completing an online survey, there weren’t any glitzy gadgets or technology- just your trusty old laptop. I must admit that this photo makes it seem like data collection was a very lonely process, but it actually was not. I spent a good amount of time communicating with my participants, be it through sending out emails for recruitment, receiving emails from them expressing interest in the study, or communicating with them in the lab. There were a few memorable incidents that stand out. The first was the excitement I experienced when I received the green light to start recruiting. It was right at the start of the Winter break and I had just sent out my first few emails to prospective participants. I still remember being at the London airport waiting for my flight, and among hoards of fellow travelers, I was sitting with my laptop open and creating identification codes for my first few participants. That was my first acute sense of being in-charge and luxuriating in it. The second memorable occasion was when I was in the lab with a participant. After the participant had finished her portion of the study, she started asking me about what my project was about and why I was doing it; she then said she would be very excited to hear about the results. I was so overjoyed that someone else was intrigued and excited about the same questions that I was! It was gratifying and comforting all at once to not feel like my project was silly or useless. As the entire data collection process went on, there were many more occasions of interaction with my participants; they would ask about what it takes to get involved in research, about my own experiences, and so on and so forth. It felt so rewarding to be able to share with others about my journey in Emory and how I got to doing this project. So no, doing an independent research is not glamorous or adrenaline filled- it can be tiring, it can be long and solitary, and it can be frustrating- but it also has its very genuine rewards, ones that have nothing to do with your academic performance.
Here are some additional “tips”:
Visit the Undergraduate Research Programs website to learn more about applying for Independent Research Grants.
Embarking on an independent research project evokes many occasions of self doubt and self criticism. Two recurring, and unhelpful, rhetorical questions float around my head frequently: “Why did I put myself through this?” and “I will never make it.” The journey to completion seems long, almost impossible, and yet time seems to fly by and the deadline looms ever closer. Despite this depressing opening monologue, there were very genuine reasons for setting myself on this path. It began with the ambition of having an experience that would be novel, challenging, and set me apart from others. As the term ‘independent’ prefaces, an independent research project gave me the opportunity to exercise control over a research question of interest. Personally, I have a strong interest in the aging population and elderly people. However, there were few psychology research opportunities at Emory that overlapped with my interests. Doing my own research allowed me to delve into a subject that, while I had no formal education of, intrigued me. Luckily, I managed to find a professor/advisor that was not restricted to a particular psychology lab and allowed me free reign to explore my topic of choice: family and cultural predictors of willingness to care and ageism. While there are several days I begrudge not having a full laboratory of graduate students and existing data to support me, I am immensely grateful for having such freedom to shape and mold my project. That, I believe, is very important: let your project be driven by a question that you personally have about the world, because your personal inquisitiveness will sustain you through the arduous times.
Take heart, because along with all the challenges of an independent project, comes personal growth. You learn to reach out and communicate with professors, be comfortable sending out several formal emails a day, schedule and manage your time, be able to outline and map your timeline for the coming few months, find the discipline to stick with it, and, most importantly, accept that plans fall apart and you may not always meet the deadlines you set for yourself.
Learning to commend myself for little accomplishments, like finishing one paragraph of my introduction instead of condemning myself for not having achieved more, helped stem rising anxiety levels.
As my research methods merely involved completing an online survey, there weren’t any glitzy gadgets or technology- just your trusty old laptop. I must admit that this photo makes it seem like data collection was a very lonely process, but it actually was not. I spent a good amount of time communicating with my participants, be it through sending out emails for recruitment, receiving emails from them expressing interest in the study, or communicating with them in the lab. There were a few memorable incidents that stand out. The first was the excitement I experienced when I received the green light to start recruiting. It was right at the start of the Winter break and I had just sent out my first few emails to prospective participants. I still remember being at the London airport waiting for my flight, and among hoards of fellow travelers, I was sitting with my laptop open and creating identification codes for my first few participants. That was my first acute sense of being in-charge and luxuriating in it. The second memorable occasion was when I was in the lab with a participant. After the participant had finished her portion of the study, she started asking me about what my project was about and why I was doing it; she then said she would be very excited to hear about the results. I was so overjoyed that someone else was intrigued and excited about the same questions that I was! It was gratifying and comforting all at once to not feel like my project was silly or useless. As the entire data collection process went on, there were many more occasions of interaction with my participants; they would ask about what it takes to get involved in research, about my own experiences, and so on and so forth. It felt so rewarding to be able to share with others about my journey in Emory and how I got to doing this project. So no, doing an independent research is not glamorous or adrenaline filled- it can be tiring, it can be long and solitary, and it can be frustrating- but it also has its very genuine rewards, ones that have nothing to do with your academic performance.
Here are some additional “tips”:
- Don’t be hesitant in approaching your advisor or professors for help. As a very kind and wise professor once told me: this is not the time to feel shy, reach out and take what you need.
- Have a group of friends that are on the same boat as you. It helps knowing that you aren’t alone on an (un)sinking boat.
- Take notes of everything you read for your project. This comes in handy when you have to start writing.
- Talk about your work. Talk and talk and talk until you know it inside and out, and in jargon and in layman's terms.
Visit the Undergraduate Research Programs website to learn more about applying for Independent Research Grants.
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