r/columbia • u/No-Extreme4491 Barnard • 8d ago

advising Freshman interested in CS research. Tips?

Hi! I'm a freshman studying CS and am interested in getting involved in research, but I'm not entirely sure where to start. I've emailed a few professors but haven't heard back yet. I do have prior research experience and have authored published papers, so I'm not completely new to research.

Is getting involved in research as a freshman particularly difficult, or does anyone have advice on how to get started? Would really appreciate any tips. Thank you!

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u/No_Many_5784 SEAS 7d ago
  1. Go to office hours
  2. Talk to PhD students, for example your TAs or emailing the first authors of recent papers that interest you
  3. Take classes from faculty whose research interests you

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u/Inner-Letterhead7731 CC '30 8d ago

ı am also a freshman, but I think you may need to send follow-up emails. Profs are usually too busy and they will forget your email right after a second they receive. But if you follow up in like 2 days etc. I think you will get an answer

not sure whether they will give you the opportunity, but definitely you would increase your chances of being seen

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u/broncosauruss Grad SEAS 1d ago

Don't email. Go in person. My advisor receives over a 100 emails a day so a lot get missed/buried. Professors will remember you though if you talk to them face to face.

Find the professors doing research in what you want to do research in and swing by their office hours or after one of their classes. Also prior publications don't matter as much as the quality and impact of prior work published or not.