The Benefits of Undergraduate Research

students working in the fit lab

Undergraduates who participate in research gain a number of benefits over those who don't. They

  • Have the opportunity to put classroom knowledge into practice.
  • Improve their critical thinking skills
  • Learn how to balance individual with teamwork, which is useful in a wide variety of careers
  • Gain a better understanding of what they are learning through hands-on experiences
  • Improve communication skills
  • Develop creativity and problem-solving skills
  • Increase their confidence
  • Have a stronger ability to tolerate obstacles
  • Have the opportunity to participate in new discoveries
  • Better understand research methodologies
  • Develop skills that enable them to function more independently in the field
  • Build mentor relationships with faculty
  • Have an enhanced ability to grasp the philosophy of life-long learning
  • Identify career interests early on and can jumpstart a research career

In addition to the sheer excitement created by intellectual activity, students participating in research become a part of a larger research community. And, because graduate--and many professional school--programs value research experiences for admission, if they decide to pursue research as a career, they are much better prepared and more likely to be accepted into these programs.