Frequently Asked Questions and Glossary

• The Yale College Program of Study (aka “Blue Book” or “Course Catalog”) - this the primary resource for finding classes and accessing requirements for your major remember to check the online system in addition to the hard copy, as courses can be added, removed, or changed subsequent to the book printing.
• Director of Undergraduate Studies - Each department has a designated DUS or several in the case of larger departments. This is a faculty member who has taken on the responsibility of becoming familiar with the courses in order to assist undergraduates plan their coursework at Yale.
• Your academic advisor - In many cases, the DUS will be your academic advisor, however, having another faculty member to get second opinions from is also a good idea. This person may also be your research advisor.
• A Guide to the Biology Major - Annually, the Biology department (E&EB and MCDB) annualy publishes a guide to the biology major. You can obtain a copy from the department office or from the DUS.
• Residential College Deans - These are your academic advisors at Yale, and if you need more advice, especially about confusion regarding the requirements, you should schedule a meeting. Remember to schedule the meeting well in advance, as Deans are always quite busy.
• Upperclassmen / Freshman Counselors - For freshmen, even if your Freshman Couselor is not a science major, chances are one of them is, or at least knows another junior or senior with whom you can speak. Also, remember that any of the YUSBS Board are happy to answer emails.

Majoring in the sciences indeed has its unique challenges. The biology major has many more prerequisites than other majors, and the courses require hard work. Science majors also have a more linear series of courses than humanities, making scheduling often more rigid. The long walk up to Science Hill is for some a challenging aspect, and for others, a welcomed, relaxing walk during the day. Senior requirements are different for those seeking a BS degree, since research project is required instead of a formal senior essay. With those concerns in mind, most biological science majors would not want to be doing anything else, and find it a captivating field of study..

The short answer: With a lot of effort, a probably some trial and error.
The long answer: There are dozens of laboratories at Yale that host undergraduate research projects every year, in addition to the hundreds around the United States and abroad that offer summer internships and fellowships. Finding a good lab is a balance between interesting research and a good working environment. The importance of this second part should not be undervalued, as a positive work situation often leads to better research. In addition to these two factors, you may want to check:

• Size:The lab size suits you (too small and there may not be enough graduate students to help you, too large and you may feel lost in the shuffle).
• Activity:The lab is currently in a state of good productivity and research (a good measure of this may be to check for recent publications from the lab, although that is certainly not the sole measure of production).
• Stability:Make sure you take into account whether your research advisor is a full Professor, Assistant or Associate Professor, Visiting Professor, Lecturer, or Emeritus. Is your professor just getting started? Planning on leaving or retiring soon? Unsure how long he will be at Yale?
• Grad Students:Be sure to meet the graduate students in the lab, since these are the people you will be most likely to work with on a daily basis.
• Undergrads:Check if other undergraduates have worked in the lab, and if so, what their experience was.
• Your Project:Make sure the lab is looking to help you develop your research. Working on an experiment tangent to or in conjunction with another project in the lab is a great way to start out, but make sure that you are getting a feel for the creative process, not simply doing someone else’s work. Think about what the project has the potential to teach you, and to what extent it will develop or tell a story rather than having you do the same thing again and again and again (which is a big part of science, don’t get me wrong - but in the good projects, there’s at least the prospect of moving on to Thing B after Thing A finally works).
• Don’t forget about the Medical School, School of Forestry and Evironmental Studies, School of Public Health, Peabody Museum, Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, and other departments. All of these have active research labs that hire undergraduates.

There are many categories and methods of reserach, many of which overlap and exist as only vague categories, including:

• TheoreticalThis can include modeling of a system using a computer, studying a miniaturized version of a system to develop a theory, or any other type of research that has no immediate concrete goal.
• Field StudyPrimarily this involves collecting various data and samples from a field site.
• Technology/MethodThis involves a practical approach to developing a particular technology or method for future research. The project itself has theoretical value, but its primary goal lies in developing the tools necessary for a later project.
• Applied ResearchThis is research done for a specific practical aim. This includes projects sponsored by corporations seeking to develop a marketable technology.
• Benchworkrefers to working at a laboratory bench, working on assays, genetic manipulations, or other tasks performed at the bench.
• Tissue Culture/Organism CareCulturing a tissue for study or treatment, or raising/caring for organism for study or treatments.

The most important factor here is keep it short. Professors running research labs are often busy, and will not want to (or simply will not) read a long email. Do not send completely identical e-mails to 20 labs. Your e-mail should reflect your understanding of what the lab does, and why you are interested in its research. You will definitely want to include:

• Your Name, Major (if decided), and class year
• Relevant Coursework in biology or the sciences
• Past Research Experience (keep it brief, don’t write an abstract)
• Funding you have available, or funding options you have researched
• Times you are available for meetings during the week

The process of writing good resumes is much discussed on the internet, and there are a variety of resources available. Be sure to get information from a reliable source. Also, your word processing program (Microsoft Word, Wordperfect, etc.) may have tools to help you. Other recommended sources of help on this are Undergraduate Career Services or your College Writing Tutor.

Living costs in the New Haven are on the higher end of the national range. The Perspectives on Science program provides $3400 for the summer, and this amount has been found to be adequate to support living in New Haven for the 10 weeks required for the program. Most grants for the summer are around the $3000-4000 range.

There are a variety of summer sublets available usually. Either from students leaving New Haven for the summer, or students moving away permanently and needing someone to finish their lease. Yale Station and Craigslist are two useful resources for locating sublets. The best source of summer sublet information is the multitude of flyers advertising summer housing that populate the bulletin boards around campus in the early spring.

• Wear appropriate clothing. If you work in a biochemical lab with toxic materials and glassware, be sure not to wear shorts or especially sandals. Some labs also require lab coats to be worn. If you are working on a field study, ask for a list of recommendations for proper gear and equipment.
• Be conscious of where you leave food and drink. You don’t want your food to become contaminated. Labs that deal with radioactive materials (this includes biological tracer isotopes) or severe biological contaminants or toxins have regular visits from inspectors, sometimes without warning. Any foods or drinks found in these designated hazardous materials areas are a serious violation that may cost your lab a substaintial penalty. As an undergraduate, you especially do not want to the cause of this type of problem.
• Have good appliance habits! This cannot be emphasized enough. Remember that you share space in freezers, incubators, centrifuges, autoclave machines, and other large equipment with others in your lab, and possibly the entire building or department. Forgetting to close freezer or incubator doors can put other researchers’ projects in serious jeopardy. Autoclave machines, if not properly set and secured, can in some cases explode, causing serious damage. It is generally advisable to make a paper or mental list of all equipment in the lab you have used during the day and to check each one before you leave the building.
• Try to be neat and organized. As an undergraduate, you may be sharing bench space with other researchers or undergraduates, and certainly sharing equipment with others. Don’t leave a mess or move things around where others cannot locate them.