For STEM parents…

[Anonymous]

DS, currently a freshman, is interested in doing research and entering fairs but doesn’t know how to go about it. Didn’t do any science fairs or anything in MS and we live in a pretty small town so there aren’t many options. How can he get started? So far, he just reads and watches videos about physics (his intended major) but isn’t really advanced enough to conduct research. However, he has completed high school physics and is planning to take dual enrollment physics next year (probably equivalent to AP physics, which our school doesn’t offer). Should he start by interning in a lab or something? He is worried that it will be too late if he waits until junior/senior year.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I would serach for HS Science Fiar projects and see the different internet responses, there are plenty of topics that he can research at a grade appropriate level. He does not have to be thinking of doing something that gains national attention or anything along those lines. Then enter one and see what the feedback is. Or maybe attend one and see what other kids are doing and how people are responding to them.

[Anonymous]

PhD engineer here.

I don't really see how you can do physics research with a lab virtually. If he can physically go to a lab I think he should do that (I started volunteering in a lab my sophomore year of high school).

If in person is not possible, computer programing/data science is needed for most physics these days so I'd recommend leaning in on that for sophomore year and seeing if he can find a virtual data science research internship for summer 2025.

He can do experiments at home for fun, and those experiments should be fine for school science fairs, but, honestly, it won't be anything like academic research or real physics careers.

Note, this is also WAY too late in the year to investigate summer internships for this year. I picked up mine for this upcoming summer in the late fall.

[Anonymous]

PP. Clarification: I selected/accepted my summer 2024 paid summer students in the fall of 2023.

[Anonymous]

PP again. Wow my memory is not good. And while I'm embarrassed by my error I think it is VERY important I correct it. Sophomore year I did volunteer work but it wasn't until the start of SENIOR year of high school that I volunteered in a research lab. I know times have changed and the pressure feels high but he will be okay!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS, currently a freshman, is interested in doing research and entering fairs but doesn’t know how to go about it. Didn’t do any science fairs or anything in MS and we live in a pretty small town so there aren’t many options. How can he get started? So far, he just reads and watches videos about physics (his intended major) but isn’t really advanced enough to conduct research. However, he has completed high school physics and is planning to take dual enrollment physics next year (probably equivalent to AP physics, which our school doesn’t offer). Should he start by interning in a lab or something? He is worried that it will be too late if he waits until junior/senior year.

Thanks!

One thing he can do is prepare for the f=ma exam and USA physics Olympiad. I suggest he learn the very basics of calculus (what a derivative is, what an integral is https://www.3blue1brown.com/topics/calculus https://betterexplained.com/calculus/) and then go through a basic calculus-based physics book like Physics for Scientists and Engineers by Knight.

https://knzhou.github.io/writing/Advice.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS, currently a freshman, is interested in doing research and entering fairs but doesn’t know how to go about it. Didn’t do any science fairs or anything in MS and we live in a pretty small town so there aren’t many options. How can he get started? So far, he just reads and watches videos about physics (his intended major) but isn’t really advanced enough to conduct research. However, he has completed high school physics and is planning to take dual enrollment physics next year (probably equivalent to AP physics, which our school doesn’t offer). Should he start by interning in a lab or something? He is worried that it will be too late if he waits until junior/senior year.

Thanks!

Learn programming and program simulations of physics.

There your best option if your can't travel to a lab.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS, currently a freshman, is interested in doing research and entering fairs but doesn’t know how to go about it. Didn’t do any science fairs or anything in MS and we live in a pretty small town so there aren’t many options. How can he get started? So far, he just reads and watches videos about physics (his intended major) but isn’t really advanced enough to conduct research. However, he has completed high school physics and is planning to take dual enrollment physics next year (probably equivalent to AP physics, which our school doesn’t offer). Should he start by interning in a lab or something? He is worried that it will be too late if he waits until junior/senior year.

Thanks!

Learn programming and program simulations of physics.

There your best option if your can't travel to a lab.

Try to stoke his interest in the field of computer science. There are many free resources, like YouTube videos.