Rant: Tell Kids to Stop Bugging Professors for Internships

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a grad student and postdoc in a lab that sometimes got these requests. Thank goodness the PI was nicer than the OP. If there’s a way for the kid to help out/learn something— great! If there’s no spot for them, a polite email explaining that works just fine. It is in no way “rude” for a kid to ask. You are not too good to respond kindly to a teenager’s email (or even ignore it without complaining). And I’ve never heard of research professors who “wouldn’t even work with an undergrad.” 🙄 Get over yourself.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a grad student and postdoc in a lab that sometimes got these requests. Thank goodness the PI was nicer than the OP. If there’s a way for the kid to help out/learn something— great! If there’s no spot for them, a polite email explaining that works just fine. It is in no way “rude” for a kid to ask. You are not too good to respond kindly to a teenager’s email (or even ignore it without complaining). And I’ve never heard of research professors who “wouldn’t even work with an undergrad.” 🙄 Get over yourself.

+1000

+a million.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did a research experience in a summer program in high school. It's a great way to build a pipeline of future scientists.

It's a shame that some professors, who have a cushy taxpayer funded jobs, are so selfish.
You should be creating more programs to expose more high schoolers to research, not just the ones whose parents prepped them into TJ and SMACS.

I am a prof at a private institution. Most higher ed institutions are private.

I had my salary cut during the pandemic.
My retirement contributions were stopped for two years.
I make under 80K a year, and that includes overloads, grant funding, and other extras that are not part of my salary.
I work my ass off. Even the summer, all 12 months.
Cushy, it is not.
If I were not married to a high earner I could not do my job and support my family.

My job is helping to advance the education and lives of college students with fewer resources (which is the demographic of most of my students). My primary obligation is to give THEM opportunities. And though I don't, my colleagues do have opportunities for younger under-resourced kids in the pipeline. But there is a process, and it is not emailing faculty cold.

I don't know why you are not hearing it: these programs exist. But they are not accessible via cold emails. Here are some more high profile ones: https://blog.collegevine.com/research-opportunities-high-school

You sound bitter and burned out. Probably not very good either. My kid emailed college professors while in high school and one responded and gave them a wonderful summer internship. My kid learned so much just by watching and mingling with everyone in the lab. I will forever be grateful to the professor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did a research experience in a summer program in high school. It's a great way to build a pipeline of future scientists.

It's a shame that some professors, who have a cushy taxpayer funded jobs, are so selfish.
You should be creating more programs to expose more high schoolers to research, not just the ones whose parents prepped them into TJ and SMACS.

I am a prof at a private institution. Most higher ed institutions are private.

I had my salary cut during the pandemic.
My retirement contributions were stopped for two years.
I make under 80K a year, and that includes overloads, grant funding, and other extras that are not part of my salary.
I work my ass off. Even the summer, all 12 months.
Cushy, it is not.

18 million people got laid off during Covid. You kept your job. You probably got to work from home. You still have tenure or are on track for it. Quit crying for sympathy.

Why are you so angry, PP?

I think there one angry teenager agreeing with himself on this thread now. We can probably be done with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did a research experience in a summer program in high school. It's a great way to build a pipeline of future scientists.

It's a shame that some professors, who have a cushy taxpayer funded jobs, are so selfish.
You should be creating more programs to expose more high schoolers to research, not just the ones whose parents prepped them into TJ and SMACS.

I am a prof at a private institution. Most higher ed institutions are private.

I had my salary cut during the pandemic.
My retirement contributions were stopped for two years.
I make under 80K a year, and that includes overloads, grant funding, and other extras that are not part of my salary.
I work my ass off. Even the summer, all 12 months.
Cushy, it is not.
If I were not married to a high earner I could not do my job and support my family.

My job is helping to advance the education and lives of college students with fewer resources (which is the demographic of most of my students). My primary obligation is to give THEM opportunities. And though I don't, my colleagues do have opportunities for younger under-resourced kids in the pipeline. But there is a process, and it is not emailing faculty cold.

I don't know why you are not hearing it: these programs exist. But they are not accessible via cold emails. Here are some more high profile ones: https://blog.collegevine.com/research-opportunities-high-school

You sound bitter and burned out. Probably not very good either. My kid emailed college professors while in high school and one responded and gave them a wonderful summer internship. My kid learned so much just by watching and mingling with everyone in the lab. I will forever be grateful to the professor.

So you will "forever be grateful" to the professor who gave your kid an internship but have no sympathy at all (including assuming that the person is "not very good") for someone who is clearly working hard to support their own students? PP, if you had any idea how hard it is to land and sustain _any_ full-time professorial job you might not jump to such conclusions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did a research experience in a summer program in high school. It's a great way to build a pipeline of future scientists.

It's a shame that some professors, who have a cushy taxpayer funded jobs, are so selfish.
You should be creating more programs to expose more high schoolers to research, not just the ones whose parents prepped them into TJ and SMACS.

I am a prof at a private institution. Most higher ed institutions are private.

I had my salary cut during the pandemic.
My retirement contributions were stopped for two years.
I make under 80K a year, and that includes overloads, grant funding, and other extras that are not part of my salary.
I work my ass off. Even the summer, all 12 months.
Cushy, it is not.
If I were not married to a high earner I could not do my job and support my family.

My job is helping to advance the education and lives of college students with fewer resources (which is the demographic of most of my students). My primary obligation is to give THEM opportunities. And though I don't, my colleagues do have opportunities for younger under-resourced kids in the pipeline. But there is a process, and it is not emailing faculty cold.

I don't know why you are not hearing it: these programs exist. But they are not accessible via cold emails. Here are some more high profile ones: https://blog.collegevine.com/research-opportunities-high-school

You sound bitter and burned out. Probably not very good either. My kid emailed college professors while in high school and one responded and gave them a wonderful summer internship. My kid learned so much just by watching and mingling with everyone in the lab. I will forever be grateful to the professor.

So you will "forever be grateful" to the professor who gave your kid an internship but have no sympathy at all (including assuming that the person is "not very good") for someone who is clearly working hard to support their own students? PP, if you had any idea how hard it is to land and sustain _any_ full-time professorial job you might not jump to such conclusions.

Are you kidding? Of course she won’t. Unless her precious DS is involved. Then the professor is AMAZEBALLS