The GEARRS event is a great opportunity to meet with your potential research advisor, as well as other faculty to find out if CU Boulder is a good fit for you. Please take some time to also talk and connect with current students to see what they like and what they do not like about their experience at CU. We have found that many chose CU Mechanical Engineering because of the great community, so we encourage you to find this community for yourself.
In terms of meeting your advisor, we have a few suggestions listed below:
Be prepared: If you are still deciding what projects you are interested in, it could be a good idea to take some time before GEARRS and read papers from the lab in different fields to figure out what interests you the most. That way when you come to CU you are prepared to ask informed questions to understand the most up to date research. Keep in mind that many lab group websites are not up to date with the most current research, so make sure to ask about current research when you are at GEARRS.
Ask questions: Ask questions to potential advisors and their students. We recommend that you get the contact information from students in the lab group that you are interested in. Ask students about their research, lab culture, and strengths and weaknesses of their lab (you can also find this information on the lab group’s website sometimes). Additionally, there will be many students around at GEARRS who are happy to answer any more questions. It is highly recommended to get time with the students in the lab without the advisor present, so that you can ask questions directly about the advisor. Good questions to ask students may pertain to work/life balance, advising style (hands-on vs. hands-off), expectations around holidays, etc.
Have good conversations with other faculty: At various points in your time as a student, you will need to interact with faculty outside of your potential advisor. They can serve as a professor that you are a teaching assistant for or be a part of your PhD committee. CU Mechanical Engineering covers a wide range of fields from which you can leverage the unique perspectives different faculty may provide.
Keep the conversations going!: Once you have met with professors and students, please keep in contact with these professors. It is important to keep the conversation going even after GEARRS. Professors are happy to talk to prospective students on the phone or through Zoom after GEARRS.
Even if you don’t think that you would like to join their lab, 1:1 meetings with faculty are a great chance to ask questions about CU and the department, broaden your research knowledge, and potentially find members for your exam and dissertation committees. We encourage you to utilize the time that you have on campus to get to know your potential advisor, the program, and the community so that you can make the most informed decision about your future!