#  Advice on Choosing Electives 

 



 Selecting an elective course can be difficult especially if you are not sure what lab you intend to join. Ultimately, it's tough to know exactly whether a given elective will be useful. As you know, advances in research are happening very rapidly nowadays. As such, what's hot today (technique, model system, etc) might not be hot tomorrow. However, here are some general guidelines/questions to consider as you make your decisions for your electives:

1. Reason from first principles. The premise is to break down a problem into its basic components and then reassemble them from the ground up. Some example questions you could ask yourself as you reason from first principles:
    1. what are you passionate about to learn further?
    2. what fundamental skills/knowledgebase do i need/want to develop?
    3. what operational/technical skills will this elective teach me?
    4. will the elective allow me to explore the newest methods and trends in biological research?
2. Think with a growth mindset: will this course challenge me to grow? if so, how? Always aim for growth.
3. Connect the dots: What have you learned in the previous core courses you have taken that you want to further explore?
4. Think about time: Do you have the time in your current schedule to take this elective now? Some electives are intense so you need to be tactful for when you take them.
5. Think about others: Reach out to the G2/3s and ask them what electives they wish they took before joining their home labs. Reach out to your neutral advisor and inquire as well.