There is no particular time-frame for undergraduate research. Most undergraduates get involved during their junior year, but some have started while still freshmen or sophomores. Most students are able to find time in their schedules to do research during the academic year. The department has funds to enable students to do this through the John and Elizabeth Holmes Teas Scholarship, and has so far manages to meet the goal of supporting every interested major for one summer. A few majors stay for additional summers if their research director is able to support them out of grant funds.
Research is a valuable experience for several reasons.
Besides the obvious utility of gaining experience in lab techniques and related understanding of chemical principles, it gives an undergraduate contacts with other chemistry undergraduates as well as graduate students and faculty. Students doing research typically have very high morale. The experience gives them self-confidence, enables them to picture a career in chemistry, drives them to perform better in courses, and provides them with important references for their next career step. It is common for students to have more than eight credits by the time they leave, which is an indication of the fact that they are willing to do research for its own sake. It is not unusual for our students to graduate with co-authorship of one or more published papers.