Winter Break (Holiday Homework) – Kenzie

03/09/2020 1:07 AM

Hey y’all, happy holiday season! Time off after each semester to unwind and recoup is always nice, but this break I’ve actually got some work to do that I’m really excited about. Spring semester I will be working with a group of six other students on two undergraduate research projects as part of my class, MTG 400, and we are already getting started.

At Bradley, students are fortunate enough to be able to create close relationships with faculty and staff, so when I decided I wanted to try to have a published research paper before I graduate I knew all I had to do was ask my favorite professor. As the current head of the marketing department, he got a group of students with a similar interest together. He then not only helped us determine what research we wanted to do but created a whole class for us to do so! We could have chosen to make this experience an independent study, which is usually around one or two credit hours. However, this class will cover three hours for my final semester and counts as a marketing elective, which I need to complete my major.

Our professor wanted us to have two separate papers, with each of us taking certain responsibilities on both. His goal was to ensure that if one of our papers get chosen for publication over the other, then all seven of us still have a chance of getting our names out there. Two projects means double the work, however, so over break my group and I are going to gather secondary and qualitative research to set us up for success when we get back in January! Undergraduate research can be done by any major, as long as you show an interest and are willing to put in the time. If you have any questions about getting involved with your area of interest, feel free to let me know!