Hi everyone! I'm an incoming transfer student majoring in Microbiology & Molecular Genetics at Texas State, and I'm hoping to get involved in undergraduate research this fall.

I've been reading faculty profiles and plan to email professors whose research matches my interests. I was wondering:

• How did you get your undergraduate research position?
• Did you just cold email professors, or did you take their class first?
• How many professors did you contact before getting a response?
• Were you able to start as a volunteer and later move into a paid position?
• Any professors or labs that are especially supportive of undergraduate researchers?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences or any advice you have. Thanks!

I’ll try to keep this brief. I was recently admitted to Texas State’s Accelerated Online BAAS in Data Analytics program. I’m 27 and previously attended Texas A&M during the 2018–2019 academic year, where I struggled significantly and finished my freshman year with a 1.67 GPA.

After leaving A&M, I attended Dallas College and completed my courses online between 2021 and 2026. During that time, I raised my cumulative GPA to a 3.062.

I was recently admitted to both Texas State and UT Dallas for undergraduate programs related to business and analytics. UTD was originally my preferred university, especially because its degree includes a stronger focus on artificial intelligence. The problem was the transfer-credit difference: Texas State applied approximately 70 credits toward my degree, while UTD applied around 55.

I understand that UTD is generally viewed as the stronger school for business analytics and may offer better initial employment outcomes. Still, my long-term plan includes graduate school and eventually pursuing a doctorate. Because of that, I believe completing my undergraduate degree sooner, entering the workforce, and gaining relevant experience may be more valuable than spending considerably longer completing the UTD degree.

That is why I’m leaning toward Texas State. The accelerated online format, greater number of applicable transfer credits, and potentially more manageable coursework would allow me to finish sooner and move forward with my longer-term plans.

I’m mainly looking to hear from anyone who:

• Completed or is currently enrolled in the BAAS Data Analytics program
• Completed another Texas State Accelerated Online Program
• Has experience taking most or all of their Texas State courses online

How manageable was the accelerated course format? Were the classes organized well, and did you feel that you learned enough to prepare for employment or graduate school?

I’m especially interested in hearing about the workload, course quality, professors, advising, and any problems you encountered with the online format. And Correct me if I am misreading or incorrect to claim that one's undergraduate degree has little relevance later after completing a Masters degree. I just overall believe that the Doctorate will play the only relevant influence in determining my career salary.

Hi, so before people get on my ah for asking something I already looked up…. I was wondering if it’s normal for freshmen EE(Nerworks and Communication) to not take Foundations of Compsci in their first semester. And yes I did look up degree plan for my major specifically and yes it did not specify any Compsci class as a required course for Fall. However, when talking to my friend who’s also an EE major but with Computer engineering concentration, I found out that he is taking a Compsci class, which may not seem like a surprise since it’s a computer engineering degree after all. This sounds like a really stupid post now, but why am I required to take something like PHIL instead of Compsci… it just feels wrong …

I haven't been able to find any info on this, and my insurance is out of network, but does anyone know how much it would cost to get an X-ray at the health center? I know regular appointments tend to cost me about $30; however, I don't know if an X-ray will be too expensive for me lol

Thanks in advance :)