【Career Development Centre of Student Affairs Office】Further Study Insider (12) — Start Right in Your First Year: 4 Key Steps to Get Ahead in Postgraduate Applications

【學生事務部 生涯發展中心】 升學情報 (十二) -- 大一開始做對這4件事，贏在研究生申請起跑線！

 2026-03-23     SAO-SCS     Bulletin / 公告    (Expired/已過期)

Many students mistakenly believe that they only need to consider postgraduate applications in their third year. However, top universities particularly value sustained academic development. Below are four crucial steps for first-year undergraduates to gain an early competitive advantage.

Build a Strong GPA Foundation: Core Modules Matter Most

 
  • Strategy: Aim to achieve first-class marks (90%+) in core subjects such as calculus, statistics and programming. Admissions officers use these subjects as key indicators of academic ability.
  • Note: Do not rely on easy modules to boost your overall GPA, as admissions panels will examine your grades in core subjects separately.
Develop Academic Relationships: Transitioning from Student to Research Partner

 
  • Attend at least two office hour sessions per semester to establish relationships with professors (for example, you could ask “What are your recommendations for introductory literature in your field?”).
  • Proactively seek research assistant roles, even for basic tasks, to allow professors to assess your potential outside the classroom.
Begin Your Research Early: From Observation to Contribution

 
  • Actively participate in professional challenges or innovation and entrepreneurship competitions to enhance professional knowledge and accumulate research experience.
  • Keep detailed research notes (e.g. ‘Optimised temperature parameters in XX experiment, achieving a 20% higher success rate’) to use in future personal statements.
  • Beware of research opportunities on department noticeboards or email professors directly. For example, you could say, “I’m particularly interested in your work on XX – would you have any openings for research assistance?”
Develop Transferable Skills: Expand Your Interdisciplinary Skills

 
  • Apart from professional courses, take advantage of free online resources (such as Coursera) to explore your interests and abilities, as well as to enrich your learning experience.
  • Learn cross-disciplinary tools such as Python, to gain an advantage in your future academic development and expand the possibilities of interdisciplinary research, even if they are not required for your field.

很多同學誤以為研究生申請是大三才需考慮的事情，但頂尖大學的錄取委員會重視的是長期學術積累。以下為大一新生必須把握的4個關鍵行動，助你提早建立競爭優勢！ 

穩固GPA基礎：核心課決定成敗 

  • 策略：大一基礎課（如微積分、統計、程式設計）務必爭取優異成績（90分以上），這些科目成績是研究生院評估學術能力的重要指標。
  • 注意：別被“水課”拉高整體GPA的假像迷惑——招生官會單獨審視專業核心科目成績。
建立師生關係：從課堂學生到研究夥伴

  • 每學期至少參與2次教授諮詢時間（例如請教“您推薦的領域入門文獻有哪些？”），跟教授建立良好互動關係。
  • 主動申請加入教授的研究團隊，哪怕只是負責一些鎖碎的工作，這有助教授從課堂外觀察你的學術潛力。
初探研究領域：從基礎參與到學術產出

  • 積極參加專業競賽、創新創業比賽，提升專業知識，累積研究經驗。
  • 詳細記錄研究過程（例如“優化XX實驗溫度參數，使成功率提升20%”），作為未來撰寫個人陳述的素材。
  • 留意學院或教授個人網頁有關“研究團隊招募”的公告，或直接電郵教授表達參與意向：“我對您XX研究深感興趣，不知是否需要研究助手？”。
解鎖技能：拓展跨學科技能

  • 除專業課程外，善用免費線上資源（例如Coursera），發掘自己的興趣及能力，豐富你的學習經驗。
  • 縱使你的專業未必需要掌握某種工具，不妨學習跨領域工具（例如Python），為未來學術發展增添優勢，同時拓展跨學科研究可能性。