Your population will start going up immediatly, click on the socal level and you will see how it works in the science dislplay. This begining part takes a few days before it starts reaping its rewards. It takes more time each time. Also bumping up the laboritories will make the science time go faster.
Leave it on socal for a few days, your pop will slowly catch up and then keep building up your robotics, I only have a 7 hydroponics on my first planet and the rest are at 5 or 6. I have a pretty even first planet. I spent time builiding up all the buildings before I truley knew what was going on. Then poured it into the robotics. My next level is over 1400 pp.