in order to become a TA for a class...

skim milk

Diamond Member
Apr 8, 2003
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what is the best method?


I got a A in this computer class... and i enjoyed it. The TA'ing part seems easy too.
all the TA's of that computer class seemed like grad students though... I'm only in undergrad

but is it possible to get a TA position for that class? I'll try to get in contact with the professor soon
 

So

Lifer
Jul 2, 2001
25,923
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Originally posted by: fritolays
what is the best method?


I got a A in this computer class... and i enjoyed it. The TA'ing part seems easy too.
all the TA's of that computer class seemed like grad students though... I'm only in undergrad

but is it possible to get a TA position for that class? I'll try to get in contact with the professor soon

99.99% sure you need to be a graduate student.
 

RossGr

Diamond Member
Jan 11, 2000
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As far as I know TAs are grad students. That is the service they provide to earn their education. Generally grad students are paid minimum (or below) wages along with a tution grant, they earn their keep as a TA.
 

atom

Diamond Member
Oct 18, 1999
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Yep, most times you have to be a graduate student. While I was an undergrad, I was a grader for several CS classes though.
 

skim milk

Diamond Member
Apr 8, 2003
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Originally posted by: RossGr
As far as I know TAs are grad students. That is the service they provide to earn their education. Generally grad students are paid minimum (or below) wages along with a tution grant, they earn their keep as a TA.

hmm.... but i know undergrad students that TA'ed for chem, calc, etc...

I don't want to teach the class or earn money... just wanna grade the assignments, quizzes, exams, and answer questions.
 
Aug 14, 2001
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It depends on what school you go to. When I was an undergrad, only graduate students were TAs. However, there were a few TA assistants that were undergrads for larger classes...but those were very rare.

Your school may have TA positions for undergrads as I know of some that do.
 

Koing

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
Oct 11, 2000
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Originally posted by: fritolays
what is the best method?


I got a A in this computer class... and i enjoyed it. The TA'ing part seems easy too.
all the TA's of that computer class seemed like grad students though... I'm only in undergrad

but is it possible to get a TA position for that class? I'll try to get in contact with the professor soon

When I was a 1st year student I had a 2nd year as a TA in one of my programming class's. He was very good at it though and would often also help out some of the Grad students which were 'all' the other TA's in the help class's also. Just depends on your ability and he definately had it.

Koing

 

JW310

Golden Member
Oct 30, 1999
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Originally posted by: So
Originally posted by: fritolays
what is the best method?


I got a A in this computer class... and i enjoyed it. The TA'ing part seems easy too.
all the TA's of that computer class seemed like grad students though... I'm only in undergrad

but is it possible to get a TA position for that class? I'll try to get in contact with the professor soon

99.99% sure you need to be a graduate student.

It really depends on the university and the course. Here at RPI, some courses (mostly math courses) have only graduate TA's, while a large number of courses have both undergrad and graduate TA's. In the cases where there are undergraduate and graduate TA's for a course, the undergrad TA will generally help students out with labs or in-class work, while the graduate TA will do the same, but is also in charge of grading homework that the students turn in. Generally, the requirements for becoming an undergraduate TA for a class are that the course is actually looking for undergraduate TA's, and you must have gotten an A in the course.

I worked as an undergraduate TA for an Intro to Engineering Electronics course during the fall semester of my sophomore year. I would have continued with it for more than a semester, but in the spring semester, the professor picked juniors and seniors for the undergraduate TA's.

Best thing to do would be to talk with the professor of the course and find out if there are any undergraduate TA positions open for the course.

JW
 

brtspears2

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2000
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Just become a grader then. You will get to look and laugh at poorly written and often plagerized code in the first few CS classes.
 

atom

Diamond Member
Oct 18, 1999
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Kinda OT, but I always wondered why some of the graduate students at my old school were such dumbasses (didn't seem like they deserved to have a bachelors degree in CS much less be in a graduate program), then I found out when I became a grader. Let's just say many of the graders were FOB's, and FOB's look out for fellow FOB's.
 

ryzmah

Senior member
Feb 17, 2003
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Talk to the professor, or send an email to the head of the department to see if they accept undergrad TA's - I had TA jobs as an undergrad but it depends on the school/dept.
 

Spoooon

Lifer
Mar 3, 2000
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It depends. My school doesn't have any advanced degrees in physics, so the lab instructors are typically undergrads that did well in the class. You should just speak with the professor though.

I'm a TA and I spent over 24 hours (not straight) grading papers. :(
 

PunDogg

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2002
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just go talk to the prof. if he/she likes you and thinks u can teach and thinks u did a good job, not just get an A, then maybe they will let you be a TA

Dogg