<p>As the thread title says, ask me anything.</p>
<p>I am a PhD student at the University of Michigan. I GSI for a popular class in LS&A that has been discussed on these forums.</p>
<p>What would you like to know?</p>
<p>That’s awesome! Um… right now I’m still waiting for my admissions decision. Does this sort of thing ever get discussed on campus? Like, do current students talk about potential future students? Or is it just not really a thing to think about? :c</p>
<p>Why isn’t the ability to speak intelligible english a prereq for being a GSI?</p>
<p>What are you a GSI for?</p>
<p>
Grad students don’t talk about incoming undergrads. We don’t know anything about you, so there’s nothing to talk about. We do occasionally talk about students who will enter our PhD program but that’s because (i) we have a say in that; and (ii) they will soon be our colleagues.</p>
<p>
Technically, it is. International students have to pass some test. I admit the standards are low. I am not sure who sets that standard. GSI funding is necessary for a large number (majority?) of students to survive grad school. Perhaps the university fears losing some outstanding researchers more than the dangers of you having a crappy GSI.</p>
<p>On the other hand, why are some international students unable to speak intelligible English?</p>
<p>
“I’m not questioning your powers of observation, I’m merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.” :)</p>
<p>I automatically <3 you for quoting V. </p>
<p>That is all.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Engineering major here. We do better with answers like Philosophy XYZ.</p>
<p>As it’s an LSA class, how much does you liking a student on a personal level affect how much you’ll help him/her out with the grades. Also have you bumped up / down someones grade just because you could?</p>
<p>
Internet user here. We do better by quoting V for Vendetta.</p>
<p>
Directly: none at all. I have never given someone points they did not deserve based on answers they have written.</p>
<p>Indirectly: a reasonable amount. I’ll like you if you’re sincerely trying. If you come up to me and ask for help, I will help you. By that I mean I’ll take the extra three minutes to explain some concept to you, or find additional resources/exam question/whatever for you. This will improve your grade. On the other hand if you’re the ****** who constantly checks your phone in class, I’m less likely to reply to your email at 10pm the night before an exam. So it’s less about liking somebody than helping those that I think warrant it.</p>
<p>
Not just because I could. Although I have never “tweaked” grades I enter on CTools, I have suggested professors bump somebody up a grade. Exams are not a perfect measure of intelligence/effort/etc. Sometimes people bomb exams for random reasons. I know that, you know that, and the prof knows that. It’s reasonably common that a professor asks if anyone deserves jumping from, say, a B- to a B. I’m going to be far more sympathetic to the hard-worker than someone who spent discussion section on Facebook.</p>
<p>How do you manage so much with only 24 hours in a day? On top of research/classes its probably like teaching full time.</p>
<p>Sapharodon, I can tell you this never happens. It will take a year at least to prove yourself. </p>
<p>A GSI last term warned us she caught her favorite student plagiarizing. This was upsetting to me. Do you really have favorites?</p>
<p>
Typically I work weekends and stay in the office until 8-9pm. I’ve left the office at 5pm maybe twice this semester.</p>
<p>GSI’ing isn’t a full time job. It takes about fifteen hours a week.</p>
<p>
Of course we do. Do you have favorite GSIs? I much prefer teaching people who are interested and hard-working to the ones who are lazy and expect an A. I prefer people who are polite than people who routinely engage in brah-like behavior.</p>
<p>(Being female and cute help too.)</p>
<p>Just like any teacher you had in high school, I would imagine a GSI would have favorites for sure. In fact, I would guess that GSIs are probably more prone to this considering their youth and inexperience compared to most full-time teachers. They’re human and they’re going to like a hardworking, polite, and engaging person more than a passive or rude person. I do believe, however, that GSIs do a good job of not letting this affect objective grading-- the same answer given by any student on an exam should be given the same score. However, if a GSI likes you, they are probably more likely to help you out, reply to your e-mails more quickly and with more thorough answers, and maybe even present to you more opportunities for extra credit or working to improve your grade. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this.</p>
<p>Hi, I have a question about becoming a GSI. How hard is it? I want to study Philosophy at umich, with the dream of being able to be a professor one day, but I will have no money for grad school, if I choose to attend UM as an undergraduate. I’m sort of banking on being able to become a GSI to be able to even consider grad school, so how selective is it? Does doing my whole undergrad degree at UM affect my chances?</p>
<p>
It varies by department, but “not that hard”. If there’s a big class e.g. Psychology 101, that is used to fund a lot of PhD students. There are fewer GSI slots in, say, the Linguistics department. But there are fewer PhD students, too.</p>
<p>
Just FYI: of all the students I know who in high school said something like “I want to be a Philosophy professor”, 95% changed their mind. I was pretty sure I wanted to be a computer programmer in high school. I even learned C++. Suffice to say I am not a computer programmer.</p>
<p>
Don’t worry about it. Focus on getting something approaching a 4.0 GPA and you do not need to worry about funding grad school. You may not even have to teach as part of a funding package.</p>
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No.</p>
<p>Some general advice here: under no circumstances should you be considering grad school funding when deciding where to do your undergrad. Why? Firstly, they are completely different things. Secondly, there are more important things to consider about your undergrad (e.g. will you be happy there?). Thirdly, as quick as you will be to say “But I’m absolutely sure!”, it’s very likely that your tastes and interests will develop over the next few years, and you won’t end up doing Philosophy in grad school after all.</p>
<p>GSIncognito- 2 things. 1- How hard is being a GSI while in UM Law School, And 2- How selective is being a GSI for incoming law school students?</p>
<p>I don’t know any Law students that GSI. Law doesn’t offer undergrad courses. Law students are considered “professional” students, as opposed to being enrolled in the Rackham graduate school, so I am not even sure they are eligible for most positions.</p>
<p>I’m thinking of letting this thread die, but bump before I do.</p>
<p>Fwiw, I don’t know how it works for Law students but I’m also going to be doing a professional degree at U of M (not through Rackham and also without undergrad courses) and there are definitely GSI positions available to us. Most 2nd year students I’ve talked to have one and a handful of first years do as well.</p>
<p>I would imagine it would be quite difficult to balance a GSI position on top of law courses but what do I know?</p>
<p>Historical number of GSI slots by department: [url=<a href=“http://www.vpcomm.umich.edu/gsi-sa/FTE.html]FTE[/url”>http://www.vpcomm.umich.edu/gsi-sa/FTE.html]FTE[/url</a>]</p>
<p>You’re right: some professional schools do have GSI slots. But they’re pretty hard to come by. To quote that page, “Units with a relatively large number of undergraduate students, such as LS&A and Engineering, engage a correspondingly large number of GSIs. Schools that offer programs only at the graduate and professional level are likely to have very few GSIs or none at all.”</p>
<p>Anyway folks, get your juicy GSI questions in!</p>