<p>Hey guys,
I've been seeing people ask about GSIs and I have no idea what they are. someone please explain? for my ECon 100B classes some of the discussion instructors' names are out. is there a place where we could look them up? (kind of like ratemyprofessor?)</p>
<p>Lecture: Professor lectures about whatever topic for that day.
Discussion section: led by GSI (graduate student instructor), review material in lecture, presents practice problems, answers students’ question, etc.</p>
<p>truucharms - wish there was a site rating the GSIs, as they do the grading and have some influence on your grades. In some large courses, for example Chem 1A, the professors will get all the GSIs from the different sections together and work to standardize the grading for consistency between GSIs, but in many classes it is all up to the GSI.</p>
<p>so I guess for GSI’s we’re just putting a raffle ticket in the lottery? Don’t know what we’re getting and hope for the best?</p>
<p>sorta.</p>
<p>Don’t obsess too much about it.</p>
<p>Some GSI’s (the one’s who have been at Cal for a long time) have their own ratemyprof pages.</p>
<p>alright! thanks!</p>
<p>GSI’s suck and you’ll learn to hate them. The bad ones are FAR more prevalent than the good. If you get a first year GSI, switch sections. They always seem to have some complex the first time around where they grade everyone ridiculously hard. </p>
<p>That’s all you need to know.</p>
<p>Of my four GSIs: one is hot, extremely talented, considerate, and responds to e-mails within the hour (unless you e-mail after midnight); one is hot but can’t articulate well in English (she’s international); one is a guy from Cal Tech who has no tolerance for time-inefficiency; one is too talkative but grades leniently.</p>
<p>Overall I like my GSIs. I really doubt you’ll ever meant one that intentionally wants to screw his/her class because they are always in contact with each other and compare averages. I also don’t believe the GSI you get will make a huge difference in learning. You should be learning mostly on your own. I’d say prioritize your schedule around the classes you want not the GSIs you want.</p>