<p>I often found that office hours with a TA is NOT the same thing as office hours with the course professor, unless the TA is in charge of designing the exams, made the syllabus, controls more than the break out sessions, and is, essentially, the class’ main instructor.
@Therearellamas: a 150 class will have 2 TAs (perhaps 3), not 5. And TAs don’t necessarily grade papers. While some lectures have graders, TAs would typically only grade the midterms’/Tests’ essay question, the rest of the test being scantron multiple choice or grid-in.</p>