TA position + work

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - San Diego
1

<p>I will be starting to work in a lab this upcoming Spring quarter which will require 10-20 hours/week + training and am wondering if I will have enough time to also be a teachers assistant for Chem 140A. (jerry yang) I am currently enrolled in 4 classes but I plan on dropping one of them anyways (if I do plan to do both). I'm sure this is really subjective and dependent on my work ethic and time management but for those who have TA'd before (or even worked at the same time), how difficult is it to pull off such a schedule?</p>

<p>thanks</p>

2

<p>it all really depends on how much effort you want (and need) to put in as a TA. if it’s your first time doing it for that class, it’ll take a significant amount of time if you want to do a good job. when i first started TAing 6b, i was spending 6 hours a week (outside of the required lectures/section/helproom time) making outlines, worksheets, and doing all the homework problems myself. by the fifth time i got to that class, i was comfortable enough that i could recycle my old worksheets and not do any outside preparation.</p>

<p>whose lab are you joining? :)</p>

3

<p>Guy Perkins Lab at NCMIR, School of Medicine. </p>

<p>How many classes were u taking that quarter and how “fresh” was the TA material, in this case 6b, to you.</p>

<p>Having taken 140B last quarter, I feel that 140A material is still “fresh” in mind if that makes a difference.</p>

4

<p>Would having been a TA be useful/advantageous when applying to grad school? Conversely, would a letter of rec from a Chemistry professor be beneficial for grad degree in bioengineering or related eng/science field?</p>

5

<p>Grad schools would prefer research over teaching (after all, they’re not paying you to be in the classroom 24/7), but it certainly doesn’t hurt. I think it’s viewed as one of those “side” advantages, since if someone has substantial teaching experience, you can bet that he/she is decent at preparing lectures, clarifying material and thinking up original ways to get ideas across – skills that are useful in any field.</p>

<p>Depends on the rec. Professors are always good (and basically required). Professors who can comment on your potential as a researcher are the most important. When I applied, I used:

  1. PI from campus research (2 years) who also taught one of my lectures
  2. PI from industry research (1.5 years)
  3. Professors/lecturers for whom I TAed on multiple occasions</p>