Graduate Student Ambassador Stories

What It's Like Being a TA
Story by Comfort Aje
July 01, 2024
Being a graduate student teaching assistant (TA) is a profoundly fulfilling experience that allows you to significantly impact students' learning, develop essential teaching skills, and contribute to the academic success of both students and faculty. It's a journey that requires dedication and hard work, but the sense of accomplishment you'll feel is unparalleled.
TAs serve as mentors to students, offering guidance on academic matters, study strategies, and career paths. They may also assist students in navigating academic resources and support services for their academic success. As a TA, you will help teach one or two courses as assigned by your department. Duties to carry out could include:
- preparing course materials and lesson plans,
- grading assignments and exams,
- providing feedback to the students,
- leading discussion sections, and
- holding office hours to provide academic support to the students.
In addition, TAs help facilitate student learning by:
- explaining complex concepts,
- explaining primary course content,
- conducting review sessions,
- guiding students through problem-solving exercises, and
- lead lab sessions.
As you can see the responsibilities of a TA can vary across departments and faculty. It’s important to discuss your roles and responsibilities with your faculty supervisor to ensure a successful and rewarding experience for everyone.
The views of the author are not necessarily those of the OGSPS or Purdue University.