graduate assistantship question

[Sejla]

I was fortunate to be offered the opportunity to do a graduate assistantship. I've reviewed the information provided and also checked on the school's website, but had a few questions that I wanted to pose here.

I'm doing an MA in a large city, and doing an internship or internships (paid, unpaid, for credit, informally) WILL be important to finding a good job afterwards. Without considering the assistantship, I doubt I would look for an internship my first term anyway. The second - maybe I would have. If I do the assistantship (it is paid and would be 10-12 hours a week) the first year, I don't think I will have time to take full-time classes AND do an internship.

My reasoning is that it still makes sense to do the assistantship because:

- it is a good way to kind of get more integrated into the department, which is something I'm a little bit concerned about doing left to my own methods (without the assistantship)

- even if it prevents me from doing an internship the second term, I could still do one over the summer, or the second year, and having a nice letter of recommendation from the professor as well as his/her advice would be useful

- this sounds a little bit like sucking up, but it's nice to have the option and would make a positive impression to do the assistantship if I have the chance, much more positive than turning it down anyway.

One more question: the description of possible tasks for the assistantship really makes it sound more administrative than anything else (could be photocopying, putting things on reserve, helping with research) but part of it could be construed to involve "assisting in teaching". This could mean many things, and I don't want to sound paranoid and ask them directly, but - it would be very rare for a first year MA student (albeit one with experience teaching ESL, although that is not the field of the MA) to have to lead a discussion group of undergrads or something, right? It is an MA, not a PhD, and I have no plans to go into teaching or academia. Teaching just takes a lot out of me, and while it would probably not look good for me to express to them how much I do not want to do it ... I really don't want to do it.

Ideas or advice? Do you think given all this is still makes a lot of sense to do the assistantship?

[informationless]

I think it would depend on the type of assistantship. I was offered an TA position when I received an offer of admission to an MA program (there is no PhD equivalent). The TA position included conducting a one-hour tutorial each week, and marking papers and exams. I would email the department to find out the details of your assistantship.

[rising_star]

It ALWAYS makes sense to do an assistantship. It's how you professionalize yourself academically in your discipline. As for the specifics, contact current grad students or the DGS.

[luvalicious]

it would be very rare for a first year MA student (albeit one with experience teaching ESL, although that is not the field of the MA) to have to lead a discussion group of undergrads or something, right?

No, this is how my last institution did it. You should get the specifics on it, but everything that you wrote makes me feel that not only do you want to do the assistantship, you believe that it's the better choice - and I'm inclined to agree.

[Sejla]

Thank you for the advice, everyone!

The thing is, they have given me information about what assistants do or could be doing generally, but I need to make a decision on whether I'll "apply" (I've learned that you have it if you apply, so it is basically up to me if I want it) very soon. I don't want to come across as picky about what I will or won't do, and I don't think it would be in my interest to say "I'll do it, just whatever you do, don't make me teach!" or something.

It looks promising from what I've gathered so far, and I will find a way to cope if it does end up involving teaching.

I think I'm going to go for it!

[4givn1]

I've had a graduate assistantship when I was a Master's student and my duties included both teaching and research assistantship work. How much of each depended on the professor and program. Some of my friends had to attend classes and lead discussions, I had to substitute teach on occasion but mostly did other things. At any rate, it barely helped me at all trying to teach as a full-time faculty member a year later.