TAing at Imperial College London/UK

[siggbottles]

Hey guys,

 

So, I am starting my PhD at Imperial College (Deparment of Chemistry) on October and I was wondering how much money you can earn as a TA and how these things work there or in the UK in general (I am not from the UK, so don't know much about it).

 

Many thanks!

 

[St Andrews Lynx]

TAing in the UK is a different set-up from the USA. 

 

Firstly there aren't such things as "TAships", really. You will typically do a few semesters of "demonstrating" in the undergraduate lab (rarely your first semester of the PhD) and get paid an hourly rate for it, but most of the income you get will be directly from your funding/fellowship source. Or else you will be in charge of a recitation, but I think that only the senior PhD students usually do that. 

 

UK demonstrators have it easy compared to American TAs! The hours are a lot less, it isn't even every semester, your level of responsibility is slightly lower. As a TA in the States I have to introduce the lab session, administer quizzes, prepare unknown samples for each session - and I'm usually the most senior individual in the room, there's no one to get advice from - hold office hours, proctor & grade several exams, then grade...etc. In the UK there is usually a faculty member who is in the lab supervising the lab session and you are assigned to grade the papers and help out a smaller section of the main group. 

 

Congratulations on you admittance to Imperial! I was there as a visiting Chemistry student - feel free to send me a message if you have any specific questions about the Chemistry Dept, Imperial College or life in London.

[siggbottles]

Many thanks for the info! 

 

I've sent you a PM