Adjuncting First Semester of PhDa

[mockingjay634]

I was wondering if it would be very unwise to adjunct two sections of the same course (Intro to Comparative Politics or Intro to International Relations, those are also my examination fields) during my first semester of a PhD program.

 

I have some teaching experience, I was a section TA where I graded papers, led discussions based off of lecturers.

 

My mentor says it's a bad idea as it's a lot different being a lecturer than a TA. I do understand this as I need to develop a syllabus as well as lectures. I'm currently not enrolled in school so I am doing this now while I still have the free time.

 

I was awarded a fellowship so I don't have any work requirements so my rationale is, it's a way to allot some time during my days, earn some extra cash (I don't want to take out loans to supplement my stipend), and knock out my teaching experience. My fellowship doesn't allow me to work as a TA until my last two years of five years and my plan is to already be out in the field and getting a dissertation fellowship at that time. Prior to this, I won't get the chance to TA with my department (because I'm already externally funded). To clarify, this job would be at the local CC.

 

Any insight?

[lewin]

Just my two cents but bad idea. First, your advisor said so and this early in your PhD that relationship is important.  Second, they say 3-4 hours prep for each hour of new lecture, so I'd expect 2-3 full days each week prepping, lecturing, etc. That's going to hurt your research a lot.  Third, if your fellowship doesn't allow TA work it might not allow this either. Usually the point of external funding is that you don't have to teach.

[bsharpe269]

I agree that it is a bad idea. If your advisor was open to it then id say go for it but his opinion of you is going to completely shape your future because it will affect the effort he puts into mentoring you and making sure you publish. Also, his recommendation is probably one of the most important aspects of future post docs.

 

You dont really mention your class load but I am a masters student and cannot imagine taking on a job like that. I do what would probably be considered an average amount of research for a first year phd student (around 30 hours a week) + 3 classes. I am usually working from the time I wake up until I go to bed Mon-Fri and then from 10-5 on Sat-Sun. I imagine that your work load would be similar. If so, I dont know how you could possibly fit adjunt teaching into that schedule.

[mockingjay634]

Sorry I didn't clarify... the mentor is not my current advisor... I was referring to my advisor from my master's.

 

I agree with your opinions... it's just that these graduate stipends are so low and I wish I had a way to earn some extra income for myself. I don't want to take out loans.

[bsharpe269]

Sorry I didn't clarify... the mentor is not my current advisor... I was referring to my advisor from my master's.

 

I agree with your opinions... it's just that these graduate stipends are so low and I wish I had a way to earn some extra income for myself. I don't want to take out loans.

Maybe it would be worth asking advice from your future advisor too? idk I totally understand where you are coming from but wonder if you might be getting in over your head and end up with a REALLY stressful semester. Maybe finding a saturday morning job for 5 hours or something would be better for the first semester and then if you find that you have extra time you can take on the teaching for the spring semester? I've found that babysitting and tutoring can both be great since I can get homework done after kids go to sleep and you could tutor in the library and charge a nice price per hour. You could easily do 3-4 hours of that a week and make at least $100.

 

Just some other ideas... good luck with whatever you decide!

[rising_star]

Bad idea, especially in your first semester. If it was your second or third year, my answer would be different. Most PhD programs don't let their students teach their own courses in their first year. Teaching is a lot more work than TAing, even if you do as much prep as you can over the summer. You'll still have to review your notes, revise your plans based on what is and isn't working with the course, accommodate current events (as in, if you'd prepped your spring course over winter break, you would've needed to adapt to reference the ongoing Ukraine/Russia situation, just as an example), plus of course grading, developing assignments, and meeting with students. And I say this as someone with a bunch of teaching experience. When I worked for the university as a PhD student and taught, that was a 20-hour a week position but only on the books.

 

Extra money would be nice, yes, but enjoy the fellowship and the extra time it gives you to read in and around your research area. Use the freedom of not working to prepare for comps, to start submitting research proposals (summer fieldwork funding, for example), get conference papers and publications out, etc.

[anthropologygeek]

Mocking- I did this and everything was fine. My advisor was the one who recommended to the CC so they were on board. Also, I was TAing three labs that semester too. But then again the busier I am the better I do in everything. If I'm not busy I just push things off to the last night but when I'm super busy, I must stick to my schedule to a T. So I think this is up to the individual and only you know how you operate. And to carry this on I taught at the CC all four years I'm here and the CC even let me teach the classes online when I was out of the country doing my research for a semester. And I am graduating in two weeks and finished in four years. So if you want to do it do it if not don't do it

[mockingjay634]

Mocking- I did this and everything was fine. My advisor was the one who recommended to the CC so they were on board. Also, I was TAing three labs that semester too. But then again the busier I am the better I do in everything. If I'm not busy I just push things off to the last night but when I'm super busy, I must stick to my schedule to a T. So I think this is up to the individual and only you know how you operate. And to carry this on I taught at the CC all four years I'm here and the CC even let me teach the classes online when I was out of the country doing my research for a semester. And I am graduating in two weeks and finished in four years. So if you want to do it do it if not don't do it

 

that's how i feel... i like "not having time" available to procrastinate.

 

anyway, i decided to take everyone's advice... i decided the first semester, no... probably not even the first year but if i still want to do it in my second, my course load will probably be lower (nine credit hours in discipline, and additional undergraduate 5 credit lab for a language class for both semester, so it probably wouldn't have been the smartest thing).