Advice Needed: Stipend or TA position?

[PsychFC]

I have received a wonderful funding offer and I am trying to decide between a stipend ($12,000) or the stipend plus a TA position ($20,000). The TA position requires 18 hours/week. I would love to have the additional income, but I could get by without it because I am able to live in this location rent free.

I am interested in knowing if most grad students would take the TA position or if it people have found it to be a little overwhelming to balance with classes/ clinical work/ research.

I realize it varies by program and individual, but any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated. Thank you!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[irish80122]

I would take the TA position because then you also get teaching experience which will help you get a job later on (and it can also help you learn what jobs you want and which ones you don't). It will be a lot of work (I teach 101 for my funding) but I think it is worth it and definitely recommend it for the experience!

 

[psy19]

I've talked to grad student TA's who say that it isn't much work at all... they mostly make copies and help grade things. Also, although most TA's are required to hold office hours, undergrads rarely go, and TA's just use the time to do their own homework. So even though the program might say that being a TA requires 18 hours, in reality, it might only end up being 4 or 5 hours a week. Obviously, I'm sure it does vary among programs, so I think it would help to email any current students you know at the program and ask them about the TA workload.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

The work load varies, but the experience + money would probably be worth it.

 

[PsychFC]

Thanks for the advice! I will contact current students, and will probably accept the TA position because it would be great to get teaching experience.

 

[paramour]

As you & others have already mentioned, it is definitely going to vary by program. Yes, there are some who TA only a limited number of hours per week because they're not really doing much. However, there are others who actually spend every minute of their 20 hours (or whatever #) and then some because they are fully responsible for the course, not simply grading papers or doing busy work. If you're concerned, you might want to determine what a TA position actually entails at your program.

Regardless, even those with 20-hour assistantships who actually work a good chunk of that time are able to fulfill their TA, class, research, & client responsibilities. It takes organization, time management, & some stress relievers on occasion, but it is definitely doable. If it wasn't, I suspect that we would have a considerbaly smaller department since everyone here is required to complete a 20-hr assistantship (unless they have one of a very few fellowships that require a 10-hr commitment).

The combination of experience and money would definitely be a draw for me if given an option, particularly since we make less than that with our 20-hrs/week.