<p>What are the requirements to become a TA? pros and cons of being a TA?</p>
<p>What department do you want to TA for? The answer is different for each. Some departments use graduate TAs only, some are mostly undergrads, and some have a mix.</p>
<p>Off the top of my head, some pros would be getting paid ($10-14/hr?), getting to know professors well (recommendations?), networking with other students (generally for major-only courses … otherwise in intro classes usually students-TAs don’t form a big bond), preparation for communication/talking skills…</p>
<p>Cons? You might have to do a TON of grading. If someone is caught cheating, there’s a long process you go through with paperwork and everything. Yep, the TA helps handle that. You have exam grading marathons and it eats up a lot of your time. Also, you’ll be the ‘mediator’ between students and the lecturer/professor. Be ready for office hours (you’re paid if nobody shows up though) and perhaps some very difficult students.</p>
<p>i think the director of the major choose the TA. undergrads and grad students can be a TA. i am not sure how it works for undergrad, but i know that for graduate school, your tuition is waived and you get paid $1200 a month. if you are doing a phd, you get paid $1700. i guess this is good and the addition to your resume not bad as well</p>
<p>not all the TAs grade papers. and if they do, they get paid for that! if you face a hard and or difficult student, you can refer him to the professor/ department.</p>
<p>if you can be a ta, i would recommend it</p>
<p>Adding onto what nana17 said:</p>
<p>Not all majors have the director choose the TAs - in many cases, TA-hopefuls ‘sign up’ somewhere and then the profs choose them (they want TA’s they know, can trust, and know is enthusiastic!). </p>
<p>Today I learned about the grad/phd rates =) Thanks for the information!</p>
<p>I guess I should say this: Everything you do TA related: office hours, grading, meetings with prof, quiz section is all paid. </p>
<p>Also, try to be a TA if your schedule allows! Don’t overdo yourself 
I’m applying to be a TA in the Spring for CSE 190m (Web Programming), so we’ll see how that goes. I know the prof pretty well and had a solid GPA in the course last year, so it would most likely depend on how many other people apply to be TAs and who has the most expertise.</p>
<p>Here’s the handbook for TA’s at UW:
[Teaching</a> and Learning @ UW: A Handbook for Teaching Assistants](<a href=“http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/TAHandbook/]Teaching”>http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/TAHandbook/)</p>
<p>This should give you a better idea of what your in for.</p>