A day in the life ...
Graduate student balances teaching and learning
When it comes to multitasking, most graduate students will probably say they are professionals at it.
Not only do they need to spend time studying to stay on top of their classes, but they also need to conduct research and teach a class full of undergraduate students.
Anna Carmon, a graduate student in communication, said life basically becomes a balancing act between teaching students, being a student, conducting research and still maintaining a social life.
Carmon got her master’s degree in communication in Illinois and then took a year off to teach at Westchester University in Philadelphia.
Carmon said teaching classes is her favorite part and keeps her on her toes all year long.
“New Ph.D students all have to teach a 110-level class,” Carmon said. “Then we have the opportunity to teach a 300 level or lower class that’s in our interest area.”
Carmon said teaching consumes a lot of her time.
“There’s always grading to be done,” Carmon said. “I usually get my lesson plan prepared the night before.”
Danielle Kvanvig, a third year graduate student in English composition and rhetoric, said it’s difficult to balance her time between getting her research and studying done while teaching three classes.
“I was told when I started graduate school that my own scholarship should always come first, but it is difficult when I teach between 45-66 students per semester,” Kvanvig said. “There are always papers to grade, lesson plans to be prepared and emails to respond too.”
Research and individual study is also something Carmon said is highly recommended for all graduate students to complete.
“You’re expected to read 400 pages a week, teach, work on your individual research and still have a social life,” Carmon said.
When asked if it is difficult to teach college age students as a young instructor, Kvanvig said, “I do think I can relate to their generation and their interests more easily, but I think young, particularly young female instructors, face more difficulties gaining respect in the classroom because of their age and gender.”
Aside from teaching, graduate students also have to take a certain number of classes each semester.
The upper level classes graduate students must take also tend to be more intense, Carmon said.
“It’s a lot more conversation-based than when you’re taking undergraduate classes,” Carmon said. “You’re assigned a reading, then you have to critique it. You’re required to critically think a lot.”
When juggling teaching and taking classes, Kvanvig said that although its taken her three years to perfect it, she is finally capable of managing her time wisely.
“I go to my office very early in the morning to get my teaching material prepared, and I set aside two hours a day where I can only work on my own scholarship,” Kvanvig said.
Carmon and Kvanvig both agree the stress can be rewarding and is worth the commitment.
“It’s fun; I love doing research and analyzing data,” Carmon said. “ But for me, teaching is the best part because the rapport between my students and I is comfortable.”
When asked if she would recommend becoming a graduate student to an undergraduate, Carmon said it’s practical because a master’s degree is rapidly becoming the next bachelor’s degree. However, in some fields, a bachelor’s degree is sufficient.
Carmon said those going to graduate school just to prolong entering ‘the real world’ should reconsider though because graduate students don’t really have any time off.