EECS Grad Student Info Session Wednesday August 30

EECS Grad Student Info Session Wednesday, August 30, 2006 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Graduate Students Association (EECS GSA) http: //web. mit. edu/eecsgsa/www eecs-gsa@mit. edu

Schedule • • Prof. Eric Grimson – Dept. Head of EECS Prof. Art Smith – Graduate Officer Prof. Terry Orlando – He Who Knows All Kerwin Johnson – Being a TA Laura Zager – Academic Life Jen Roberts – Student Resources Harr Chen – Getting Involved

Being a TA Kerwin Johnson • • Becoming a TA Duties of a TA Managing Commitments Teaching Resources

Becoming a TA • Fill out an application – http: //www. eecs. mit. edy/grad/index. html • Deadlines – Fall Term – Spring Term March 31 October 31 • Contact People – George Verghese (Education Officer) – Lisa Bella (isabell@mit. edu)

Duties of a TA Course Structure (20 hours/week) • Lectures (everyone with Prof) • Recitations (~20 students with a Prof) • Tutorials (5 -10 students with TA) • Lab/Office Hours Structure is flexible!

Duties of a TA (2) Grading • Quizzes, finals, and projects • Problem Sets – Large undergrad courses have graders Course Preparation • Problem sets and problem set solutions • Test questions

Duties of a TA(3) Quiz and Exam Review Session • 2 hour reviews just before tests

Managing Commitments Talk to Your Professor Set boundaries with your students • Get a TA room in building 24 – See Lisa Bella on Tuesday Sept. 5 • Don’t tell students where your real office is – Or else they will bug you

Teaching Resources Stellar Website (http: //stellar. mit. edu) • Ready to use course management website • Post content (lectures, assignments etc. ) • Manage problem sets • Store grades • Sign up for tutorials, labs etc. • Student pictures

Teaching Resources(2) Athena Lockers (virtual locker) • Older course content management system • From Athena mount the directory using: – add 6. 012 – cd /mit/6. 012 – Note: substitute 6. 012 with the appropriate course number

Teaching Resources(3) Electronic Classrooms • Classrooms with ~25 computers and screen • Good for programming/software tutorials • http: //web. mit. edu/acis/eclassrooms. html

Teaching Resources(4) Teaching Learning Lab (http: //web. mit. edu/tll) • Workshop “Orientation for New Graduate Teaching Staff” on Friday Sept. 1 in 4 -270, 8: 30 AM – Email Ed Ballo (eballo@mit. edu) • “The Torch or the Firehose” by Arthur P. Mattuck – Short booklet of teaching tips • Videotape and critique a tutorial

Teaching Resources(5) EECS Teaching Assistant Workshop • January (IAP) – Good for people TAing in the spring! • Contact: Stephen Hou (shou@mit. edu) • Panel and Group Discussions • Microteaching Workshops – 10 minute tutorial and critique

Atypical TA Fulfillment Volunteer TA • Fulfill TA requirement on 12 hours/week Women’s Technology Program (WTP) • Summer program for high school girls • ~5 weeks of course prep and 3 weeks of teaching • Women only

My experience as a TA • Students are focused on marks more than material • Try to complement the recitation material • Trying to do research while TAing? Impossible? • How about taking a class?

Academic Life Laura Zager Qualifying exam timeline and flexibility RAs: how, when and what? Important upcoming dates

Academic Life Laura Zager Qualifying exam timeline and flexibility RAs: how, when and what? Important upcoming dates the only thing you need to remember: other students are your best resource.

Academic Life Qualifying exam timeline and flexibility CS • TQE = 4 courses drawn from 3 areas (1 or 2 typically taken first semester) EE • TQE = 2 courses drawn from a list, written exams in 2 topics based on undergrad curriculum at end of first year • RQE sometime after completion of S. M. /TQE/end of second year submit TQE plan by end of IAP – see Memo 3805 for details

Academic Life Qualifying exam timeline and flexibility • can always petition for deviations from standard program: – changes to TQE plan after submission – substitution of different courses for course preparations in EE and CS – petition forms available in the EECS Graduate Office key observation: (most) anything is possible if you ask far enough in advance!

Academic Life RAs: how, when and what? • How do I find an RA? – CS: you already have one (but pay attention anyway) – EE: you may or may not already have one • 6. 961 provides credit for exploring research opportunities • ask other students and your academic advisor for pointers to faculty looking to take on new students • for particular faculty members, read up on their background and take their courses • look outside the department • apply for fellowships to make yourself even easier to employ • • When should I start? What will my responsibilities be?

Academic Life RAs: how, when and what? • • How do I find an RA? When should I start? – right away! – even if you’re unsure of your topic or interests, it’s great to get started with something as soon as you can – learn to do research by doing it – plenty of opportunities to change topics as you go or after your S. M. • What will my responsibilities be?

Academic Life RAs: how, when and what? • • • How do I find an RA? When should I start? What will my responsibilities be? – depends entirely on your advisor and lab culture – ask other students in your group, and ask your advisor explicitly! be clear on duration of commitment – all advisors have different styles: keep your own style in mind while shopping for RAs and setting expectations

Academic Life Important upcoming dates • Registration Day – Tuesday, September 5 – sign up for an appointment with your academic advisor – arrive with a list of courses you’d like to try – take your completed registration form to Johnson Ice Rink • Add Date – Friday, October 6 – last day to officially add classes without a fine – forms available at Student Services • • Drop Date – Monday, November 20 Spring Pre-Registration Deadline – Friday, December 28 – last day to pre-register for spring without a fine

Student Resources Jennifer Roberts

Choosing Classes • MIT Open. Course. Wares – http: //ocw. mit. edu/ – Lecture notes, readings, sometimes video lectures available online • Underground Guide to Course VI – http: //hkn. mit. edu/ug. html – Evaluations of courses, professors, and TAs • Don’t be afraid to take undergrad classes • Ask students

Academic Advising • Academic advisor – Set up extra time to meet with them this semester! • 6. 9 xx seminars • Research advisor • Other professors or post-docs who seem friendly and interested in you • GSA • Other students

If you don’t know what you want to do… • MIT Careers Office – – – • • http: //web. mit. edu/career/www/ One-on-one counseling Counselors specializing in Ph. D students Interest surveys Lecture series on careers outside of academia 6. 9 xx seminars Be honest with your academic advisor Talk with other students Learn about current research at MIT…

Current Research within EECS • Lab websites and research abstracts – Use the research advisor list and professor websites with caution! • Seminars – Lab-run seminar series (LEES colloquium, LIDS seminars, etc) – Research group seminar series, for example http: //www. csail. mit. edu/events/eventcalendar/calendar. php • Reading groups • LIDS student conference in IAP • Masterworks in the Spring Ask students in your field!

General EECS Resources • People – General Advice – Marilyn Pierce (38 -444) – TA Administration – Lisa Bella (38 -475) – GSA – Debb Hodges-Pabon (39 -315) • Web resources – EECS Gradbook wiki https: //eecs-gradbook. mit. edu/index. php/Main_Page

Resources Outside of EECS • Ombuds Office – Toni Robinson – http: //web. mit. edu/ombud/ – “a neutral, confidential, independent and informal resource to the diverse MIT community” – “helps to surface very serious concerns, resolve disputes, manage conflict, and educate individuals in more productive ways of communicating” • Dean’s Office – http: //web. mit. edu/gso/advising/index. html – Deans Issac Colbert, Blanche Staton, Brima Wurie

Take Away Messages • Ask questions • Be persistent • Be patient with yourself • Find someone you feel comfortable talking with

Stuff you should know • http: //whereis. mit. edu/ • Avoid fees!! – Pre-register to avoid late fees. Pre-register for anything. It doesn’t matter as long as you do it by the deadline. – Pay estimated taxes if you are on fellowship. • Fellowship policy – As a rule, professors cover tuition shortfalls, not the department.

Getting Involved Harr Chen • Activities within EECS – Graduate Student Association http: //web. mit. edu/eecsgsa/www/ – CSAIL Student Committee http: //projects. csail. mit. edu/student-committee/ – Graduate Women of Course 6 http: //web. mit. edu/gw 6/www/ • Institute-wide activities – ASA http: //web. mit. edu/asa/ – PSC http: //web. mit. edu/mitpsc/

EECS Graduate Student Association Mission “Promote social, professional and academic development; Foster communication and interaction within the department; Encourage a sense of common identity; Facilitate outreach to the community at large. ” In other words: Make EECS a great place to be Open to all EECS MIT graduate students MEng, SM, EE, ECS, Ph. D, Sc. D

EECS GSA Events • Orientation – This event brought to you in part by the GSA • Panels – Families in Academia (with GW 6) – Becoming a Professor – Finding a Supervisor • • • Intramural sports Volunteer events Barbeques Ski trips Visit weekend And more …

Getting Involved in the GSA Officers • President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (me) • Annual election for new officers in April Committees • Academic, Advocacy, Athletics, Orientation, Publicity, Social GSC Representatives • Liaisons to the “parent” graduate student organization

CSAIL Student Committee Purpose “To allocate money for CSAIL student activities To raise general CSAIL student issues with Rod Brooks, head of CSAIL” In other words: Fund fun CSAIL events Events generally open to all of CSAIL Undergrad, …

Other Organizations Graduate Women of Course 6 (GW 6) • • • Social dinners Invited speakers Panels IM sports • • GSA: dodgeball, basketball, volleyball, softball, etc. CSAIL, other labs also field their own teams Association of Student Activities (ASA) • Provides resources and support for all student groups

Up Next • Panel discussion – Questions for the panelists and other current students • Breakout session – – – More individualized questions Opinions on classes Administrative concerns (Marilyn and Peggy) What sorts of preparation do you really need? Help! I’m lost and confused! • We’ve been there too