Schedule

1. EECS Grad Student Info SessionWednesday, August 30, 2006Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyElectrical Engineering and Computer ScienceGraduate Students Association (EECS GSA)http://web.mit.edu/eecsgsa/wwweecs-gsa@mit.edu

2. 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

3. Being a TAKerwin Johnson • Becoming a TA • Duties of a TA • Managing Commitments • Teaching Resources

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

5. 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!

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. 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, 8:30AM • 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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?

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

17. 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.

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

19. Academic Life • 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! Qualifying exam timeline and flexibility

20. Academic Life • 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? RAs: how, when and what?

21. Academic Life • 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? RAs: how, when and what?

22. Academic Life • 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 RAs: how, when and what?

23. Academic Life • 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 Important upcoming dates

24. Student Resources Jennifer Roberts

25. Choosing Classes • MIT OpenCourseWares • 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

26. Academic Advising • Academic advisor • Set up extra time to meet with them this semester! • 6.9xx seminars • Research advisor • Other professors or post-docs who seem friendly and interested in you • GSA • Other students

27. 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 PhD students • Interest surveys • Lecture series on careers outside of academia • 6.9xx seminars • Be honest with your academic advisor • Talk with other students • Learn about current research at MIT…

28. 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!

29. 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

30. 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

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

32. 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.

33. 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/gw6/www/ • Institute-wide activities • ASA http://web.mit.edu/asa/ • PSC http://web.mit.edu/mitpsc/

34. 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, PhD, ScD

35. EECS GSA Events • Orientation • This event brought to you in part by the GSA • Panels • Families in Academia (with GW6) • Becoming a Professor • Finding a Supervisor • Intramural sports • Volunteer events • Barbeques • Ski trips • Visit weekend And more …

36. 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

37. 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, grad, …

38. Other Organizations Graduate Women of Course 6 (GW6) • 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

39. 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