Life as a TA

As undergraduate students, we always had this question in mind: "Just what makes those TAs so busy, anyway?" They only assign sheets and projects, solve them in the section and that's it. They don't have to go to college everyday from 8:30 am till 5 pm. They don't have to study 6 courses, solve their sheets and do their projects.

There has always been some mystery regarding the life of a TA. I will write down my experience as being a TA in the Computer and Systems Department, Alexandria University, Egypt.

I have been a TA for about 3 months now. I discovered that being a TA is like being a superman. You are never free and you are way far more busy than a regular student.

A TA has to do the following (taken from GRADUATE STUDY IN THE COMPUTER AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES: A SURVIVAL MANUAL, University of Maryland)

"The job of teaching assistant is a crucial one. The success of the course you are assigned rests in great part on your performance. The instructor sets the tone and the standards for the course, but you have several critical jobs:

• You are the student's best hope of understanding concepts that the book and the instructor fail to communicate. Whether you meet the students in office hours or in a recitation or lab session, you need to be well-prepared: read the relevant part of the textbook, know what the instructor has covered in class (in particular, the special notation used and supplementary information introduced), and solve the homework problems.

• You are eyes and ears for the instructor. A good instructor will appreciate regular reports from you on any errors you find in the handouts or homework assignments, what is confusing the students, and what concepts need more motivation. What the students tell you is important!

• You set standards of integrity and fairness. Your grading must be careful and objective and prompt, so that students are evaluated fairly and get quick feedback on their mistakes. You must put aside any prejudices in your interaction with students, treating each one with respect and an expectation that each can master the material. You must be alert to any attempts at cheating, and you must discuss any suspicious actions with the instructor."

In addition to these, a TA has the following tasks (may be in Egypt only):

• You have to be always well prepared for any question in any part of the syllabus and YOU HAVE TO SOLVE IT. You have to solve the WHOLE sheet on time. There is no late policy for TAs lol.
• You have to prepare the sheet problems and lab assignments according to the professor's perspective (you don't get it right from the first time, actually even from the second time).
• You have to mark the midterm exam papers.
• You have to figure out a way to make students understand any part in the course (which the professor has failed in explaining it properly!).

Can you imagine being responsible to a large extent for the success of a course! We lack the required experience at such young age. We have to work so hard in order to gain such experience. It's not easy to be well prepared all the time. It's not easy to be able to answer all the questions especially if you weren't that good as an undergraduate student at this course. It's not easy to deal with 80 students per class and remember everything they tell you. It's not easy to put a policy that is fair to everyone! It's not easy to mark exam papers and to be fair to everyone! I can go on forever :).

A TA's job is a 24-hour job! A TA wakes up in the morning to find at least two or three questions in his mailbox, this number is doubled or tripled close to assignments' deadlines. He has to answer them, he can't just ignore them. Well not just in the morning, this happens throughout the day. Also, A TA expects an email from the professor at any time of the day to ask him to perform some boring task. Not just that, a TA has to wait at college for hours in case any of the students wants to ask about something.

These are the tasks of a TA. You might think well that's not much!

But wait a minute, this is just ONE aspect of a TA's life!

A TA is a graduate student as well. He studies graduate courses which are much harder and more mysterious than undergraduate ones. He has to do a great effort, unlike undergraduate courses, to get an A!

Furthermore, he has to do continuous research for his thesis. Believe me, research takes a lot of time. It is like a full time job.

If you are still saying: Is that it?

No! There is still more. A TA's salary is not sufficient for a decent life. Actually, a TA spends the first semester without getting paid. This means he has to find some other part-time job which typically requires 20 hours per week. That's 4 hours per day!

So can you now imagine how the life of a TA goes? How does he manage to split his time among all these?!

I bet that the first question that comes to your mind now is: Well if it requires so much work and the salary is not good, there has to be other benefits?

NONE! There is absolutely no personal benefit. In fact there are some losses. Other people who took other careers have a better salary and work less hours.

The second question: Then why did you even think of being a TA?!

I have given it a deep thought and I guess that the only logical explanation is:

When I was a student, great TAs taught me. They weren't selfish and they gave up a lot of things in order to teach others. If I think I can benefit next generations, I have to act the same.I think I owe this to my college and my department. Life is all about being thoughtful and not selfish.

If you are still an undergraduate student, the next time you start blaming your TA for anything, just remember all this. Remember all the stress he's put under. Remember all the things he's given in order to teach you and make you better. Remember that he would benefit nothing if you become good or bad. Remember that he really cares for you even if he seems tough sometimes. Just give him an excuse.

College is almost over

I have always wanted to finish college, in fact I dreamt about the day I no longer have to study anything, the day I would be considered a grown up, the day I would be self-dependent, the day I would go out into the world, the day I take decisions concerning my own life. This day is so close now, it is only one and a half month away.

However, I have a mixed feeling right now. I'm so confused I don't know how I should feel. Happy, yeah I will finish college, I don't have to wake up so early everyday, I don't have to work all day and night on projects. I can live my life now freely. Sad, I won't be able to see my friends and colleagues as often as before, some people I'm sure I won't see them ever again. I think it's pythetic but I will miss all the proffessors too. I will miss our class, class 202. I spent 4 years in this class I have lots of memories. I will miss my TAs. However, the dominant feeling is definately WORRIED! Any decision I take now would affect the rest of my life. I don't know what the future would present me with. I don't know what the right choice is. I don't know anything. I have so many options about my career and there is no clue which is the best one.

I no longer want time to pass I just want it to freeze. I don't want to finish college unless I'm sure about what I want to do. I can't just be out there in the wild with no clue.

CSE Staff

Today was the last day of the first semester of my last year at CSE. It was an economy exam. During the exam I stopped for a moment and a thought came onto my mind.

I have always wanted to graduate quickly, but Won't I miss everything about CSE?

A lot of memories (about CSE staff) came across my mind ...

I remember Dr Mohamed Nazih El-Derini and who can forget that great man. He was the one that taught us the meaning of a true professor. He was like a father to us. I remember he was never shy to apologize even if it was only for being late! He always did what was good for us. He really left a mark in all of us.

I remember Dr Moustafa Yousef, best of the best. Dr Moustafa was the best thing that happened to CSE for a long time. He tried hard to make us like learning. I can say that he was the most beneficial professor by far. He changed the syllabus of several courses in a way that they actually became of great importance. I can write pages about Dr Moustafa without fulfilling his right. I remember his "fatak el fun kolo" and "ya fandemz". The only word that can describe Dr Moustafa is that he is "best of the best".

I remember Dr Nagwa Makky, the kindest person i have ever met. Although she taught us 3 courses (Programming, Database, Information Systems) I was foolish not to follow her lectures except during the last course. I even participated actively through lectures. I cared to understand every part of this course, I even went to her office twice to ask some questions. She was really helpful. I would never forget Dr Nagwa.

I remember Dr Ahmed El-Nahas, the most respectable professor. He has never shouted at us during a whole semester. I was so sad when I knew he was sick but I was so happy when I saw him at college today. He taught us Data Structure and I learnt a lot during that course without feeling that i did.

I remember Dr Khalid Nagy, the professor with a style :). I liked his style a lot. I wished I could be like him one day.

I remember Dr Ahmed El-Mahdy. He has always followed the rules. He was a routine man. I respected him so much!

I remember Dr Wafaa. She had so much knowledge. She had a funny laugh. I remember her saying "el aslanya" :).

I remember Dr Magdy Abd-El-Azim. What can I say about him. I feel he hated us and didn't teach digital well. I remember his "haaaa" and his joke with Islam about "De Morgan's Law" when he said "la dih bolty" :).

I remember Dr Salah Selim. He almost made me cry once :).  Dr Salah never listened to anybody but himself. He wanted us to be better but he didn't know how. He always told us that we were "zera3a" and other things. But even when he "biehaza2na" he was so funny that we totally forgot about "eltahzi2" and laugh. About the once he almost made me cry, it was during the summer. There was a multicore programming training and I borrowed some of his papers but I returned them late. He asked me if I tried the multicore program and I replied no. Then he kept saying "you can't do and you don't know to do anything, .. etc", for almost 10 mins :). I felt that I am good for nothing.

I remember Dr Ibrahim Abd-El-Salam, the general. Until this moment, every time i see him i feel scared. I remember his laugh, "ya 5aibin", "ya3ni 5aibin wi kadabin kaman" and "danta law 25adt 1 men 10 yeb2a 7aga 3azima". I can't believe I got an A in his course.

I remember Dr Waleed :). Dr Waleed was on moon and we were on earth! He was so high and his exams were mission impossible. BUT really I liked his lectures.

I remember Dr Amin Shokry. I really didn't learn anything from him.

I remember Eng Nagy. Eng Nagy was a legend. I really wish i could be like him. He was so smart and elegant.

I remember Eng Hassan Wassel. Eng Hassan was a true TA. He always found a way to help us. He has left a great space when he traveled.

I remember Eng Mohamed Saad. I have learnt the most from Eng Mohamed. Most of the things I learnt in programming are from him. I shall always remember him. I shall always remember EDT.

I remember Eng Ahmed Moustafa, the first TA friend.

I remember Eng Mohamed Amir. Although we didn't get along well as a TA, I liked him as a friend.

I remember Eng Amr Ebeid, the most helpful TA. Eng Amr was a true friend and a true TA. I like him a lot.

CSE was the place where i truly found myself.

I guess CSE will always remain in my heart!

Stand Up against Routine

i am writing today so that i would always remember the words of a great man. I thought the likes of this man no longer exist in our cruel world. This man is Dr Moustafa Yousef. His words gave me a new vision and a new prospective about my dreams.On June 26th, i traveled to Cairo to attend Wireless Sensor Networks Workshop at the Nile University. On our way back to Alexandria we had a friendly talk with Dr Moustafa. We talked about the educational system in Egypt. Dr Moustafa suffered a lot from this system but he always stood up against anything not logical. His purpose was to benefit students and to wake up their imagination after all these years of stupid education. This education made us stop thinking, all we care about is marks and being the first. We no longer care about helping others we turned into selfish ugly animals that find it ok to even harm others as long as it's in our benefit. Dr Moustafa explained that this is wrong, you will not benefit anything if others are not good, on the contrary you will harm your country and eventually yourself. All what matters is your grade but it won't make any difference if you got 99% or 86% as long as it is an A. He also said that it is so important to believe that you can make a difference in this world. You shouldn't be absorbed in the system. No you should stand up against routine you should do what's civilized. His words left a great impression on me.

The old man reading the newspaper

Have you ever felt you have no friends? have you ever felt that you will grow up to be old to find that you are alone?
I am sure most of us felt this way at least once in their lifetime. But what did we do about it? Most of the time we just decide that we need to be more with people and that's it. But i think it's more complex than this it's that permanent internal feel of loneliness that we all fear ,the feeling that you will spend your days lonely.
Sometimes when i am at the club i see a group of old men sitting together chatting and laughing but soon i realize there is also a man sitting alone at the corner of the room reading his newspaper. At this moment i wonder how will i be when i grow up? will i be among this group of men sitting happily together or will i be sitting alone like this man? soon after this i feel soooo depressed i know that i am not good at dealing with people. i believe i am not a good friend i don't call my friends that much and that caused me to lose a lot of friends in the past few years. i tried a lot but it came at no use. i guess i will be the old man reading the newspaper