Kristen Cheser
Staff Writer
As a graduate student in the second year of his master’s degree, Emilio Rivera said he understands the importance of his time as a Teaching Assistant (TA) and the importance of time management.
“Grad school in general is very time consuming,” Rivera said.
He spends much of his time between classes and grading assignments as a TA. He said it depends on who the TA works for, but they could spend a lot of time just on grading. On top of his already full schedule, he is a part of a few studies, one of which is for his master thesis.
With a busy schedule Rivera said it is important to make time for yourself.
“The first couple years are really, really hard,” he said. “Like last year was probably the hardest school year…but making time for yourself is absolutely necessary. If you talk to a grad student, they have a way [of doing the] things that they do. Some people hike, some people play video games. Personally, I’m someone who just likes to relax and watch tv or go on walks and hikes with my dog. It’s something to get you out of that mindset. . . All of us have our own strategies to get away from the schooling even if you do it for an hour and get right back to writing.”
Rivera’s primary focuses are experimental and social psychology. As an undergraduate, he started off as a clinical psychology major but realized it was not the right path for him after an internship.
“I kind of just naturally fell into social psychology,” Rivera said.
He said he values all the experience he gains as a TA and gets to see how professors design their classes and how their teaching styles differ.
“In the end it’s worth it,” Rivera said. “It does take work. But you do get a lot of interaction with students which you need if you’re going into academics, which not all of us are, but it’s fun. Overall it’s a fun experience.”
After Rivera graduates, he said he hopes to start off with finding a job. He said he wants to be a professor and continue research at a university.
“I want to carry on the kind of help that I’ve received as both an undergrad and [as] a grad student. I’ve seen what a good advisor can do for people . . . And I feel the need to carry that on and help people like I’ve been helped.”
