Graduate students in Physics are supported as either Research Assistants (RAs) or Teaching Assistants (TA). Throughout a PhD you will have financial support from these sources, covering all living expenses plus some extra. RA positions are not usually confirmed until graduate students spend some time in a research group. At OSU Dept. of Physics it is typical to spend one year as a TA while you explore research options, then secure an RA position in the second year. RA support can depend on the availability of research funding. If research funding is limited, RA positions become more competitive.

Incoming PhD students are encouraged to do research rotations in one or more research groups during their first year. A research rotation lasts for one quarter (sometimes longer). The goals of a research rotation are (i) The new PhD student becomes familiar with the day-to-day details of the research, (ii) The new PhD student learns about the culture and expectations of the research group, (iii) Current members of the research group get to know the new PhD student. Every research rotation experience is different, depending on the research field, the professor's preferences and the availability of research projects. At the conclusion of a research rotation, the PhD student can decide to (i) request the professor become their PhD advisor (ii) postpone the decision about joining the research group and pursue a different research rotation. The professor has the final decision for accepting/declining a student who wants to join his/her research group.

Once you are in a research group, try to get out of the lab once and a while and hang out with your co-workers. One tradition in the Minot lab is to have a party/activity to celebrate each PhD or Masters graduation.

• river floating on Willamette River
• hiking a peak or doing a waterfall trail
• picnic at swimming hole
• a game of softball, volleyball, basketball, ultimate frisbee,…
• bowling
• mini golf
• go karting
• rock climbing
• paintball
• Rafting the McKensie River
• Rafting the Clackamas River (http://www.blueskyrafting.com/clackamas-info.htm) (Biophysics department did a trip with this company).
• Wineries near Salem (Johan, Left Coast, Orchard Heights etc.)

Some thoughts from Paul McEuen (Ethan's PhD advisor).

Here are some thoughts from Prof. Tom Baehr-Jones (E.C.E Uni. Delaware). One of many valid view-points about making the most of being a TA.

“All of the funds and support we get from the university is justified in part by our ability to teach undergrad courses. So this is, plainly and simply, a must have.

“But I also want to stress for everyone how it can really be in your own self-interest to TA a course. Here are some of the many reasons:

• Advance the cause of education and science
• Get a resume item if you wish to be a professor someday
• Get paid a bit more (pending us figuring out how to do this)
• Help group meet a requirement that keeps us in business

“But maybe more importantly:

• Meet new students, identify the best ones, get them excited about science, and then recruit them to work on your research project for free

“Do you find it boring to probe 1e6 devices for electrical resistivity? Well, if you play your cards right, you can recruit an undergrad to work on this project for you. If you find the right person, and frame the opportunity properly and train them correctly, they will be happy to do literally 100s of hours of work for you, at no cost, if it's part of a research agenda. They are lucky to have this opportunity. Believe me. I was an undergrad interested in science, but with no idea how to find my way into the world of research. I really wish I had the kind of opportunity that you guys can offer these incoming students.

“Being a TA is probably going to cost you 4-6 hours per week (At OSU, a full time TA position — 0.4 full time equivalent — is 16 hours a week). What you can get in return in terms of time contributed from students can quickly make up for this - if you go into it with the right attitude. Of course if you show up and view the task as nothing more than a burdensome exercise, then don't expect to get anything back.

“A long time ago, I was a TA back at Caltech. Probably 60% of the class had a bad attitude, and complained bitterly at having to solve the differential equation:

dy/dx = -k * y

“IT IS NOT FAIR” shrieked the students majoring in engineering at Caltech. “CALCULUS WAS NOT A PREREQUISITE!!!!”

“Yes, it would have been easy to get cynical. But I kept faith in science, stayed positive, and tried to get my students excited in what I was doing. In addition to getting some great stories (like the time I nearly burned my hand off with molten quartz - do you know how well that story works in bars?), I got some students excited in science, who then wanted to work with me. One of these students was Michael Hochberg.

“Bottom line: if you go into doing this TA with the right attitude, I think you're going to find that even solely in terms of your self-interest in research or a startup, the whole activity quickly pays for itself.”