30 Days, 30 Hacks: Mastering Your US Master's Journey

Pursuing Master’s in the United States as an international student can be a taxing experience considering the financial burden one has to go through in order to maintain their lifestyle away from home. Part-time jobs on campuses offer a plethora of opportunities for both domestic and international students to ease out this process and in parallel enhance their college experience. These positions not only help students financially but also provide invaluable real-world experience, skill development, and a chance to integrate into the campus community while being in communication with students from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

From assisting professors as teaching or research assistants (TA/RA) to working in libraries, dining services, or administrative offices; on-campus jobs cater to a wide array of skills and interests. Furthermore, these roles offer flexible schedules, making them suitable for students balancing academics and work. At the end of the day we must understand that these jobs are merely to ease out the transition and assist financially, and our main focus as international students is to keep the pedal to the metal and not loose valuable time, hoping to make a couple of bucks.

International students, with visa restrictions, can tap into these opportunities with the RIGHT GUIDANCE and UNDERSTANDING of their visa regulations. It is vital to get in touch with the International Student Services and the Human Resources department that listed the job on the portal, and make sure that taking on the job does not violate any visa restrictions and maintains your F-1 visa status. Always keep in mind that there are certain gaps in job descriptions and the job as well, anything other than what is written on the offer letter should be communicated to the aforementioned departments immediately, because these might turn out to violate your status in the future.

Let’s shed light on these opportunities -

Grader in Computer Science:

Responsibilities: Graders in computer science assist instructors or Teaching Assistants by evaluating student assignments, projects, and/or exams. They play a crucial role in ensuring that grading is fair, consistent, and in alignment with the course's standards set by the Professor or the Teaching Assistant based on the requirements. Graders provide constructive feedback (in ideal scenario they do, but remember they are students too and sometimes miss out on this part) to students, answer grading-related inquiries, and may participate in grading meetings to maintain consistency (which rarely happens).

Benefits: Graders gain a deep understanding of course material, develop attention to detail, and enhance their critical thinking skills which might come in handy during bug-bash (personal opinion can’t be generalized). This role also fosters a sense of responsibility and accountability, which can be valuable in future academic or professional pursuits.

Senior Grader in Computer Science:

Responsibilities: Senior Graders are typically more experienced students who take on leadership roles within the grading team. They often oversee and guide Graders, assist with grading logistics, resolve complex grading issues like - the student might not agree with anyone and would push for a regrade request, and provide input on grading policies and procedures.

Benefits: Senior Graders not only deepen their understanding of course material but also develop leadership and management skills. This role offers opportunities to collaborate closely with faculty members/Teaching Assistant and contribute to the improvement of grading processes. Additionally, it can serve as valuable experience for those considering roles in educational administration or instructional design.

Teaching Assistant (TA) in Computer Science:

Responsibilities: TAs in computer science play a pivotal role in assisting Professors with teaching-related tasks (primarily). They often work closely with instructors of introductory to advanced-level courses depending on their experience and expertise in the field/subject. Their responsibilities encompass a wide range of activities, including but not limited to grading assignments and exams (can sometimes be given to the graders as well), leading discussion sections or lab sessions, providing one-on-one or group tutoring through zoom or in-person sessions, and sometimes even delivering lectures or creating supplementary teaching materials if and when the Professor is out of office or asks explicitly.

Benefits: Beyond the financial compensation (trust me it pays well 😛 ), TAs gain invaluable experience in teaching and mentoring, improving their communication skills, and reinforcing their understanding of computer science concepts. These experiences can be particularly beneficial for those considering careers in academia. At the same time I would like to make sure that there is no bias here, although the TA job looks more like a management job you tend to understand concepts in and out when you teach someone. You must have noticed that peer to peer discussions are sometimes valuable in understanding the concept, being a TA gives you that experience. Always feel proud when you are given the task to lead a lecture, it might spark the hope of pursuing academia or in my case Ted Talks.

Research Assistant (RA) in Computer Science:

Responsibilities: RAs in computer science are typically engaged in cutting-edge research projects led by Professors, research teams within the department or a customer company hoping to take advantage of students time and effort for as little money as possible (Harsh Reality). These projects span a wide spectrum of computer science domains, from artificial intelligence and machine learning to data science, computer vision, cybersecurity, and beyond. For every specialized Professor you see in the department there will be a research team he or she leads and FUNDING that they then distribute amongst their research group. RAs often work on tasks such as conducting experiments, writing code, collecting and analyzing data, and contributing to research papers. Some would even say that being a Research Assistant could be the first step to PhD.

Benefits: RAs gain hands-on research experience, collaborate closely with experts in their chosen field, and often have the opportunity to co-author research papers, which can significantly enhance their academic and professional profiles. Furthermore, RA positions may come with financial benefits such as a stipend, tuition remission, or research funding, making it a financially viable way for international students to pursue their Ph.D. or master's degree in computer science while actively contributing to advancements in the field.