Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Academic Information
  1. Other (External Examinations & Lecture TAs)

First Year Education TA / FGL TA

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TAs are assigned to the 1st year education courses that all first year students must take, “Student Success Workshop (SSW)” and “ Multicultural Collaborative Workshop (MCW),” as well as the course “Foundations of Global Leadership (FGL).” TAs in these courses not only help with passing out materials and taking attendance, but also offer guidance in small groups, provide support and facilitation in group work, and offer guidance for reports and presentations.
About 300 First Year Education TAs and FGL TAs are active at APU each year. One of APU’s unique features is that TAs help manage classes, and are able to interact with and provide feedback to students from a perspective that is closer to the students.

1. The Role of TAs in Each Type of Course

SSW

SSW is a course aimed at supporting new students and helping them achieve success in their student life through recognizing that the ability to independently learn and ask questions at university is directly linked to “Student Success.” The course consists of both lectures in large classrooms by faculty members and workshops held in small classrooms. TAs facilitate the workshops and provide learning support to students, such as by supporting group work and giving advice on how to write reports.

MCW

MCW is a course aimed at helping first-year students acquire the basic intercultural communication and multicultural collaboration skills and attitudes necessary for facing situations that occur when people from different cultural backgrounds work together. It includes both lectures in large classrooms separated by language, and workshops in mixed-language small classrooms. TAs lead the workshops in the small classrooms based on the lesson plan.
MCW also includes LTAs (Leader TAs) who lead and support the TAs.

FGL

FGL is a course aimed at learning about leadership models and gaining global leadership skills that will help students become “people who can change the world.” The course also includes collaborative work in mixed groups made up of students from the Japanese and English classes. Under the guidance of the course instructor, TAs are put in charge of two groups of about 6 students each to carry out group work and facilitate discussions based on various case studies from APU student life.

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2. Skills Gained by First Year Education TAs / FGL TAs

Working as a First Year Education TAs and FGL TAs not only helps support the learning of the students in their courses, but also contributes to the TA’s own personal growth. Through their experiences, First Year TAs can expect to gain the following types of skills.

Communication Skills
Coaching Skills
Leadership Skills
Group Management Skills

Facilitation Skills
Time Management Skills
Public Speaking Skills
Empathy

3. Timeline for Hiring of First Year Education TAs / FGL TAs

Spring Semester Fall Semester Timeline
Mid May -
Early Jun. 		Mid Nov. -
Late Nov.

Applications Open

Check the application announcement posted on Campus Terminal or the on-campus part time jobs list
Check the application requirements carefully, then apply via survey
Mid Jun. Early Dec.

First Round of Screening Results Announced

Mid Jun. -
Late Jun.		 Mid Dec.

Only for eligible person

Interviews

SSW Applicants, Submit Report
Mid Jul. Mid Jan.

Final Screening Results Announced

Late Jul.

Mondatory Training for MCW LTAs only (in-person)

Late Sep. Early Apr.

Participate in Mandatory Pre-Course Training (in-person)

First Year Education TA / FGL TA Application Guidance Video

Please be sure to watch the guidance video before applying.

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4. First Year Education TA / FGL TA Experiences

Messages from Sempai TAs about what they learned through their experiences working as First Year Education TAs / FGL TAs

BASUNDE ROHINI
Name:
BASUNDE ROHINI
Nationality:
INDIA
TA experience:
MCW L/TA
Message
FUKAYA SAKI
Name:
FUKAYA SAKI
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW LTA
Message
GRACE MARIANNE
Name:
GRACE MARIANNE
Nationality:
INDONESIA
TA experience:
SSW TA
Message
HIDAKA RINTARO
Name:
HIDAKA RINTARO
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, FGL TA
Message
HNIN OO WAI
Name:
HNIN OO WAI
Nationality:
MYANMAR
TA experience:
SSW TA, FGL TA
Message
I GEDE ADITYA D. N.
Name:
I GEDE ADITYA D. N.
Nationality:
INDONESIA
TA experience:
SSW TA, FGL TA
Message
ISOGAI KURISU
Name:
ISOGAI KURISU
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
FGL TA
Message
ISTESHAM FARHAN
Name:
ISTESHAM FARHAN
Nationality:
BANGLADESH
TA experience:
SSW TA
Message
LIU ZEYI
Name:
LIU ZEYI
Nationality:
CHINA
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW LTA
Message
MIYAJI MISORA
Name:
MIYAJI MISORA
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW TA
Message
MOTOI YU
Name:
MOTOI YU
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW L/TA, FGL TA
Message
NGUYEN Kieu Chi
Name:
NGUYEN Kieu Chi
Nationality:
VIETNAM
TA experience:
MCW L/TA
Message
QONITA Aryana P.
Name:
QONITA Aryana P.
Nationality:
INDONESIA
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW L/TA
Message
RAYZAN RAHMANANDA
Name:
RAYZAN RAHMANANDA
Nationality:
INDONESIA
TA experience:
MCW TA, FGL TA
Message
SASAHARA KAEDE
Name:
SASAHARA KAEDE
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
MCW L/TA, FGL TA
Message
SHIMIZU NAIKI
Name:
SHIMIZU NAIKI
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, FGL TA
Message
SUHA Saamin Azam
Name:
SUHA Saamin Azam
Nationality:
BANGLADESH
TA experience:
MCW L/TA
Message
VOKHABOV ERKINBEK
Name:
VOKHABOV ERKINBEK
Nationality:
UZBEKISTAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW LTA, FGL TA
Message
WADA MANATO
Name:
WADA MANATO
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW TA
Message
WATANABE Kota
Name:
WATANABE Kota
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW L/TA, FGL TA
Message
YANGLEM MOTILAL
Name:
YANGLEM MOTILAL
Nationality:
INDIA
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW TA, FGL TA
Message
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5. Interview with First Year Education/ FGL Sempai TAs

Japanese-basis Classes_Interview with Sempai TAs (Japanese only)

English-basis Classes_Interview with Senior TAs (English only)

6. Academic Office First Year Education TA / FGL TA Inquiries

Email apufye@apu.ac.jp
Message
BASUNDE ROHINI
Name:
BASUNDE ROHINI
Nationality:
INDIA
TA experience:
MCW L/TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

I became an MCW TA for the first time back in 2022 and have been a TA since then and all I can say is: I have stepped out of my comfort zone and become the person I am due to the skills and knowledge I have gained through the experience of being a TA. I was usually a quiet person but over the years of working as a TA, I have grown to be more communicative and open to people. It has helped me in networking with a number of students and professors.  I have grown skills such as leadership, communication, and time management. I have grown to love talking to and teaching people.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

Step out of your comfort zone - being a TA is not easy and requires a lot of patience, communication skills, and more, but all of this can be learned and developed while being a TA. You learn so much and gain important skills that will help you in your daily life and definitely be useful once you are out of university! Also, you meet lovely people whose company you will enjoy during your APU life!

Message
FUKAYA SAKI
Name:
FUKAYA SAKI
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW LTA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

What you gained through your first-year educationTA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.I was glad to learn about my personal strengths from other TAs, such as schedule management skills and skills in thinking about others.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

I learned not to interfere too much. I am often tempted to do various things for the students, but I think watching carefully is also important! However, I think the most important thing is whether you look out for first year students and encourage them! I think that feeling will definitely be conveyed to the first-year students. I’m rooting for you!

Message
GRACE MARIANNE
Name:
GRACE MARIANNE
Nationality:
INDONESIA
TA experience:
SSW TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

I gained a lot from being a first-year TA for SSW. In the beginning, I thought it would only broaden my skills in becoming a mentor, guiding other students about writing. Yes, being an SSW TA means that I can always be reminded about the writing method and how to utter my ideas academically through writing, assert my claims, and do research and other academic activities. It helped to remind me of things that are necessary when writing academically and things that support the learning process. However, after I did TA work for a few semesters, the advantages extended beyond personal academic growth. As a TA, I have received and continue to get training on effective time management as both a student and a TA. For me, nothing is more valuable than the experience of developing close bonds with people, connecting with them through education, and fostering academic relationships through classes and other academic endeavors. Observing first-year students' growth both in and outside of the classroom is another fulfilling firsthand experience. I learned how to create a friendly academic atmosphere for everyone to be able to advance together. Besides that, the experience of having group mates at work will be useful in my future career. The value of learning about connecting with everyone in class, including professors, fellow TAs, and students, is something that cannot be found anywhere else!

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

My tips are to create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere by being yourself. Creating a sense of belonging in individuals is essential. By building genuine connections, TAs can grow alongside students both personally in character and academically in class. Being a first-year TA is always an exciting and new experience since TAs can see and learn how first-year students develop a spirit of learning. There is nothing to worry about, as there will be a team and excellent professors working together to support one another during the semester. Additionally, do not be afraid to try things as there will always be trials and errors. Everyone has their own unique ways of giving their best. Just prepare lots of love and expect fun times!

Message
HIDAKA RINTARO
Name:
HIDAKA RINTARO
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, FGL TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

I believe that through my TA experience for Foundations for Global Leadership (FGL), I gained the ability to be observant and flexible. FGL required me to respond to students individually as a TA, and I gained observational skills for determining students’ individual natures and abilities when making groups in a limited timeframe. During class, many irregular situations that are not described in the TA Manual occur. Through continually dealing with these irregularities, I was able to gain flexible coping and thinking skills. These skills helped me in activities with the student association that I represent.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

First-year education TA work has many jobs and challenges compared to other general TA work. However, these differences allow you to build relationships and have experiences that you can only have as a first-year education TA. Moreover, the TA work experience as an undergraduate at APU is very unique. Definitely apply! I’m rooting for you.

Message
HNIN OO WAI
Name:
HNIN OO WAI
Nationality:
MYANMAR
TA experience:
SSW TA, FGL TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

Being a first-year education TA taught me a lot of valuable skills and provided me with experiences that were useful for my student life. I feel more confident and my communication skills improved through communicating with the professors and fellow TAs and managing groups of students in class. My time management skills also improved through having to balance my TA work and studies. I also now enjoy talking and having discussions in class groups whereas I was too shy to start a conversation before.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

It is heavy-duty work, but the feeling of accomplishment seeing your students enjoying and learning a lot in the class is incomparable.

Message
I GEDE ADITYA D. N.
Name:
I GEDE ADITYA D. N.
Nationality:
INDONESIA
TA experience:
SSW TA, FGL TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

As a first-year TA I have gained a plethora of important soft skills, such as resilience, that I find useful for both excelling in my APU life as well as in my career. Furthermore, engaging with my students has fostered my interpersonal skills while learning from their unique perspectives.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

Find purpose in every step you take.

Message
ISOGAI KURISU
Name:
ISOGAI KURISU
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
FGL TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

Becoming a TA for FGL for a year greatly encouraged me to take on more responsible roles, not only as a teaching assistant, but also as someone fostering an inclusive environment. Throughout this experience, I learned to recognize my students' individual learning paces, assess their communication skills, and appreciate the diverse perspectives they brought to the class. This awareness of differing viewpoints helped me to actively listen, adopt an open-minded attitude, and develop skills in developing an inclusive environment for all my students. These aspects are invaluable not only during university but also in post-graduation life. After taking on my TA roles, I was able to establish confidence in talking openly among everyone, develop skills as a facilitator for job and graduate program interviews, and communicate more outgoingly with my professors. Be inspired through your classes and try taking on the next journey as a TA!

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

As a TA, you might experience some difficulty balancing your student life at university while working with other TAs and supporting the professor. However, the good news is that everything is a learning experience. You will learn from your students as much as they learn from the course.
Remember that most of your students will look up to you. Many students will also feel more comfortable talking to their own TAs rather than the professors, making the bond closer. This also means that your actions, roles, and responsibilities will affect how they perceive you. Although these points are all important, make sure that you are showing your fun and true self in how you envision a TA! It will be one of the best experiences you will encounter!

Message
ISTESHAM FARHAN
Name:
ISTESHAM FARHAN
Nationality:
BANGLADESH
TA experience:
SSW TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

The most important takeaway from my TA experience was the development of my soft skills: communication, mentoring, and teamwork. Also, the experience helped make me more responsible in general. I was also able to connect with amazing professors, co-TAs, and kouhais.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

The experience of being a TA will be one of the best experiences you can get at APU. Enjoy it as much as you can. Call upon your sense of belonging for the class and for your work.

Message
LIU ZEYI
Name:
LIU ZEYI
Nationality:
CHINA
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW LTA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

Being a TA developed my ability to work together with group members from many nationalities.
When looking for work with a global company, the first-year education TA experience becomes good material to talk about.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

Being a TA supports your own growth while you support the growth of newly enrolled students.

Message
MIYAJI MISORA
Name:
MIYAJI MISORA
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

I feel that I gained problem-solving skills and that TA work was a great experience for me. I gained problem-solving skills from the experience of expressing various opinions and reaching solutions through discussions with partner TAs and fellow TAs when conflicts arose in the group. Furthermore, while the position is referred to as “Teaching Assistant”, TAs are involved with the students more closely than the professor and as such an experience contributing to class is quite rare, TA work became something I personally felt I worked hard at in my APU life.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

I think that TA work is a valuable experience leading to personal growth and knowledge of oneself through supporting students. If you have even the slightest interest, I encourage you to go for it!

Message
MOTOI YU
Name:
MOTOI YU
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW L/TA, FGL TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

Through my first-year education TA experience, I developed communication skills, task management skills, logical and critical thinking skills, and techniques for writing emails.
I don’t yet know whether I’ll be able to use these skills as skills I learned as a student during job hunting, but I believe that they will be useful during group discussions and self-analysis.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

From personal experience, I believe that TAs who think about what they want their students to become and what they should do for their students are better TAs who are liked by students than TAs who think about what they want to be or what they want to do.
I think it is better to think less about what you want to be and try to be conscious of what you yourself would like to deliver to your students.

Don’t worry. As long as you give your full effort and interact with the students, fellow TAs, and professors, you will naturally gain skills.

Message
NGUYEN Kieu Chi
Name:
NGUYEN Kieu Chi
Nationality:
VIETNAM
TA experience:
MCW L/TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

As an MCW LTA, I have gained invaluable experience with my professors, co-leaders, and other TAs, sharpening my facilitation and improvising skills after four months. From the first day, seeing new faces and finding it challenging to start a conversation and bond with each other, we have gradually gotten to know each other, sharing students' concerns and trying to facilitate and solve any problems that occur. I have lots of fun with my class, from adjusting the guidelines when necessary, communicating with the other TAs, and having parties and meals together.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

Out of four years at APU, I have dedicated three times to being a part of MCW, from being a student to a TA to an LTA, and I feel so happy to have lots of good memories there. There is no other place to find activities where you interact and have so much fun in a multicultural, inclusive environment. MCW is the perfect class to introduce and represent APU culture. I hope future TAs can take it as an opportunity and leverage the culture and strength in APU's classes.

Message
QONITA Aryana P.
Name:
QONITA Aryana P.
Nationality:
INDONESIA
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW L/TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

Throughout my APU life, I've been an MCW TA, SSAW TA, and MCW LTA. Being a TA turned out to be a way for me to continually learn and develop myself. Throughout my experience as a first-year TA, I learned how to conduct a fun learning environment and facilitate a class, which aligns with my passion for education. I also got to share my knowledge with my students and learn from each of them. For me, being a TA is more than just the weekly meetings, material preparation, and post-evaluation meetings. Being a first-year TA means involving yourself in a learning process that everyone is experiencing simultaneously to grow together.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

Be yourself and be present while doing your job as a TA! Be aware that you can always learn from various experiences and mistakes, and from your students, the professor, and the other TAs!

Message
RAYZAN RAHMANANDA
Name:
RAYZAN RAHMANANDA
Nationality:
INDONESIA
TA experience:
MCW TA, FGL TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

Being a TA/LTA in both MCW and FGL has given me an opportunity to become a better leader. Managing more than 100 people (including TAs and students) was a challenging experience and a first time for me. Throughout the semester, there were many skills that I gained, including time management, team discipline, and communication skills, and these skills have helped me in other leadership roles at other organizations as well as helped me to have confidence when making my own projects and managing others. Overall, being a TA/LTA has made me a better leader.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

Do not give up - being a TA is a challenging experience, however, what you will get at the end is worth every sweat poured into this amazing experience!

Message
SASAHARA KAEDE
Name:
SASAHARA KAEDE
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
MCW L/TA, FGL TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

First-year education TAs do not merely pass on knowledge or support the professor. In particular, the first-year education TA experience differs from other TA experiences at APU through the opportunity to be involved with many students and expand your community. I am glad that the number of students who freely approach me to talk on campus has increased. Furthermore, by being involved with the students, you can see their level of understanding in the course and why TAs are present, and through providing the appropriate support, you can develop skills in planning wording and approaches. As job-hunting involves promoting oneself, I think with this experience you will not be at a loss for words!

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

You may think of first-year education TA work as more busy or formal compared to other activities, but even if you have a slight interest in what we are doing, I think you should try applying with that small feeling!

Message
SHIMIZU NAIKI
Name:
SHIMIZU NAIKI
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, FGL TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

・TAs need to take action to achieve the goals of each class in light of what is be achieved each class towards the outcomes that should be reached after all fourteen classes. During job-hunting as well, I was evaluated on the approach I developed over the course of my TA work in which I create a detailed plan to achieve goals and act in accordance with it.
・TAs are required to work with a variety of students. Especially in first-year education courses, TAs should help students to improve a number of skills in situations where many unexpected incidents occur, such as students not knowing how to use their student IDs or PCs. Therefore, rather than responding to all students the same way, TAs need to be flexible and put themselves in the student’s position, even for their responses outside of the classroom. The skills I developed through such activities enabled me to respond calmly and flexibly in other unexpected situations, such as when I participated in an exchange program.
・TAs are not only required to teach, but to check in on students’ understanding and practice. Therefore, as a TA I was able to form standards for “how to demonstrate great ○○ skills” by observing numerous cases. The writing skills I developed as a result helped me when writing reports for class and when writing logically and concisely about my own experiences for job hunting. The leadership skills I developed through first-year education TA work also helped me to build a better AP house environment when supervising Resident Assistants (RAs), each with their own set of values, as well as when I had to conduct myself optimally in group discussion tests during job hunting.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

In addition to first-year education TA work (SSW/FGL), I have had various other experiences including RA work, an exchange program, a working holiday, and a three-month backpacking trip, but I feel that only my work as a first-year education TA gave me detailed feedback (reactions from students and guidance from professors) on the various skills I developed and a place to put them into practice (the classroom). What made me the happiest as a TA was being able to sense students’ growth up close. When I am able to see “students being able to do what they were unable to do before” and “students improving their APU lives with what they learned in class” through the approaches and small actions of TAs, I find it rewarding to the extent that I don’t mind all the hard work up until that point. Furthermore, working with highly motivated students who have just entered APU has always been a major source of inspiration for me. This wonderful TA system is considered to be a unique system in Japan. To all those at APU, why not take advantage of this wonderful opportunity? The scariness of taking on the challenge to be a TA is something many TAs have experienced, myself included, and highly experienced professors and senior TAs will support you. I am looking forward to engaging in TA work together!

Message
SUHA Saamin Azam
Name:
SUHA Saamin Azam
Nationality:
BANGLADESH
TA experience:
MCW L/TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

MCW is a very unique class and being a TA allowed me to build stronger connections and relationships with students, other TAs, and professors. It was a great learning experience to be able to interact with people from so many different regions, truly putting APU's 'global' image into perspective. I was also able to develop my teamwork skills, grasp the importance of building a team spirit, and learn from the different sorts of teaching methods of other TAs. It gave me a very unique experience to mention during job hunting and in graduate school applications, and also helped me in clubs and other student activities.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

I highly recommend experiencing the role of a MCW TA and LTA, as these roles will help you maintain multicultural relationships and allow you to learn the core skills of teamwork!

Message
VOKHABOV ERKINBEK
Name:
VOKHABOV ERKINBEK
Nationality:
UZBEKISTAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW LTA, FGL TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

What I gained was certainly the ability to communicate and work collaboratively with a large group of people. The opportunity to take up a leadership position also helped me excel in group discussions.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

Just imagine yourself some time ago. You were also sitting there in class, listening to the professor, perhaps lost inside tons of tasks and homework. As a TA, just do what you would love to have received yourself as a student at that time. Such support will give students memories and motivation that lasts throughout their student years.

Message
WADA MANATO
Name:
WADA MANATO
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

Through my first-year education TA experience, I developed skills in managing several people and supporting others’ growth. TAs conduct the seminars held in the second half of all MCW classes, so we must conduct classes in which students learn in a limited timeframe. As a result, I developed management skills, including allocating time and strengthening content. In addition, in SSW classes, TAs check the final report before the professors and provide feedback, so they become the closest form of support for students. As a result, I developed the ability to support students in writing their final assignments well.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

What were your TAs like when you were a student? I think that all of the TAs were kind and friendly, but perhaps some of you think there were TAs who were not so good. So, what were the good points about your TAs? And what were the not so good points? While taking the good points from your TAs and using the not so good points as examples, please bring your own colors to being a TA! As first-year education TAs really have so many opportunities to work closely with the students, I cannot express in words my happiness at the moment I see them grow!!!

Message
WATANABE Kota
Name:
WATANABE Kota
Nationality:
JAPAN
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW L/TA, FGL TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

My first-year education TA experience was helpful in enabling me to demonstrate natural leadership when working with multiple people such as during groupwork. You can have various experiences as a first-year education TA, such as managing small classrooms, being in charge of several groups at once, or thinking about how to manage an entire class as a leader TA. Through these experiences, I gained public speaking skills, time management skills, facilitation skills, and skills in thinking ahead. My experience as a TA has also been helpful for activities outside of university and enabled me to naturally take on leadership roles in settings where working with multiple people is required, such as in volunteer or job-hunting activities.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

An experience like being an APU first-year education TA in which student TAs are in charge of their own group of students and run small classes is an incredibly rare experience. It is certainly true that there are many difficult challenges on the work side. However, a lot of experience can be gained through overcoming those challenges. Plus, even if there are challenges, the senior TAs and professors will support you! Even if you have a small interest in being a TA, please try taking that first step!

Message
YANGLEM MOTILAL
Name:
YANGLEM MOTILAL
Nationality:
INDIA
TA experience:
SSW TA, MCW TA, FGL TA
1. What you gained through your first-year TA experience
TA experience that helped you in your student life and job hunting, etc.

As a TA, I needed to give explanations, answer questions, and provide feedback constantly, which honed my ability to communicate clearly. This ability is crucial for success in both academic settings (such as in presentations and group projects) and future jobs (such as when explaining technical concepts to colleagues and giving clear instructions). Additionally, I often took on leadership roles in my assigned groups. I needed to guide discussions and lead study groups during class time. This experience helped me to develop the confidence to take charge, delegate tasks effectively, and motivate others. Also, balancing my TA job and other responsibilities required excellent time management skills. I learned to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and organize my workload effectively.

2. Tip / message for prospective first-year TAs

Never fear to try new things and make mistakes.

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