Graduate Assistant Interview Questions
"As a graduate assistant, you will work closely with a professor or other instructor in your field of study, performing supportive tasks such as teaching discussion classes and conducting research. Be prepared to discuss at length your background in the field, including research concentrations, journal articles, or teaching experience. Before your interview, be sure to familiarize yourself with the professor's areas of expertise."
What do you think is necessary for a Graduate Assistant Position
1 Answers↳
Friendly, Quick to respond
The professor quizzed me on several technical aspects of a journal paper I was a co-author of. Most of them were manageable. He asked me what exactly my contribution was in that paper and why I was not first author on it.
1 Answers↳
I replied that the project was industry-funded and because I was a student at the time the industry I was working for did not share enough proprietary details with me like they did with my advisor who was the first author on the paper. As a result it was easier and much faster for my advisor to write the paper up and add me on as a second author despite the fact that I did all the experimental work that was featured in it. The rest of the interview was excellent and the Professor collected my references and then e-mailed them separately for recommendations. In ~4 weeks time I was hired. Less
What research area are you interested in?
1 Answers↳
Don't be so specific that you could only see yourself working for one prof. Read up on the faculty, pick out several you like and then widen your answer to potentially include any of them. Read up on these subjects beforehand so you can ask some intelligent questions about the research projects and see if it is what you really want. Be sure to talk with the profs at recruitment weekend! Less
How do you handle criticism?
Give brief summary of your research interests.
4 Answers↳
I wrote a 3 pages summary describing different topics.
↳
I am looking for drought resistant genotypes varieties of rice and wheat crops which could grow normally without reducing grain yield. I would like to present some pictures of my work at IRRI.selection of suitable rice genotypes is critical in growing rice successfully with less water. However, information on the response of different genotypes to such water saving technologies is still lacking. Thus, the field experiment with the objective to evaluate the grain yield and yield components water productivity performances grown under AWD20, AWD40 and under CF irrigation schemes. Less
↳
Water management technology: I am also lookibg for different methods of water application in rice and wheat crop. It is necessary to select appropriate methods of irrigation for these two crops which maintain grain yield without increasing cost of cultivation. Therefore, i am trying to develop different scheme to irrigate crops. Less
Are you really interested to do research on the specified topic?
4 Answers
What is your preference of the courses that you would like to be a TA
3 Answers↳
Introductory Microbiology
↳
Systematic Bacteriology
↳
Industrial Microbiology
How do you think psychology research will help you in a medical research lab?
2 Answers↳
During my undergrad psychology research, I was exposed to behavioral science, survey design, and how to communicate research aims and results to lay populations. Less
↳
Psychology is everything in any occupation. The saying that "you don't know who you are until you know where you've been" pertains to that idea because the psychology of a person dates back throughout history. Psychology holds the key to medical restoration in the mind which dominos to medical restoration of the body. Less
Interest in the Project
2 Answers↳
About the specific technical background related to the topic
↳
I am an agronomist. I am interested to reduce water requirements in Rice farming and wheat cultivation without reducing yields. These two crops are main crops of Nepal. It is important to save water for other uses like industries, domestic, animals etc. Because, water table and river bed of world are going down. Less
