A very typical graduate school in the USA - Teaching Assistant Penn State Employee Review

3.0
Apr 10, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Some departments (like gravity institute and materials/nanoscience) have world-class credentials, and therefore you will too if you finish your degree there. University's emphasis on bottom line means you need never shortchange your research by taking the extra time to teach a subject competently (don't worry, your students would rather be somewhere else as well). Unless you deliberately live far from campus, everything is within walking distance of everything else, or at most you'll have a 20-minute bus commute in the morning.

Cons

Godawful insurance benefits (foreign nationals can't even get those, and must purchase their own unsubsidized plan in order to be hired). 75-100 hour weeks during crunches, which last between 1 week and 1 year. Located in a midwestern college town: if you are single, there's not much to do, and if you have a family, you'll be afraid to take them more than a block from home.

Explore other reviews about Penn State

5.0
Jul 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great treat, clear platform, adequate salary

Cons

No cons at all honestly

5.0
Jun 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They were very flexible with hours and it was a fun place to work. There was lots of downtime to do other things while on the clock, and an e-bike to get around campus quickly.

Cons

Toward the end they got pretty strict about keeping your computer on a certain tab to take online tickets, and you could get in trouble for not doing it. It’s tedious work overall.

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