Freshman year, I spent all my free time religiously doing the readings for my dullest class, anticipating impressing everyone in section. I thought it was normal freshman behavior but still couldn’t wrap my head around it until a mind-boggling epiphany hit me midway through the semester. My sudden intense interest in having stimulating intellectual debates with my teaching assistant was not for those precious participation points as I had previously thought: I was majorly crushing on my TA.
No wonder attending those long-winded lectures three times a week felt so tantalizing. So why are TAs so attractive? It’s not just that they’re good looking, because there are plenty of cute undergrads too, or because they’re doing groundbreaking research, because so is everyone else. TAs bridge the gap between us undergrads and our often intimidating professors, making them accessible, while their position as authority figures means it still feels kind of taboo to like them. And since most TAs are just a few years older, it’s natural to develop romantic interest. If you’re not sure how to interpret that racing heart when your TA calls on you, here are some ways to recognize the signs that you have it bad for your teaching assistant:
1The Wandering Eye
Do you often find that, instead of taking notes in class, your gaze unconsciously shifts towards your TA each time your professor rambles in front of a lecture slide? Do you search the crowded lecture hall whenever you walk in just to sit close enough that they might notice your new hairstyle? If so, you can’t keep your eyes off your TA–and you might be in love with them.
2The Office-Hours Groupie
For most students, office hours are a great resource when you need help on an assignment or studying for a prelim. However, if you find yourself going without a concrete subject to discuss, alarm bells should be ringing. Don’t get me wrong: there are some people who love to continue discussing the reading outside of section, but if you don’t really need extra help, this is a red flag that perhaps you just can’t wait until section to hear their voice again. When doing this, just make sure any requests to meet outside of the set office hours don’t freak out your TA.
3The After-Hours Obsession
For me, the biggest indicator of my infatuation was when I found myself thinking about my TA long after class had ended. This usually culminated in midnight chats with my roommate about what a “great guy” my TA was, along with some healthy Facebook and Instagram stalking. We’ve all done it–just be careful not to accidentally “Like” a picture from 2009.
Crushing on your TA is part of the college experience — that’s why “hooking up with your TA” is on the list of 161 Things to Do at Cornell. Don’t be freaked out if your heart skips a beat when your TA actually knows your name.These are fleeting emotions; next semester, you’ll probably have a new crush (or three) — how else would you pass the time in those slow-moving lectures?
