What jobs do you have to do as a TA? Do All Schools have TA's? How Early can you start? 2nd semester freshmen year?
At many undergraduate colleges, it's very common for undergraduates to TA. This is how it worked at my school:
1) Take the class you want to TA
2) Do well in it
3) Wait until TA applications go in for the following academic year.
4) Apply
5) Interview
6) Land TA position.
While my school had a formal process (each department had forms to fill out, complete with faculty recommendations and an interview), many schools or departments are less formal and positions may be filled by professors approaching their best students to offer a slot.
Once you land a TA position, the jobs can vary. Most involve some sort of required grading. Many also require students to teach a recitation session (short session, usually to go over problems from the text), a workshop session (longer sessions for group learning), or a lab session. It is not uncommon for some TAs to be required to take a teaching class at the same time.
Most schools have TAs, but some schools use more graduate students, and fewer undergraduates than others. Schools using undergraduates usually let them start TAing during sophomore year - because the selection process is usually an end of year thing, and because most classes are only offered during one semester of each year.
As for compensation...at my school it was a flat rate for the semester - usually $500-$800. Some schools may pay more. Some may pay less.
