4 Reasons Why Dating Your TA Is a Bad Idea

TAs often find themselves objects of students' attention because they are young, intelligent, and passionate about their job. Some students just can't help flirting with their TAs. However, having a relationship with a teaching assistant who teaches your class is a bad idea for a bunch of reasons.

They have authority over you. If a TA teaches your class, they hold power over your academic life and can influence your grades. What if you break up and they decide to make your life a living hell? Of course, that's not what a decent person would do, but such things happen, so you should not rule out this possibility. This is the first reason why student/TA relationships are considered inappropriate behavior in most schools.

You can get them accused of sexual harassment. We don't mean you would file a sexual harassment complaint yourself, why would you do it if things are going well between you two? Other students, however, could if they find out you are dating a TA and think you have an unfair advantage. Sexual harassment claims are the second reason why student/TA relationships are frowned upon.

You'll prevent them from doing their job. TAs are in class to instruct and guide students, and they don't need any distractions that might prevent them from doing their job well. Your presence will definitely be a distraction even if you don't send flirtatious glances or make ambiguous jokes. Because sparks still fly, you know.

You will have to keep it quiet. Even if your school doesn't have a very strict “no dating students” policy, you will have to be discreet. Rumors fly fast around campus. You won't be able to have dates on campus or attend campus parties together. You will also have to keep PDA to a minimum. So if sex in a classroom has been your sexual fantasy for years, you will not be able to fulfill it. You can try, of course, but remember that you might be caught and then – hello, problems! Believe us, no sexual fantasy is worth ruining your academic careers.

So, these are the reasons why dating a teaching assistant who teaches your class is a bad idea. However, this doesn't mean that TAs are completely off limits. You just need to wait until the course is completed and the grades are submitted before making any moves. And check out your school's dating policy not to get them or yourself in trouble.