What are the keys to academic advising in college?
Academic advising during freshman summer orientation (and every semester of school) is all about critical thinking.
Each student must take the information they are given from their respective institutions and their academic advising offices and use it as a starting point. Not a one-size-fits-all guide.
Instead, if used as baseline from “the” authoritative source(s) on the matter, which your school’s advising offices and personnel indeed are, you will get SO much more out of advising and registration.
While it’s incredibly easy to take a “passive” role in the process, attending your mandatory advising appointment simply to have your hold lifted so that you can register for classes, it’s not at all how you should view the academic advising process.
Alternatively, you must take an “active” role in the process.
With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the keys to academic advising success for college freshmen.
1) MAKE SURE and Attend the Academic Advising Session During Orientation
With a myriad of things on an orientation program, aimed at providing new students with a comprehensive, complete preview of what to expect during their first semester of college, many students tend to sort of glaze over the academic advising meeting.
However, it should be one meeting you attend and participate actively.
2) Visit One-on-One with an Academic Advisor in Your Major
Before you leave campus (or your virtual advising meeting), you must connect, one-on-one, with an actual academic advisor in your program of choice.
While some institutions will provide individual advising during orientation, the majority will more likely hold a group advising meeting. Students will be shown a “traditional” first-semester class schedule, before having their holds lifted and signing up for classes.
Again, take an active role in the process. Don’t leave your advising session without having made an individual contact with an academic advisor. Even if you don’t have any questions at the time, you will have a single point of contact to consult with any questions in the future.
3) Consult with Current and Former Students, Within Your Major or Not
We all love to consult with others before making big decisions and purchases in life and consulting with current or former students about which classes to take, which teachers to take, etc. is an absolute must.
That being said, no different than you not asking your broke uncle for investing advice, you don’t need to ask a student who is just getting by in school (without putting in effort) for class advice.
4) Understand a 12-Hour Semester is Called “Full-Time” for a Reason
Don’t take 18 or 19 hours in your first semester of college!
At nearly every school, a full-time student is one taking 12 or more hours each term.
It’s important to remember that the mere transition from high school to college or from one institution to another in the case of transfer students, is essentially equivalent to taking another six hours in and of itself. I’d much rather see my daughter take 12 hours in her first semester and make three A’s and a B, than her rolling three B’s and three C’s in 18 hours.
5) Spend Real Time Reading Course & Professor Evaluations (Beyond “Rate My Professor”)
Don’t get me wrong, the popular website “Rate My Professor” can be a great point of reference for students in selecting courses and professors, but it can’t be the only resource utilized.
If you review your school’s academic advising website(s), you can find out how to review course and teacher evaluations from students that took those same classes and professors.
Without question, this is one area in which students don’t pay enough attention to a great resource.
6) Give Yourself (Extra) Options When Registering for Classes
When signing up for classes, do yourself a favor and give yourself a little insurance, by registering for an extra course. Doing so gives you an extra option, in the event you don’t click with a certain professor or if a course you thought was going to be awesome, isn’t.
If you don’t end up needing the course, you can drop the course by the drop date.
7) Review Your School’s Academic Calendar for Registration, Add/Drop and Withdrawal Dates
You always have to be aware of your institution’s set deadlines to add and drop classes, withdraw from classes, etc. While some professors may be kind and include this type of information in a syllabus, you can’t rely on that.
Visit your school’s academic calendar, typically found on the registrar’s website and add all of those important dates to your calendar.
8) Be Sure to Check Your School-Issued Email Address for Course Correspondence
You have to make it a daily routine to start checking that .edu email address.
To be honest, you’ll be much better served to check it morning and night.
While I know you love that cheergirl17 email handle you made in middle school, it’s just not the one at which your college or university will be sending important emails.
9) Order Textbooks Before the Start of the Semester
There will likely be some difference in opinion on this one, but I feel strongly that new students should buy textbooks before the start of class. There are multiple reasons, so let me explain.
Institutions might prefer you to purchase books from their affiliated bookstores, but it’s safe to say the economic savings could prove to be substantial if you weigh your options.
Second, by the time you’ve attended a couple of classes and you’re finally ready to buy books, odds are good that certain textbooks will then only be available as “new” (expensive) ones. Moreover, there’s a good chance that said textbooks may be out of stock and on back order at the bookstore, potentially putting you behind in class before you event start.
10) Connect With Your New Professors (Even If They Don’t Reply!)
Listen carefully to me on this one, life is all about connections and relationships.
College is no different.
I highly, highly encourage you to both email your professors a brief introductory note ahead of classes and make a concerted effort to form professional relationships with them during the actual semester.
For starters, 99% of students don’t, so why not give yourself a little edge?
Second, if a teacher knows you’ve been “present” throughout a semester, dating back to the very beginning, they will likely be much more inclined to help you if you struggle later.
Last, email them not expecting a reply. They’ll know you emailed, trust me. If you do get a reply, all the better.
As with most everything in life, the idea of “one-size-fits-all” doesn’t really fit most situations.
Each student is highly unique, as will be their practice and process of taking all of the academic information provided by schools and actually putting it all together to make a solid schedule.
The level of intention by which a student chooses semester classes is directly related to a student’s academic success at the end of each semester. Spend the extra time and enjoy the extra success!
Seph Anderson
