That time of year is here again. No, not the changing leaves of fall or the seemingly endless cold season. It is the time of year where students are barreling through midterms and beginning to look ahead during spring advising.Students all across campus and in every major will meet with their adviser within the next few weeks to begin building a schedule for the upcoming semester. While it may seem like the spring semester is far off, it is never too early to start planning and preparing for the second half of the school year.
To many students, advising seems like a quick meeting with someone they may only see once a semester, but it is important to go into your advising meeting with an idea of where you stand and what your future could look like.
The university makes planning ahead easy for students with their Degree Audit on VandalWeb, where students can see any and every course and credit that needs to be completed on the road to graduation. Looking over this can yield great benefits come advising, as students will know what is ahead and can better ask their advisor the best path for them.
Advising brings a plethora of opportunities for students if they are willing to take them. Advisers know the ins and outs of their respective programs and are helpful people to have on your side. Even if the meeting is only a few minutes, students should take the opportunity to connect with their adviser and build a relationship. Knowing the adviser and professors within the program makes it easier for advisers to do their job in guiding students on the right path.
Some students are part of smaller, more tight knit programs where it is easy to build relationships with the staff, while other students are just one in a hundred. The more the staff know faces and personalities, the more effectively they can help students.
The main purpose of advising is to keep students on track for graduation with a degree in their respective program. This, however, does not mean students can only take classes pertaining to graduation.
One of the best aspects of college is that if you are an engineer but have an artsy side that has been neglected, you can take an art class. If you feel like your classes prevent you from finding time to hit the gym, take a physical fitness class. College is about learning, but that doesn’t mean strictly learning within your major. Branch out, push yourself and see what you find.
While there is a lot you can get out of advising and registration, there is an equal amount that can be missed if students do not go or do not take it seriously. It may seem easy to look at the Degree Audit and be your own adviser, but any mistakes in registration could lead to missed classes and credits that must be made up later, leading to an extra semester or two that one could spend working on their career.
Take advising seriously, and know the opportunities thoughtful registration and advisers can provide to enrich a student’s college experience.
— MS