Academic Advising

Academic Advisors are experts in educational planning.  Depending on where you chose to go to college, they could be professional staff members, faculty or both.  Advisors measure their success by your educational success.  Advisors are your partners in helping you to achieve your educational goals.

So often students “self advise” or get academic advise from friends.   My recommendation is that you use the people who have dedicated their professional careers to the craft of advising.  Students should meet with an academic advisor every semester prior to enrolling for classes.  Advisors will ensure that you take the proper courses to make your academic experience both efficient and engaging.  They will help you properly sequence courses to maximize your learning and help your semesters feel seamless. 

At the community college level, advisors are also experts in transfer.  They can help you to explore the vast opportunities that exist for you.  They will help you understand how your credits will transfer, show you important resources and connect you to university transfer representatives. 

No matter where you start your college experience, utilize advisement often.  The better you know your advisor and your advisor knows you, the better your experience will be.  Remember that the only “dumb” question is the one that is not asked.  Advisors will share all kinds of information with you, but if you have questions that they did not address, ask them.  If you did not understand something they said, ask them to clarify.  The more information you have, the more prepared you are.  Advisors WANT to prepare you!