Professors and advisement

Academic advisers unable to offer students most insightful guidance

This time of year, many students are rushing and stressing over finishing the semester. But preparation starts for the coming semester well before the end of the current one is in sight.

There are many issues that come up when a student deals with advisement and registration. My first semester here, I was advised to take a certain amount of classes. Being a transfer student, I did not have much say in my first semester load of classes. But the classes worked out great, and I really enjoyed what I was taking.

It was not until my second semester that I realized the advisement system needed to be revised. I was advised to take two classes out of order, which has set me back from being able to take an internship and graduate on time. Not being familiar with the courses and the requirements, I was unaware that I was taking the wrong classes at the time.

Also in my second year here, I applied, at the urging of a professor, to take a semester off and study abroad. My adviser at the time told me not to do it, that I needed to hurry up and get done. The problem is that he ignored the chance of being exposed to culture and learning by experience. His view was strictly scholarly. Advisers see it as their jobs to get as many kids through the semester as fast as possible.

Sometimes the best path is ignored, or classes are assigned because they know the courses backward and forward but do not teach and interact in the classroom to know which classes are best for their students. Advisers need to understand the reasons why they assign classes to students.

The best possible way to fix the confusion and frustration is for students to be advised by their professors. The professors know what needs to be done and what extra opportunities need to be taken for advancement in the field. Students should seek advice from the professors who have been in the field of study and know when it is important to rush through school and get done and when it is important to stop and experience things like studying abroad.

Some will argue that the professors will not have time, but I believe we can work around this. There is a need for people who specialize in academic advisement, but students should not have to limit themselves to taking advice from someone who is not actively involved with in-classroom education. Advisers are good for answering the technical questions of getting in and out of classes, but students should utilize professors as guides on how their education should take course.

Thankfully, I have been able to resolve most of my advisement and course issues, but it was up to me to shop around in my department and find an adviser who knows more about what she is suggesting.