How Academic Advisers Help College Students

An academic adviser is a professional who works with students to help them navigate their educational opportunities while they attend college. The academic adviser is employed by the school to help students plan their education for their future career.

How can an academic adviser help you?

An academic adviser can help you identify potential careers you might want to pursue based on your skills and interests. They help you choose the right coursework to pursue your major.

What are the benefits of meeting with an academic adviser?

There are a few major benefits students get when they regularly meet with an academic adviser. Some of these benefits include:

• College planning: Advisers help students choose the right classes for their major and potential career. The adviser makes sure that students don’t sign up for the wrong courses or courses that are not in pursuit of their goals or that do not meet their major's requirements.
• Career preparation: Students work with their adviser to plan future courses the student will take to make sure that they are on the right track for their career goals.
• Financial benefits: By making sure that the student takes the correct courses, in the right sequence, the adviser helps students complete the necessary courses to graduate in a timely manner, helping to prevent students from taking longer to complete their coursework and spending more money on tuition. 

How can I get the most out of meeting with an academic adviser?

The best way to get the most out of academic advising is to be open and honest in what you are looking for in an education and future career opportunities. Here are a few tips that can help you during your academic advising meetings.

• Be familiar with your potential major prerequisite and required courses for graduation.
• Think of potential career options you might want to pursue. It’s okay to have a few different careers in mind, but the more you can help your adviser, the more they can help you pick the right courses.
• Come prepared with questions. These questions should not only be about courses and potential careers. Have some questions in other areas, such as your track to graduation, university policies on different types of majors, etc.

How often should I reach out to my academic adviser?

You should reach out to your academic adviser at least once a semester. When you meet with your adviser once a semester, they are more informed about how you are performing academically and can help give you better advice on what courses you should consider next semester.

Where can I find academic adviser?

The school’s registrar’s office provides students with academic advising in most cases. Some schools may differ.