The amount of things that an academic advisor can assist you with are endless. Jessica Mestre, an academic advisor for the Communications Department, said academic advisors can build balanced schedules, track progress in requirements, offer ideas for complementing a major with a minor or an additional major and learn about campus offerings.
However, not all students are aware of the services academic advisors have to offer for them. Below, we have compiled a list of things students can go to their academic advisors for help with.
Navigators
Mestre said academic advisors help students find their optimal route to achieve their academic goals. This might include helping a student schedule their classes to ensure they stay on track to graduate when they want without taking any unnecessary classes. In addition, advisors can help students make sure they find the right major or program for them.
“We help students choose the most effective route, identify interests, accommodate for detours, recover from roadblocks and ensure they are taking all necessary steps to reach the destination,” Mestre said.
Internship assistance
Academic advisors can explain various ways to students in which they can earn credits towards graduation through an internship experience.
Advisors can explain and help students through the application process, assist them in how to find internship opportunities, and even find places for students to go to get assistance with their resumes.
Connections
Advisors are able to help students “draw connections between learning inside and outside the classroom as well as connecting students with resources and people,” Mestre said.
In addition, advisors are able to connect students with other faculty members and offices across campus for assistance in anything they may need — since students might not know every resource MSU offers.
Online resources
Advisors are able to inform students of various online tools at students’ disposal. Everything from help with schedule builder to finding counseling resources or tutoring options for a wide variety of classes online and any other online resources a student might need.
Undergraduate University Division
This service provides academic advising primarily for freshman and sophomores and it is the primary advising unit for undecided students, according to the Advising website.
These neighborhood advisors can assist students with “making sure the classes a student may be taking are in line with the student’s major,” Pauline Tobias, UUD Lead Academic Advisor, said.
