Last night, parents, college professionals and college students got together for a Twitter chat (#CampusChat) to discuss the importance of academic advising during the college years. I felt the consensus and topic of the chat was important, and something all parents should know BEFORE their teen jumps into the college advising confusion.
Following are some points to remember when choosing a college:
- The academic plan is critical in assuring a 4-year graduation from college. Why is that important? The longer your child attends the greater the cost. And the longer your child attends they will be losing income because they won’t be able to enter the job market.
- When visiting colleges, ask about their graduation rate and if they have a plan to improve it if their 4-year figures are low.
- Study abroad programs, while appealing, may wreak havoc on the academic plan. If you attend a study abroad session, ask questions about the courses offered abroad and whether or not they will satisfy your degree requirements. Ask other students from the college who have studied abroad to get some input on how it affected their 4-year plan.
- Testing out of courses by receiving AP credits can shave a year off your 4-year degree plan. If the college is agreeable, check into summer community college courses at home, especially in your core subjects. These classes are always less expensive and even one can help save thousands at a 4-year college.
- Do some research when choosing your college and check out the advising section on the college website.
- If your child is not happy with the adviser that the college assigns, they can always switch. Advisers are an important part of the college process. They should be a part of your academic team.
Bottom line, do the research, map out a degree plan, and adjust as necessary. Attention must be paid each year to credits and graduation requirements. If something interrupts the degree plan (study abroad, military service, illness), try taking winter break or summer sessions to stay on track.
If you’re interested in learning more about academic advising, you can check out this service BecomeAlum.com, guiding students to plan all their degree requirements.
Suzanne, just as you have stressed collaboration and communication between college-bound teens and their parents during the college admissions process, it was clear from last night’s #CampusChat that the same needs to happen between college students and their advisors and that a tool that facilitates this collaboration makes good sense for all. Thank you for your terrific contribution to last night’s chat and for this excellent synthesis from the chat.
-Kelly
Kelly,
I completely agree. Collaboration is the key when working with academic advisers and college students. I thoroughly enjoyed last night’s #CampusChat as well, especially the back and forth conversations. Keep them coming!
Academic advisors and faculty can make a big difference in a student’s life…not only on the topic of the timing of their graduation, but the bigger picture — who they strive to become both personally and professionally. While many discussions dwell on the negative, there are many examples of great advisors and faculty…unfortunately their stories don’t get told as often. I’ll give credit to my college adviser, Dr. Forrest Thye.
Students can help to engage with faculty and stand apart from their peers by showing initiative, enthusiasm and real interest in their meeting with faculty. The plan of study (like that created with BecomeAlum.com) can get that conversation started. And while there may be some discussion on course selection for next semester, with a plan of study the conversation can expand to opportunities to get experience in the field and future career interests.
I’d like to give a plug to the National ACademic ADvising Association (NACADA) http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/
This is an organization of caring and concerned academic advisers who are always looking to improve their advising. I hope your students have advisers who are members.
Christina,
Thanks for proving some additional information and for giving the shout-outs to those advisers who are concerned about the students.