Fletcher- Week 6- University Academic Advising Center

Activities:

Observed and aided 6 advising sessions

Aided in advising for Summer Developmental Program participants

Administrative tasks (i.e. making copies, sending faxes, filing, and greeting students)

Continued work on instructional pamphlet for academic advising during orientation

Wrote a chapter in the instructional document that will help future practicum and internship workers with the necessary tasks during this job.

Discussed observations and thoughts with academic advisors and my supervisor

        In this past week, many continuing education students seeking to apply to graduate programs visited the UAAC.  These students have very different wants and needs when compared to undeclared undergraduate students. Most of the pre-graduate program students that came in have already completed a degree and had a career. These students needed to register for classes that would fulfill the requirements so they may apply to a graduate program. Most of the students had earned their degrees in the past year, but a few earned their degrees many years ago. This made me appreciate the level of persistence each student had. The students we saw the past week could have easily taken their diplomas and started applying for jobs. However, they wanted to go back to school and obtain a higher degree of education. It fills my heart with joy to see individuals strive for higher learning.

        Another wonderful opportunity I had this past week was to advise a Summer Developmental Program (SDP) student on my own. SDP students participate in an intense, ongoing 9-week program during the summer. The purpose of this program is to better prepare students with low ACT scores for admission to MSU.  After an entire summer of reading, writing, English, and math courses, the students must pass a standardized test in order to gain admission to MSU in the fall. The students who passed this exam were to meet with an advisor at our center and register for Fall Semester classes. One of the academic advisors was out for the week, so my supervisor instructed me to take her office and assist students in course registration by myself. After a few minutes of deep breathing and slight panic, I was ready to do so. I was only needed to see one student, but that was plenty for my first day flying solo. Our major issue was getting her banner holds lifted. After that was settled, I looked up her RAC number and began counseling her on what major she may be interested in pursuing. After a few minutes of conversation about the future for her career and her environmental motivations to get a degree, we began forming an academic plan. She is now registered for the fall and plans on pursuing a business management degree. I could not be happier with the outcome of the session. Most of all, I discovered there is no better feeling than seeing a student’s face brighten when he or she sees her class schedule. As the student said to me, “It’s like it is all real now. I have my classes and everything. I am going to college!”

 Here’s a look at the office I occupied during SDP advising. I will never forget my first moment of spreading my academic advising wings and flying solo:

This past week blessed me with insight and even more drive to be the best academic advisor I can possibly be.

-Kimberly