Advising at N.C. State has been under tough scrutiny the last couple of weeks. Student leaders brought students’ concerns to the last Chancellor’s Liaison meeting. John Ambrose, interim dean for the Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs, assures students there are plans for improving advising. Students still use websites to help them with choosing classes though. While these websites are helpful, students should still use the face-to-face time with their advisor to improve their schedules and University experience.

Students judge classes and professors by what they hear from their friends and other students, experiences their advisors may not be able to provide. The information on websites, like pickaprof.com and ratemyprofessor.com, can help students learn about a professor, even if they don’t know anyone in the class. Sharing this first-hand experience is important to students as they try to understand how a professor may teach or how hard the class is.

However, students should only use this information to supplement what their advisor can tell them with. Many advisors are professors or have experience with the programs they help advise for. Students may be involved in a major, but their advisors can help give them insight into other class possibilities, experiences and opportunities within the program that a student would never have known about. Their advisor can tell them how they can reach their career goals, something their peers may not be able to provide.

Students might not think about what the meeting with their advisor can do for them, except for lifting the hold on their classes. While this lift is helpful, students need to prepare and get the most out of their meeting. If their advisor doesn’t prompt what they need from the meeting, the student should look through their degree audit and see which classes they need. They should also think of questions to clarify if they are confused about anything. Talking with their advisor can help make progress toward their degree quicker and smoother.

While websites and hearing about classes from friends, there are bigger benefits to face-to-face meetings with advisors about classes and programs. These advisors have insight and experience with their programs that websites can’t convey. Students are given the opportunity to have one-on-one face time with an advisor and they need to take advantage of it, or they might regret it when they realize they don’t know which classes to take to  reach their goals.