The Beaucoup section writes about their various advising experiences at the University.
Jenna Kimball
News Writer
In my experience, advising at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has been… a task.
It could definitely be worse, and I do believe that the school believes that they are preparing the students for the next semester by having us jump through all the hoops.
The actual advising session, once you finish everything else, is not that bad. The part that makes it so frustrating sometimes, at least for me, is the stuff before the actual advising session. You have to go through the different modules and prepare various schedules and forms and it’s all just a lot to figure out and stress about.
Then again, college is stressful and it could just be the fact that students are already stressed about other things, like classes, so when advising time comes around it feels overwhelming to add on another thing to worry about.
Sadie Lynn Burrell
Graphics Assistant Editor
As someone who has changed my major four times, I have gotten to see several different styles of advising, and for the most part, I’ve had a fairly positive experience. I have received good insight, taken enjoyable classes and was treated nicely when I said I changed my major and could no longer be advised by certain professors.
I was just advised on Wednesday, Oct. 29, and it was a good session. I went in with the classes I wanted for next semester, and my advisor said everything looked good and that I should be done with my general education classes soon. When I asked about doing certain types of projects for independent studies and my capstone, he agreed and said we will talk about them more in the future.
While my experience has been good, I do have several friends who were given bad advice or had to wait a long time to be advised.
Isabelle Brumley
Beaucoup Editor
Advising is beneficial for universities and their students when conducted by an actually decent advisor. When you come across the right advisor, they can give you ample details on what classes you have to take. A good one not only helps you choose the right courses but also provides guidance on degree requirements and career paths that align with your life goals.
I feel like advising on this campus is not all that bad. Well, the actual advising part is not that bad. Beforehand, planning all your classes and determining what you will take for the next semester is a demanding process. I encounter trouble in finding classes that are actually open for the semester, and it can be even more frustrating to navigate the course catalog and see classes that fill up too quickly or are restricted for various reasons.
Overall, advising is a valuable source, but there is room for some improvement.
Vallen Power
Layout Designer
I always feel a little nervous about advising on campus every semester, if only because my advisor knows more about what classes I should be taking than I do. However, I do have some ways I like to prepare for it!
Usually, I look at my DegreeWorks and see what courses are available next semester to get an idea of what I might need to be taking.
I come up with a list of around five to six classes I want to take and then try to present it to my advisor, but I also know sometimes they may suggest something else.
I do like advising on campus, though. It’s really nice to just be able to go straight to my advisor’s office just after class for whenever I scheduled my appointment.
The only real downside is how long it can take for advisors to reach out about officially scheduling those advising sessions.