Academic advising useful resource

In a world filled with hectic schedules, cram sessions for exams, and any number of other random engagements demanding students’ time, it can be easy for students to get caught up in the whirlwind of it all and find themselves drifting almost aimlessly from class to class.

Eventually, some students may realize that they’ve been in college for years and still don’t know what they want to do. While there is nothing technically wrong with this, it is quite an expensive predicament to find yourself in. One of the best ways to avoid such scenarios is to take advantage of the many advising resources offered on the UW-Platteville campus.

The best way to prepare both your academic and professional future is to see your adviser. While students need to get their PINs to register from their advisers, some teachers will simply e-mail the number to you. Don’t let this deter you; make it a point to set up a meeting with your adviser, as he or she can help you plan what classes to take for your major and when to take them.

Another tool that can make your life a lot easier is Advising & Career Exploration Services. ACES is a great resource for people not sure what to do with their academic careers, as they can help you find your future direction and also help you explore the options available to you. Even if you know what direction you’re headed, ACES can still give you a lot more help in your academic career. I can’t help but be reminded of an accidental meeting with an ACES adviser while bewilderingly wandering Gardner Hall, taking care of one of the countless steps to completing my transfer here. But further to the point, upon hearing that I was looking to get a question answered about scheduling, the adviser invited me into the ACES office and looked over my proposed schedule. Looking it over, she took out a pamphlet on general education requirements and went through it section by section, explaining to me which classes would be best to take for each section. What took me off guard was that she anticipated the variety of classes a student might want to take, not only mentioning which ones might be more challenging and stimulating, but also, more to my tastes, which ones would simply be easier. The experience has since helped me, enabling me to have the information I require to lay out a basic foundation for my progress through my college years.

Perhaps it’s just me, but it seems like the destination is so much easier to arrive at when you have directions to get there, and the academic advising services on campus make a great academic atlas.