Academic Advising Prep Tips [3min read]

Before we (and when I say we, I mean new students) head to CBU in September, there is one very important task to complete: academic advising! Advising is mandatory for all new students, and it’s a super helpful way to learn what to expect and ask questions before registering for courses. During your advising appointment, you’ll be contacted by an advisor specific to your program who will answer any questions you have and help you take the next steps towards registration.

Before I had my advising appointment, I did a few things to prepare. I found the advising and registration process smooth, so I thought I would share my prep-tips here! Sharing is caring, right?

 Learn About Your Program

The first and most important step to prepare for your advising appointment is to learn about your program of study. I know extra homework isn’t fun for anyone but take a few minutes and do a bit of research to better understand the program you’re about to begin. Looking at the Academic Calendar is a good place for answers to questions, like: How long is the program? What are the required courses? What are the available majors?
Having answers to questions like those will help when registering for courses.

Check Out the Course Catalogue  

Once you have an idea of the required courses for your program, take some time to browse through the course catalogue and make a list of the courses you need, as well as the other courses you want to take (electives). Even if you don’t end up taking all the courses you planned, it’s still helpful to have a general idea of what you’re hoping to register for.

This part was definitely my favourite part when preparing for advising. I really loved reading all the different course descriptions and making decisions about what courses I want to take.

Ask Questions!

Once you have a general idea about your program requirements and potential courses, your next step is to make a list of some questions for your advisor. They might be about registration, majors, minors, a specific course requirement, or even university life in general! You’d be surprised by what advisers can answer so don’t be afraid to ask the questions!

Reminder: you aren’t expected to be an expert in your program or know everything about registration. The advisors are there to help you, so take advantage of their experience and expertise.

Using these tips to prepare will help you feel ready for your advising appointment, and hopefully lead to success in planning your journey at CBU. If you still have questions after your appointment, there are many resources to help, like a How-To-CBU YouTube playlist or the many current student pages on CBU.ca. Reaching out to the excellent staff at the Advising & Student Success Support Centre is always an option too.

Good luck with your advising appointment, and I hope to see you on campus in September!

 

Written By: Mya Trimm

Mya Trimm is a CBU Brand Ambassador and a grade 12 student at Sydney Academy. Mya will begin her studies at CBU in the fall, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts, Community Studies degree.