Staff Editorial: Students should choose academic adviser wisely

Throughout a college career, one of the most important contacts a student will have will be their adviser. Advisers are the go-to people for students’ questions about their majors, minors, their class schedules and what they have to do to graduate on time. A good adviser is invaluable.

All of the duties listed above seem pretty common sense. Of course an adviser is going to help you pick out classes and help you find a major, but are there characteristics that make a faculty or staff member a better adviser than another?

Well, it all depends on how well a student works with an adviser. As freshmen, students are often given a general adviser to get them started, based upon the interest they described when applying. This works, as long as a student sticks with their initial plan (which does not often happen) and the adviser specializes in what the student wishes to pursue.

If this is not the case, a student should find an adviser who specializes in the field of study they want to pursue, because the adviser should know how the degree works and they will be a resource the student can utilize for the rest of their college career. Having a good adviser is vital to having a successful college experience and most of the time, that means changing from the adviser a student is assigned when they begin their time at Pacific.

It is a student’s responsibility to make sure they have an academic adviser that is well-suited to them and the program of study they wish to pursue. There are many options at this school in every department and students need to take their education into their own hands when accepting an adviser. It is important we all take this seriously. If you feel like you’re in need of a change, don’t hesitate to think about your other options.

Changing advisers is common and students are always able to change their adviser for any reason. No matter if a student changes majors or decided that they “click” with a different faculty member, a student has the right to an adviser who is going to fulfill their individual academic planning needs.

To change advisers, students can print their program evaluation off of Boxer Online and have both the new and old adviser sign off at the bottom of the form. The form is then filed in the registrar’s office. It’s that easy.