Academic advising is one of the most important aspects of your college experience. Your advisor can be an important resource for you beyond merely helping with the selection of your courses each term. However, it is up to you, the student, to get the most out of your relationship with your advisor.
It is important to carefully prepare for your appointment with your advisor. He or she cannot adequately help you if you do not properly prepare. It is not the advisor's responsibility to make your decisions for you, or to schedule your time blocks for courses.
It is important to carefully prepare for your appointment with your advisor. He or she cannot adequately help you if you do not properly prepare. It is not the advisor's responsibility to make your decisions for you, or to schedule your time blocks for courses.
Look on-line for a list of available courses, a list of courses in which you are currently enrolled, your advising guidelines, and your degree bulletin. These links and more may be referenced here.
After reviewing your record, make a note of the general education, major and cognate/minor requirements which you still need to complete, as well as courses you want to take and what will be offered next semester. Make a list of other questions for your advisor.
On the day of your appointment with your advisor, pick up your file from the Art Office to take to your advising meeting. During the meeting, your advisor will first review your progress toward completing your requirements (core, distribution, and major). Based on this review and your own interests, you will then decide on specific courses for next semester. In order to tailor a program of study that best suits your needs and interests, this is a good time to ask questions about career plans, including graduate or professional school.
Once you have decided on your courses, you and your advisor will complete and sign the advisement form (you will keep the white copy and turn the pink copy into the Undergraduate office so that you can be cleared to register; the yellow copy remains in your folder). Then return your folder and the pink copy of your advisement form to the Undergraduate Office.
Once you have been cleared, you can register on-line for your courses on the assigned date. Courses fill up quickly so that it is important you register as early as your scheduled time allows; delays can result in students not getting their first choices in classes and times.
Senior Checks
One semester before graduation (e.g. the fall semester for a May graduation; spring for a summer or December graduation), students should have a senior check to be ready for graduation. For a senior check, see Ms. Patricia Armstrong in the Undergraduate Office or your advisor.
It is essential that you complete the senior check to be certain you have met university, college, and major requirements. The senior check is a two-step process: it begins in the department and concludes in the dean's office. If you fail to complete both steps, you will not graduate.
Remember, the final responsibility of a successful college experience rests with YOU, the student. YOU are responsible for knowing college and major requirements, academic regulations, advisement dates, making and keeping your advising appointment, and registering for your classes. Your advisor, the Undergraduate Office, and the Dean's Office are resources available to help you, so please utilize them in the most productive way possible.
After reviewing your record, make a note of the general education, major and cognate/minor requirements which you still need to complete, as well as courses you want to take and what will be offered next semester. Make a list of other questions for your advisor.
On the day of your appointment with your advisor, pick up your file from the Art Office to take to your advising meeting. During the meeting, your advisor will first review your progress toward completing your requirements (core, distribution, and major). Based on this review and your own interests, you will then decide on specific courses for next semester. In order to tailor a program of study that best suits your needs and interests, this is a good time to ask questions about career plans, including graduate or professional school.
Once you have decided on your courses, you and your advisor will complete and sign the advisement form (you will keep the white copy and turn the pink copy into the Undergraduate office so that you can be cleared to register; the yellow copy remains in your folder). Then return your folder and the pink copy of your advisement form to the Undergraduate Office.
Once you have been cleared, you can register on-line for your courses on the assigned date. Courses fill up quickly so that it is important you register as early as your scheduled time allows; delays can result in students not getting their first choices in classes and times.
Senior Checks
One semester before graduation (e.g. the fall semester for a May graduation; spring for a summer or December graduation), students should have a senior check to be ready for graduation. For a senior check, see Ms. Patricia Armstrong in the Undergraduate Office or your advisor.
It is essential that you complete the senior check to be certain you have met university, college, and major requirements. The senior check is a two-step process: it begins in the department and concludes in the dean's office. If you fail to complete both steps, you will not graduate.
Remember, the final responsibility of a successful college experience rests with YOU, the student. YOU are responsible for knowing college and major requirements, academic regulations, advisement dates, making and keeping your advising appointment, and registering for your classes. Your advisor, the Undergraduate Office, and the Dean's Office are resources available to help you, so please utilize them in the most productive way possible.
How to use your Faculty Advisor
What YOU do:
Know what courses you have taken.
Know what courses you have left to take for your major.
Know what courses you have left for your degree.
Know what courses you want to take next semester.
Figure out course availability, times, and location.
What your faculty advisor does:
Double check your choices.
Check and sign your advising form.
Know what you have left for your degree.
Suggest courses based on your interests and focus.
Troubleshoot problems you didn't foresee.
Give career advising.
Next:
DOWNLOAD THIS ADVISING GUIDE. Read it. Keep it. Use it to fill out...
Core requirement Checksheet (IMPORTANT: This form is linked from the Art Department website and has errors. It implies inaccurately that ARTH 105 and ARTH 106 are required under humanities. This is not true.)
Media Arts Checksheet Yes, you have one each of these in your folder in the Art office. It's out of date, and almost never filled out correctly. Print these out, and fill them out with the correct information: what you have taken, what you are taking now, and include notes on what you want to take after having looked at the Master Schedule.
At your meeting time:
Go to the main office of the Art Department in McMaster College. Pick up your folder. Add your new and up-to-date worksheets, filled out and accurate. Go to your advising meeting!
How to know if you'll be asked to leave and come back when you're ready:
If you haven't listed classes you've taken or are taking on your worksheet. If you don't actually know what you've taken. If you have no idea what counts for your cultural overlay requirements. If you have no idea what you have left take for your major. If you haven't even seen this website. General lackadaisical cluelessness with regard to getting a college degree.
If you do not complete advising during this window, you will need to come during your advisor's office hours, which are going to be far less convenient than advising time.
Seriously. Read all the material about your degree requirements, read the degree bulletin. Check out the Undergraduate FAQ. Pereuse the offerings of the Registrar's Office You are responsible for your academic success, your advisor is here to advise you on your game plan.
Some students come without basic knowledge of what is plainly available and publicly disseminated, some come without any idea what courses are offered or available, some don't even know about advising or this website despite signs, cancelled classes, email, etc.
These are not exactly good traits for an aspiring media professional, but then again, it thins out the competition and makes more space for the serious students.
What YOU do:
Know what courses you have taken.
Know what courses you have left to take for your major.
Know what courses you have left for your degree.
Know what courses you want to take next semester.
Figure out course availability, times, and location.
What your faculty advisor does:
Double check your choices.
Check and sign your advising form.
Know what you have left for your degree.
Suggest courses based on your interests and focus.
Troubleshoot problems you didn't foresee.
Give career advising.
Next:
DOWNLOAD THIS ADVISING GUIDE. Read it. Keep it. Use it to fill out...
Core requirement Checksheet (IMPORTANT: This form is linked from the Art Department website and has errors. It implies inaccurately that ARTH 105 and ARTH 106 are required under humanities. This is not true.)
Media Arts Checksheet Yes, you have one each of these in your folder in the Art office. It's out of date, and almost never filled out correctly. Print these out, and fill them out with the correct information: what you have taken, what you are taking now, and include notes on what you want to take after having looked at the Master Schedule.
At your meeting time:
Go to the main office of the Art Department in McMaster College. Pick up your folder. Add your new and up-to-date worksheets, filled out and accurate. Go to your advising meeting!
How to know if you'll be asked to leave and come back when you're ready:
If you haven't listed classes you've taken or are taking on your worksheet. If you don't actually know what you've taken. If you have no idea what counts for your cultural overlay requirements. If you have no idea what you have left take for your major. If you haven't even seen this website. General lackadaisical cluelessness with regard to getting a college degree.
If you do not complete advising during this window, you will need to come during your advisor's office hours, which are going to be far less convenient than advising time.
Seriously. Read all the material about your degree requirements, read the degree bulletin. Check out the Undergraduate FAQ. Pereuse the offerings of the Registrar's Office You are responsible for your academic success, your advisor is here to advise you on your game plan.
Some students come without basic knowledge of what is plainly available and publicly disseminated, some come without any idea what courses are offered or available, some don't even know about advising or this website despite signs, cancelled classes, email, etc.
These are not exactly good traits for an aspiring media professional, but then again, it thins out the competition and makes more space for the serious students.
I didn't get advised for next semester!
If you did not get meet with your faculty advisor, you will not be allowed to register for classes. You will need to meet with your advisor during their office hours or during another scheduled time.
It's not too late to be properly advised for classes, but you'll need to be sure you go to the Media Arts Undergraduate Forum site and read up. Read the advising guide, fill out a fresh program of study sheet. Check up on the master schedule and have a plan in place when you meet with your advisor.
Your faculty advisor's office hours are posted on their door and are also available from the main Department of Art office.
Q: The courses I was advised to take are full/not available
This does happen, and when you are advised, you make a plan to have backups. There are always many options to fulfill a degree requirement, and they are listed in the ADVISING GUIDE.
You can also contact the professor to get an override into the class, but often this is not possible due to fire codes and equipment limitations.
It can feel overwhelming sometimes. Ask your faculty advisor for help.
Can I substitute [Class X] for [Degree Requirement Y]?
Probably not.
If you did not get meet with your faculty advisor, you will not be allowed to register for classes. You will need to meet with your advisor during their office hours or during another scheduled time.
It's not too late to be properly advised for classes, but you'll need to be sure you go to the Media Arts Undergraduate Forum site and read up. Read the advising guide, fill out a fresh program of study sheet. Check up on the master schedule and have a plan in place when you meet with your advisor.
Your faculty advisor's office hours are posted on their door and are also available from the main Department of Art office.
Q: The courses I was advised to take are full/not available
This does happen, and when you are advised, you make a plan to have backups. There are always many options to fulfill a degree requirement, and they are listed in the ADVISING GUIDE.
You can also contact the professor to get an override into the class, but often this is not possible due to fire codes and equipment limitations.
It can feel overwhelming sometimes. Ask your faculty advisor for help.
Can I substitute [Class X] for [Degree Requirement Y]?
Probably not.