“Prepare yourself for an overwhelming amount of information,” said Molly Husley, accounting adviser with the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business.
Moving away from home for the first time can be daunting, and adjusting to college life can be a difficult task. Advisers understand and are here to help.
Stephanie Morawo, academic adviser with Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, encourages incoming students to be prepared in a number of ways. “Do your homework,” Morawo said. “Go to auburn.edu and explore different majors. Choose a major that has a subject matter that interests you. Your major should be chosen [based] on what you love to study. Your career will be chosen based on what you love to do. These two do not always have to match.”
Students will meet with their advisers before registration, to discuss options for classes and schedules. Things do not always go as planned, however.
Husley offers encouragement to students who do not get the schedule they are looking for.
“Sometimes, 8 a.m. classes are unavoidable, but try to see the bright side,” Husley said. “If you have an 8 a.m., you will be done earlier, and then you will have time for naps. If you have an evening lab, then you can park anywhere. You should not be discouraged if you do not get the perfect schedule your first semester.”
Morawo reminds students of a few things, including the importance of having a plan B when it comes to choosing your major and your courses.
“Make sure to choose something that is interesting to you and something that speaks to your academic strengths,” Morawo said. “Also, it is always good to have a plan B, just in case you pick a major and then find that you do not enjoy it, you need a plan B so that you can pick a different major and a different career path.”
David Hinshaw, academic adviser with the Honors College, warns students of the time management obstacle that they must overcome when beginning college.
“One of the biggest challenges in adjusting to college life is the amount of unstructured time you have,” Hinshaw said. “At first, you may think that you have a lot of free time, but you actually just have unstructured time that needs to be filled with studying outside of class.”
Hinshaw notes how many students come to college without the basic study skills needed to do well in their classes.
“Once you get to college, you realize that intelligence is not enough; you need to have good study skills and a strong work ethic as well,” Hinshaw said. “You have to study a lot and really learn the material, not just learn it for a test.”
He leaves students with a helpful tip:
“It is difficult to learn to be self-motivated and schedule out your time properly so that you devote enough time to your studies,” Hinshaw said. “One thing that will help you is to schedule time to study during the week so that you have that time set aside for academics. Then, once you make this schedule, stick to it.”
Advise Assist is the main network used by students to set appointments with their advisers. “See your adviser at least once a semester,” said Richard Enkeboll, adviser in the College of Liberal Arts. “Advise Assist is the key to making appointments. You can use it for college, as well as departmental advisers.”
Students will be able to contact their advisers through email, set appointments through Advise Assist or drop by during office hours for anything they may need.
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