Advisement 101

Preparing for advisement

Campus News > Advisement 101
Advisement 101
Students should check out when they are eligible to register in order to figure out when best to schedule an advisement meeting.
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Abigail Anne Rafael, Senior Editor

As students gear up for registration, here are some tips and tricks to prepare for advisement.

First, it is important for students to confirm which registration day they qualify for. Students can find this information under the Office of the Registrar's Registration Information web page. Students should then schedule an advisement appointment with their academic advisor prior to their registration date. It is important that students seek advisement prior to registration because their advisor must take off a restriction on the student's account in order for the student to register. Currently, many academic advisors will be holding appointments virtually. Students should contact their advisor to find out how their advisor wants to hold these sessions.

It would be wise to come prepared to an advisement session to make the most out of the meeting. Students are encouraged to preview their Program Evaluation prior to the meeting as this is largely what advisors will be referencing. A student's Program Evaluation includes all the classes they have finished and are currently enrolled in. The Program Evaluation also notes their GPA, earned credits and remaining credits. The Program Evaluation is of great use to students as it also breaks down what courses a student needs to take. The Program Evaluation is similar to a major's guidesheet, or four year plan, but is catered specifically to each individual student, and provides the most up-to-date information.

Students may find it useful, however, to print out their major's guidesheet, in order to check off what they have done and make notes for themselves. To find their guidesheet, students can simply visit the Office of the Registrar's Curriculum Sheets and Four Year Plans web page, select their college and then their major.

Based off their program evaluation, guidesheet and four year plan, students can begin to figure out what courses to take in the following semester. Students can check the availability of their intended courses by logging into their KeanWise account and clicking "Search for Course Sections," under "Registration," in the Students Menu. Here, students can filter their searches through a variety of options. However, students will most likely be utilizing the term, subjects, course levels, course number and section options when searching courses. Conveniently, students can search for up to five courses at one time.

When searching for courses, course listings will include the term, status, section name and title, location, time, faculty (if announced), available capacity, credits, frequency, level, books and pre/corequisites of each course.

Students should note that not all courses are available every semester. Students should prioritize required courses that are offered periodically. If a required course is not available for the current registration period but will be in the following registration period, the student should take note or set a reminder for themselves for the following registration period.

After a student gathers their list of intended courses, they can then present their list to their advisor for feedback or advice. Additionally, any questions a student has can be referred to their advisor during their session or through email.


about the author
Abigail Anne Rafael - web

Abigail Anne Rafael, Senior Editor
rafaela@kean.edu

Abigail Anne Rafael is the Senior Editor for The Cougar’s Byte and first joined staff in January 2018. She is a communication major with a concentration in public relations. Abigail aims to inspire and motivate readers with her writing. After graduating from Kean, she hopes to work for a Catholic company to dispel mistruths about the Church.