Pre-registration advising for Mississippi State University’s spring semester begins today.
A few departments, such as the one for undeclared students, have already begun their sessions and are ongoing.
In addition to receiving help from their advisers, students must go to advising in order to get their Registration Access Code, which is required to register for spring semester classes.
Wes Ammon, director of the University Academic Advising Center, said during the sessions, it is important the students make sure they know, or remember, how to register for classes.
“Orientation was hectic,” he said. “[Students] don’t exactly remember what to do.”
Ammon also said he believes before coming to an advising session, students need to be familiar with their majors and have a good idea of what they think they want to take.
Some students go to advising just to get their RAC numbers, but others want guidance from their advisers.
Either way, Ammon said he still thinks students need to research their curriculum.
“It shows us you’re prepared,” he said.
One way to do this is to generate a Curriculum, Advising and Program Planning evaluation. The link for CAPP can be found on students’ Banner on their onCampus page.
Holly Wiley, kinesiology instructor, said she requires her advisees to complete an evaluation before coming to their sessions in addition to having a tentative schedule made out. Wiley said she does this so she knows students are on task and care about their academia.
“It shows where you stand before coming to your advising session,” she said.
Ammon also said he believes CAPP is a valuable tool because it shows what is left, and students who might be considering a major change can generate a “what-if” evaluation to see what required courses they have completed for another potential major. He believes doing things like this in preparation are important because it is ultimately the students’ responsibility to decide what classes are going to work best for them. The advisers are there only to offer help and guidance, he said.
Another thing students are encouraged to do is have a few backup options in case a class may not work out with other classes, or a class may not be needed. Since students are planning their schedules before they meet with their advisers, they are going to be wrong sometimes. Ammon said that is OK. Also, if a student wishes to take a class other than one the adviser suggested, he or she should let his or her adviser know, he said.
“Students should voice their opinion,” Ammon said. “It is their schedule, and they will be the one taking the class, not the adviser.”
Ammon said it is important to remember the schedule built during advising week is not set in stone.
If a student finds another class that interests them, he or she can decide to take it, or if a class is not available at the time, but is later, it is fine to change the schedule. He does not want students to lose hope if they cannot make their schedules work the way they want them to during pre-registration advising, he said.
Wiley said she wants students to know that, for a lot of advisers, advising is a fun time because classes are so big instructors do not always get the opportunity to sit down and talk with their students.
“We get to visit with our students face-to-face,” she said. “Come in with questions, and don’t be intimidated.”
Not being intimidated by advisers is something Dana Aguillard, a junior majoring in Elementary Education, said she advocates.
“The advisers are there to make sure you get all the classes you need to graduate and don’t get bogged down with too many classes at once,” Aguillard said.