Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

Advisers are one of the many resources students have access to at Western. Their goal is to help students on their path to graduation, as well as help them approach life after graduation. However, sometimes knowing the right questions to ask can be tricky, especially for newer students.

In my personal experience, meetings go best when there’s specific topics to discuss, rather than just hoping the adviser will have the exact answers needed without any context. Here are some questions to consider that can help an adviser meeting run more smoothly and be more successful overall.

“How do I use DegreeWorks?”

It may not seem like the first question to ask as DegreeWorks is fully accessible on a student Portal account. However, as many quickly discover, there are layers to DegreeWorks that can quickly become a long and confusing list. It’s important to understand it, as it’s the best way to check on the status of graduation requirements.

“Is there anything I should get out of the way?” or, “How do I prioritize?”

Sometimes, when students are particularly unlucky, two classes required for graduation are offered at the same time on the same days, making it impossible to take both. This can make students on edge about getting all their requirements done. Advisers can help show students how to determine which classes will most likely be offered again soon, which won’t be and which classes can possibly be replaced with others if necessary compared to the ones that are absolutely required.

“What other requirements do I need to know about?”

Some majors have requirements beyond just the core classes. Education majors, for example, need to arrange for certain tests to be taken, and others require experience outside one of Western’s classrooms. Asking questions like this early on will help avoid reaching the last term before graduation only to find out there’s a requirement missing.

“What opportunities should I look out for?”

There are a variety of different opportunities that can be easily found on campus, such as career fairs or coffee talks with recruiters, but sometimes it’s hard to find ones specific to our majors. Advisers often know of either starting points or specific opportunities, such as internships or other certifications at Western, and asking them for help can be faster than searching alone.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu