Reba Beaudry-

It’s that time of the semester where we need to start planning for the next and register for classes. Many of us may feel stuck and do not know where to start. Luckily, there is Advising Day on Wednesday, November 13th, 2024. This is held so students can get their questions answered and focus on planning for what comes next, whether it be at Gustavus or not.

Advising Day is relatively new at Gustavus, as this is the second year that it is being held. This event happens once a semester in Fall and Spring. The events that are happening during Advising Day have been held in the past, just not on a designated day off from classes where students were encouraged to attend the events.

There are many events to go to during Advising Day such as the Advising Day Info Fair, which is happening from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Three Crowns Room, the Library, and Alumni Hall. Every department and program will be present. “Don’t miss it, if you’re only going to do one thing, go to the info fair,” Professor Kate Knutson, the Advising Day coordinator said. She highlights the fact that this is a one-stop-shop for every possible interest and questions that you may have.

The purpose of Advising Day is to “provide all students the opportunity each semester to learn about and take action on their academic, professional, and vocational goals. Students can meet with their academic advisor and connect with their peers through social and educational activities planned by departments and programs”  Director of the Academic Support Center, Tom McHugh said. It also gives students “time to deliberately think about future plans” Knutson said. It’s “very easy to ask questions” Academic advisor, Religion, and FTS Professor Casey Elledge said. It is basically a chance for students to plan out their future at Gustavus and beyond.

There are many different roles that come into play to execute this event. McHugh’s job is to work with students and faculty about questions they may have on advising, financial aid, and registration. This is connected to his main job on campus as the Director of the Academic Support Center, where he helps students every day with what is being focused on during Advising Day.

Elledge has one of the main roles in which students will interact with. As an advisor for an FTS and Religion he will talk with students who have questions and help “connect students’ interests and goals with courses in their major,” Elledge said. The advisor is a “resource” McHugh said in regard to how they help students.

Knutsons’ job is to coordinate the different departments and offices. She also puts on events such as Advising Day. These events are helpful to students, but “[are] only helpful if they go,” Knutson said, inciting the fact that students themselves need to put in some work as well.

As a student, especially a First-year, you may be wondering what your role in this is and how you should prepare. The role of the student “includes actively exploring possible majors, seeking referrals from their advisor, tracking their graduation requirements on MyGustavus, and actively researching opportunities for life after Gustavus,” McHugh said. Professor Elledge encourages students to “become more aware of the total context of academic life at Gustavus.” Students should come ready with curiosity and be prepared to explore different interests.

To prepare for this event, students should go to https://gustavus.edu/advisingday/ to get an idea of what events are happening and what they may like to go to. You can add events to your Google Calendar via the above website. Students should also be in contact with their advisor to see if they are meeting that day or not. One way to be prepared is to “bring questions that you already have about (the) college experience” and to think about “future goals, as well as connecting resources with future plans and goals,” Elledge said in regards to Advising Day advice.

It is also good to be planning for this day. Things like looking at the requirements for your majors and minors, especially if you are an “older student, as requirements may have changed,” Knutson noted.  It’s also a “good idea to assess motivation…reflect on developing skills (that you need or want),” Elledge said. By assessing your motivation, you can get a sense of if that is something that you can get through on your own or if you need an extra boost, or even if you need to change your course of action.

Even after reading all the above, you may still be lacking the motivation to go to these events. The Advising Day committee planned for that. They are giving out little incentives to help motivate students to show up, such as prizes and food/candy. As Elledge put it there will be “a ton of candy that will definitely throw off your diet…more candy than Halloween.” So, if the academic help isn’t enough motivation for you, maybe the boatload of candy will motivate you to come on down to Advising Day on Wednesday, Nov 13th.