Staff Writer- Evangelyn Hill

Advising day is Wednesday, March 18th, when students across campus will be exploring future course options and career choices. With a day off from classes, here are some suggestions to make the most of advising day.

The Registrar’s Office is a good place to start if you have questions about course registration, your transcript, academic policies, and more. A representative from the Registrar’s Office noted that they tend to be busiest “right before registration deadlines, especially in late mornings and early afternoons. The quieter times are usually early in the morning or mid-afternoon, so those are great times if you want quicker help.” 

They also suggested that, to make the most of advising day meetings and events, students should “come prepared with your degree plan and questions, ask specific questions, take notes, and try to meet with advisors during less busy times if possible.”

Whatever your major or career interest there are events available for you. If you’re interested in the Health Professions, stop by the pop-up advising hours from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Office of Health Professions. 

Don’t forget to stop by your major(s)’s advising day event. Most departments are hosting events open to students in that major, as well as students who are interested in that major. 

For those unsure about what direction they should take in college, or who want to learn more about a major they’re already interested in, stop by the Majors, Minors, and Programs fair from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Alumni Hall. Here you can chat with professors and learn about course offerings for next semester.

If you’re looking for an on-campus job, there will be a Student Employment Job Fair from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Campus departments will be tabling in the student center hallway outside the cafeteria. Students can stop by to explore options for jobs next summer and the school year.

Finally, there will be four 20-minute Advising Day Workshops held in the St. Peter Room in the Campus Center throughout the day. These workshops will cover topics including combating procrastination, study abroad, the Gustavus SigX program, and writing personal statements for job and graduate school applications. 

Jill VanOsdol, the associate director for career development, encourages students to explore the wide variety of events on Advising Day. “I feel like the intention of the faculty for giving this day… is for everyone to move forward in some way,” VanOsdol said. “And so whether that’s taking initiative and meeting with your advisor… or attending one of the many events that are offered, it’s about taking advantage of the time to be true to yourself.”

The Career Center itself will be hosting multiple events throughout the day. Stop by the Career Center (in the Johnson Student Union, below Alumni Hall) from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to work on career documents such as resumes. 

From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the Center will have free headshots and professional dress available. 

From 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., stop by for Networking and Nachos, where students will learn tips for utilizing their network. By the end of the event, each student will have reached out to one person in their network.

VanOsdol recognizes that contacting people in one’s network can be an intimidating task, so she arranged this event to involve a group, because, in her words, “doing scary things is better with others.” 

Career Center events can be exceptionally helpful for students, VanOsdol pointed out. “It’s not often that we get to have scheduled time to level up our professionalism, or level up our professional development, however you want to think about that… so just utilizing this commitment to career development,” VanOsdol commented.  

Faculty and staff are always looking to improve Advising Day. “I know that… the other people who are hosting events put a lot of time and energy into thinking about what students need to know,” VanOsdol said, “so by taking advantage of that, it gives us feedback… confirmation for us that we’re not just missing the mark.” 

With an open day of no classes, feel free to stop by any of these workshops/events and take advantage of the resources provided to you. Happy almost advising day!