Internships? Career plans? The meaning of life?

It's that time of year again: April showers have arrived, the end-of-the-semester energy in the Park School is starting to wind up -- and it's time for advising.

I know what (at least some of) you are thinking:

"I don't need to see my adviser...I can figure it out on my own...."

OR

"Next semester....Next semester I'll take the time to go and see my adviser, to sit down and talk about my future, to figure out a plan for internships and my career...to get to know him or her better."

OR

"Argggh, I have to go see my adviser so I can get in that class or I won't get to go to LA (or study abroad or graduate early....)....what a pain...."


We conducted a survey in January about advising in the Park School. We'll be talking about it in the months ahead, but here's a relevant highlight:

The older the student, the more likely it seemed to be that he or she recognized the value of advising -- not just getting scheduling advice, but ADVISING.

Many said they wished they had taken more time to get to know their faculty advisers, to develop a relationship that was more like a mentoring partnership than a scheduling requirement.

And those who did make a point of going in to see their advisers every semester -- even when they didn't have a pressing problem to solve -- were really glad they had done so by the time they were seniors.

I know you're busy. Really, I do. But that 30 minutes you take every semester to talk to your adviser adds up to a total of four hours over the course of your time in the Park School.

Four hours.

And they might be among the best four hours you spend in college.

The faculty have advising schedules on their office doors. Stop by. Sign up.

And let me know how it goes.....