As we all gear up for the new semester, we turn to our advisers for help and guidance toward graduation.

Some students have expressed frustration with the quality of advisement at NIU.

It seems as though the size of the student body and the misconceptions of what our advisers are there for, may be to blame for the rift in communication among students and guidance counselors. Over 27,000 students attend NIU each year and many feel left out in the cold when it comes time for graduation due to miscommunication among students and advisers.

Andrea Messing- Mathie, the sole undergraduate Political Science Advisor, gave her perception of the process.

“Students don’t take enough responsibility...Mis-information or not, the student is responsible,” Messing-Mathie said.

There are a few things to keep in mind in regard to the responsibility of the students.

First, the student is responsible for ensuring that they make an appointment with their adviser before their junior semester. This will help to maintain that the student is on the right track and gives the adviser some time to catch anything that may have been overlooked.

It is also important for students to read the course catalogue and the requirements of NIU beyond the requirements of the department from which you are obtaining a degree.

Although many students feel the advisor should tell them what classes they need to take, it is important that the student comes prepared with questions and a plan.

Messing-Mathie points out that there are four different parts to the graduation process. The student must fulfill basic graduation requirements such as core classes and requirements set forth by the University.

The student must then consider what the requirements are to obtain their Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree.

The next step is to consider what classes need to be taken to graduate in a major and finally any classes necessary for a minor. Beyond student responsibility, Andrea does see one area of opportunity.

“There is not enough coordination between advising offices in different departments,” Messing-Mathie said. “Gen Ed requirements need to be coordinated across the board.”

Unlike the political science department, some smaller departments have professors as advisors. Contrary to popular belief, Andrea believes that this is a good way for faculty to get involved with the students beyond teaching. Brisa Alegria, senior nutrition and dietetic major doesn’t agree.

“It seems like professors that act as advisors are too busy to devote the time necessary to really get to know students,” Alegria said. “I could’ve graduated a full semester early if my adviser would have told me that NIU’s requirements were different from the departments.”

Although it cannot be disputed that mistakes on the advisers part leads to many student’s delay in graduation, the majority of students simply are not taking the time necessary to ensure their requirements are met ahead of time.

Students feel as though the adviser is the one responsible if they have taken unnecessary classes or have failed to take the classes required for graduation.

The truth is no one is going to suffer from a mistake but the student.

College is very different from high school, and as potential professionals, it is our duty to put in the time and effort necessary to obtain whatever goals we hope to achieve.

As we move on from college we will find that no one will be there with a handbook on how to get a job.

There won’t be a guidance counselor there to give us the steps to succeed in life.

For those of you scorn from a bad experience with an adviser, let it be a lesson learned and trust no one but yourself for your own success in life.

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