A few weeks into the semester, it’s not unusual to start second-guessing just about everything. Anything from “I can’t see anything from this seat in the classroom, what was I thinking on the first day?” to “Am I in the right major?” are questions that circulate in our minds all too often. Fortunately, NC State has an awesome service that can help you with the more serious concerns that can make or break your semester.
I was that student who couldn’t decide what I wanted to major in and flip-flopped like a fish out of water between NC State’s different schools. Obviously, a big issue here was I didn’t know what I wanted. But the bigger issue was that I didn’t have anyone to help me figure it out. Going off of speculations and assumptions about certain courses got me somewhere, but you can’t plan out the rest of your future on a hunch.
Of course, I technically had an adviser, but once you realize a major isn’t for you, you’re kind of on your own in an awkward limbo. Understandably, your original adviser doesn’t know much about your new intended major, but in the process of switching, that’s when you need one the most. It’s hard to make a schedule with courses for a new major without an adviser. Trust me, I would know.
Finally, I heard about the advising services on campus, and it made all the difference. Academic Advising Service has walk-in advising hours every single weekday. You literally just walk up to the second floor of FYC Commons and sign in. You can ask about all your questions with the friendliest, most welcoming staff you can imagine. Even if you have an adviser assigned to you already, sometimes it’s more convenient to ask a quick question by just dropping by instead of setting up an appointment a week in advance for a two-minute conversation.
It’s essential to have faculty on college campuses who not only help guide your future, but advisers who are accessible and willing to help you. After not feeling like I belonged in previous meetings with my old advisers (let’s face it — I didn’t belong since I was planning to switch out), walk-in advising was exactly what I needed to be reminded that there are plenty of people at NC State that truly care about the success of each and every student. These advisers aren’t specialized for one department or school, so they are a great resource to answer any type of question — super specific or as general as it gets.
By the end of each meeting that I’ve had with one of these advisers, I felt as if they took the time to listen to my previous problems and were truly invested in my future plans and genuinely helped map out a clearer picture of what I needed to do. Even though I didn’t know the adviser 10 minutes ago before I walked in, by the time I left I knew that he or she made a positive difference in my academic experience at State and played an important role in my educational accomplishments.
Without a doubt, many questions arise in the beginning of a new semester: What’s worse, an F or a W? Is it too late to drop? Pass/Fail is still an option … right? Don’t cross your fingers and hope for the best. I mean, you should always hope for the best, but it never hurts to get a second opinion from the advisers themselves. And if you can’t find a time to meet with your assigned adviser, I assure you that there are several others just waiting to help you and the rest of the Wolfpack.
