College Advisors vs High School Advisors

In high school, your advisor, often referred to as a guidance counselor, will be very different from an academic advisor in college. 

In my experience, high school advisors offer a large amount of direction. These guidance counselors will hold your hand and tell you the courses you need to graduate. Things overall felt much easier in highschool, where you weren't pressured as much in making decisions. On the contrary, I feel like I had much less one-on-one time with my guidance counselor as I do with my academic advisor in college. Before I even arrived at college, during my freshman year, I was immediately introduced to my advisor. I remember being warned how this relationship would not be the same as our guidance counselors in high school. The relationship with an academic advisor in college is much more self guided. The reason for this is because no one is there to hold your hand like in college.

There are many resources that academic advisors provide that many students don't take advantage of, such as internships and on campus work. I remember being extremely stressed about acquiring an internship during my sophomore and junior year of college. I decided to schedule a one-on-one meeting with my advisor, and she gave me our career center which helped me secure two internships. Advisors in college are supposed to be a valuable resource for whoever they are assigned to. I remember telling my friends to talk to their advisor about things they were confused on, and after taking my advice, my friend consulted with his academic advisor to ensure he could get a double major in advertising and psychology. The point of having an advisor is to help you with all of your career goals. Advisors should be your first point of contact for any career concerns. 

I think a good lesson comes with that new mindset of taking the lead. You should be the first person to reach in contact with your advisor, as well as other people you meet in class, events and social activities. This was my education that I am now paying for, so being responsible, and using every resource available to me was important. It is a big responsibility shift that requires much discipline, but you can do it! You have to get yourself up for classes, schedule meetings with your advisor, and constantly apply and try to find an internship. This is the path of growing up, take the lead and go out of your way to learn more about what is important to you.