How to Find a Compatible Advisor
Freshman advisors and associate advisors must work together as a team in order for freshman advising to be successful. Together, you and your advisor assist your freshmen to make a successful transition through their first year of college life. You are responsible to assist your advisor throughout the year with his/her advising responsibilities, bringing a unique student perspective to your meetings.
The Office of Undergraduate Advising & Academic Programming expects all Associate Advisors to:
- Maintain regular contact with your advisee(s) throughout the year
- Assist with class selection and registration during fall and spring terms
- Inform advisees of resources available throughout campus
- Offer help with time management, study skills, and test taking
- Give advice about finding UROPs or summer employment
- Help advisor to monitor the academic progress of your advisees
- Assist with selection of major, when appropriate
- Organize social activities
- Maintain communication and a good working relationship with the advisor
- Attend all seminars and do the work required, when appropriate
- Attend training in August and participate in Leadership Development opportunities during the year
- New associate advisors are expected to attend two training sessions a year, and returning associate advisors must sign up to facilitate two of these sessions
Matching Your Style with Expectations
Since working styles and advisor expectations vary greatly, first you should determine the type of advisor with whom you wish to work. The criteria below are some guidelines to help you evaluate whether you and the advisor would make an effective advising team. As you consider these, try to decide which are most important to you.
It is important to work with an advisor who can communicate openly about his/her expectations, so you should look for someone with whom you “click.”
An advisor may be willing to reach out to his/her advisees and to organize social activities with the advising group or may expect you to take the initiative in this role, so be sure you talk about the role the given advisor would want you to play with regard to such activities.
Associate advising is a year-long commitment, so you need to make sure that you are able to commit the time required for the entire academic year and will be able to stay in touch with each of your advisees regularly.
If you are assisting a seminar-based advisor you should expect to attend all seminar meetings and prepare all expected seminar work. If you have not already received credit for the seminar as a freshman, you can register for the seminar and receive 6 units of P/D/F credit for attendance and seminar work.
Finding the Advisor with Whom You'll Work
The matching process begins when you contact a prospective advisor to set up a meeting. To help you identify individuals who are looking for associates, consult either the list of Traditional Advisors or the list of Seminar Advisors.
Once you agree to work together, the Associate is responsible to submit an online contract, and inform Leslie Bottari, bottari@mit.edu, or Donna Friedman, friedman@mit.edu that you are matched so that we can remove your name from the advisor matching lists.
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