academic advising in LS&A ADVISING The Academic Advising Center is one of the most valuable resources available to students. Because you will work closely during summer orientation, you Academic Advisor is an excellent person to contact regarding questions about classes, study habits, appropriate work loads, contacting professors and graduate student instructors, the academic resources available to you, and general information about programs and events at the University of Michigan. Your Academic Advisor has a wealth of information and can help you learn about the resources available to you at UM. Your advisor can also help you when you need direction, advice in planning your elections, evaluation of your study and time management skills, determination of the difference between high school and college courses, or help in approaching a college instructor. Your advisor is the logical person with whom to discuss your thoughts about possible concentrations, academic and career goals, or any uncertainty that you might have about where you want to go and what you want to do. It's a good idea to see your advisor on a regular basis. The more your advisor knows about you and your goals, the more useful the advice will be. To better accomodate LS&A students' schedules, the Academic Advising Center has arranged for an academic advisor to hold weekly office hours in your residence hall. It's a good way to get to know your advisor. A general Academic Advisor will: Help you create an academic plan that will allow you to discover and pursue your academic interests. Inform you about degree requirements and college policies and procedures. Describe course options and useful campus resources. Help you learn better study and time management skills. Help you decide upon a concentration best fitted to your skills, interests, and future goals. Help you plan strategies to achieve your goals. Help you handle any academic difficulty you may encounter. Be a skilled contact in making the university work for you. A Concentration Advisor will: Explain the concentration requirements. Waive concentration requirements or require additional course work depending on the background and experience of the individual student. Assess what courses are still needed to complete the concentration plan. Review residency requirements for students who may wish to complete some remaining courses out-of-residence. An Academic Advisor cannot: Make your decisions for you ­ tell you what you should concentrate in or what classes you should take. Advisors can describe logical options for your circumstances and your aspirations and give you the information you need to make logical, informed decisions. Tell you what is a "good class." What makes a class "good" depends entirely upon your skills, interests, and goals. What's "good" for one student is not necessarily "good" for another. Help you very much with specific problems or situations if you wait too long to discuss them. Problems don't go away when you ignore them; they only get worse. Usually there are more options available to correct or improve a situation the earlier you address it.