Advising Options
Deciding on which advising option is best for you depends on how you plan to "spend" the 54 units, plus 6 discovery-focused units of academic credit you are limited to in the first-term of your first year. Please review this section for details on your advising options, which you will apply for online June 1-June 15.
Advising with a credit component is most typically handled through participation in either:
- An advising seminar (either in a general area or department of interest - most are 3 units).
- Participation in a Learning Community. The Terrascope Learning Community involves taking the special 9-unit subject 12.000 – Solving Complex Problems (which captures 3 discovery units plus 6 of regular credit). The Concourse learning community has a specific seminar for their participants and participation in the Concourse seminar is required. The DesignPlus learning community also has a specific seminar for their participants and participation in the DesignPlus seminar is required. Participants in the ESG community have the option to choose to advising via FAS (for-credit) or traditional (non-credit) advising.
Benefits of the for-credit advising option include:
- It's a special academic class that combines advising and learning. Your seminar leader not only teaches the 3-unit seminar but also serves as your advisor for your entire first year. This unique combination of teaching/advising enables you to really get to know your advisor and advising group during regular two hour weekly meeting during the Fall semester.
- Seminar size, style of learning, and pace are all diametrically different from your other classes: no lectures, quizzes, or p-sets. Seminars meet for 2 hours weekly during the Fall term. Homework generally takes 2-4 hours/week.
- Your advising group will include an upper-level student Associate Advisor, who brings the experienced student's perspective. As an advising group, you will have the opportunity to participate in at least a couple of social events a year.
- NOTE: You are expected to remain committed and enrolled/participating in the seminar/community for the entire fall semester. These groups are "teams" just like a varsity team, so dropping out affects the quality of the experience for your fellow advisees and advisor just as it would teammates or a coach.
Advising with no credit component is through participation in:
- Traditional Advising, which awards no academic credit, but provides the same level of advising as those enrolled in a seminar.
Some benefits of the non-credit advising option include:
- You will meet with your traditional advisor 2-3 times in both semesters.
- You and the other first-years matched with your advisor will form an advising group that includes an upper-level student Associate Advisor, who brings the experienced student's perspective. As an advising group, you will have the opportunity to participate in at least a couple of social events a year.
