Sahara Locke
Published: March 8, 2006
As a freshman in college one of the first priorities that is executed is to get the semester’s schedule and classes lined up and prepared. And more likely than not, an advisor is the one responsible for helping with the process. But once the schedule is made and all the classes are lined up, the advisors are generally forgotten about until next semester rolls around.
This is a typical but costly habit, especially when the fact is taken into account that our oh-so-soon forgotten advisors and counselors provide more than just a line up of the semester’s schedule.
“We provide professional insight on degree programs, and can interpret and give detailed explanations of a degree plan,” Sonya Evans, PJC advisor, said.
Because many students enter the college atmosphere with an idea of what they want to do with the rest of their lives but an unclear plan of how to accomplish it, advisors and counselors play a major role in steering the student in the right direction.
“We can ask you questions that you wouldn’t think to ask yourself,” Joe Cashwell, a PJC advisor, said.
It’s those same unasked questions that can impact the future of a student either positively or negatively depending on whether or not those questions are asked.
The career counselors are the ones who take on the role of helping students with the difficult portion of just what to do in preparation for a job. Resumes, job searches, career planning, and job related educational programs are all branches of the Career Connection tree.
But even with all that the advisors and counselors offer, many students still do not regularly utilize these on-campus tools. There are actually two major answers to the dilemma. Ashley Cowan says she generally only visits her advisor “in terms of keeping my credits in line,” and that seems to be the majority answer from many students.
But, another disconcerting answer also was given – “I didn’t even know I had a counselor.”
Although the advisors and career counselors put their best foot forward in guiding students through the entire college experience, they can only do so much when many of the students on campus aren’t even aware that there is someone that can help guide them through college life.
Knowledge in this case can truly be said to be power, power to information that is otherwise nearly unattainable without the proper help, power to realize that loneliness and seclusion are no longer options when traveling the road to ever-approaching adult-hood.
The advisors and counselors of PJC aren’t just here for decoration but are here to lead and guide through many situations with which students may need assistance, and yes advisors do exist.