How to Prepare for Your Advising Appointment

Appointments are scheduled for 30 minutes to give us time to answer your questions and talk about your academic goals.

Appointment Tips:

  • Prepare a list of your questions – you might have questions come up while we’re talking, so it is important to share with your advisor what you would like to cover before we run out of time.
  • Prepare to take notes – your advisor may recommend you take certain actions or ask you to complete a form for them, so we recommend being prepared to do that.
  • If your appointment is virtual – we recommend using a laptop or another device that can connect to the internet so you can log into Workday and follow along during our appointment. Your advisor may also send you links or files via the chat feature in the video conferencing platform (Zoom), so we recommend being able to save those links or files.
  • Schedule your appointment before any major academic deadlines – if you want to make sure you are registering for classes right when your window opens, we recommend meeting with our office before that date. This will give you time to discuss with your advisor any degree requirement questions, identify other holds that will impact registration, and think about your course options to optimize your class schedule. Your advisor may recommend that you contact other offices (Financial Aid, Student Accounts, etc.) before you register for courses, so give yourself enough time to meet with those offices.

Emailing instead? Here are some tips:

  • Email can be a great way to get in touch with your advisor or ask a question, but some questions might be better covered during an appointment.
    • Email can be a good way to ask about:
      • Referrals to other offices
      • How to do something in Workday (we have some guides online as well)
      • Following up on a form you’ve submitted, or to submit your form to your advisor for processing
      • An outline of remaining requirements (though we recommend checking your Academic Progress in Workday first)
    • We recommend an appointment for questions about:
      • Graduation timeline
      • Concerns about a class/grades/other situation
  • Have you created your registration cart and you’re ready to register? Raise your hand in Starfish rather than email. Raising your hand also notifies your advisor.
  • Some email etiquette reminders (courtesy of Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL):
    • Always use your Marymount email address – we can only share personal academic information with you via email when you use this email address
    • Include a subject line that shares what you want to talk about – this will help your advisor know what you want to discuss and if the question is time sensitive (like a form that needs to be processed)
    • Try to be clear about your question – this will help us make sure we are answering your question and reduce the amount of back-and-forth, which we recognize can be frustrating for busy students! If you’re not sure how to start your question, consider if a conversation in an appointment is the better place to start.

Note: Advisors may need 2-3 business days to respond to emails during peak volume – your patience is appreciated! As a reminder, our office is open Monday – Friday. All emails sent over the weekend or University holidays will be responded to in the following business days.

Feedback?

Academic advisors are here to help you accomplish your academic goals, but we need your help! Contact us with any feedback or questions about Academic Advising and our office.