Best Practice Guidelines for Working with Advisors

Develop a Relationship with Your Advisor

Meeting with advisors is an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue about your academic, career, and life goals.

Seek out your advisors early and throughout the semester to build a working relationship. Find your advisor on your Student Link under Academics – Academic Advising.
Before registration period, email your advisor to schedule a meeting with them. Use this time to introduce yourself and discuss your academic, career, and life goals.
During your time in Sargent, update your advisor on your achievements and opportunities. Keep them in the loop so they can best support you!

Be Professional

Your faculty advisors are some of the top experts in their fields. They could be a valuable connection in your future career so be professional and respectful of their time and assistance.

Come into your advising meetings prepared to articulate what you’d like to get out of the meeting. Have questions ready and do some thinking beforehand!
Be prepared to write down any suggestions that arise in your conversation.
If you need to change an appointment, inform the advisor of the schedule conflict and reschedule. If you are late, the advisor is not obligated to accommodate you, and it would be in your best interest to reschedule.
Registration time is designed specifically to discuss academic progress! Faculty advisors are meeting with all of their advisees during this time so please be respectful of these demands.
You must meet with advisors to seek approval for any change to your status, including adding/dropping classes, transfer of credits from outside BU, and academic opportunities (e.g., studying abroad, declaring minors and dual degrees, changing to or from full or part-time status).

Keep an Open Mind

Your advisor’s role is to support you, but ultimately you are the one who will make the decisions.

You might not completely agree with your advisor all the time. But remember that their advice is coming from what they have experienced, and they are trying to prepare you.
It’s okay not to know what you want to do! But your advisors can only help you if you provide them with your questions and concerns.
Be realistic when it comes to applying to medical school, dental school, or any graduate program. Do some research on your schools, make a list, and then ask your advisors what they think.

Explore Distinctive Academic Opportunities

It is essential that you meet with faculty advisors and assistant directors of academic services to pursue Sargent’s many Distinctive Academic Opportunities. Careful discussion and planning is required to insure these are feasible options. Faculty advisors ensure these opportunities fit into your curriculum, and academic counselors facilitate the process to ensure all requirements are met. Before you make advising appointments, investigate these options on your own to familiarize yourself with procedures and deadlines. This will help make the most of your appointments. Always meet with your faculty advisor first and then follow up with an appointment to speak with the academic counselor associated with each procedure.