Registering for courses is a tedious and stressful process. There are questions of University requirements, core requirements, balance, and personal enjoyment. Sometimes, students feel lost and overwhelmed. And many times, contacting one's advisor to obtain the necessary course registration code is one more difficult task at an already dreadful time of year.
Is it any wonder that many Boston College students adopt a less than positive attitude toward the importance of advising?
Because of these numerous issues, BC established the Academic Advising Center two years ago in order to help students and the wider community "discern their academic and personal directions and to shape their lives as 'men and women for others,'" according to the Center's Web site. Since its inception, it has run many events that aim to help students with this process.
One event series is Professors and Pastries, which takes place at numerous times throughout the year.
Rory Browne, the associate director of the Academic Advising Center, said that the purpose of the these events is to gather students and faculty in an informal setting that will facilitate interaction and alleviate the stress that students may feel about approaching faculty members.
In addition to this series, the Academic Advising Center has also incorporated more formal events that address the issues of academic majors and course selection.
The Deciding Panels were initiated in the spring of last year and they focused on career and life choices beyond BC. Faculty members from across the University were invited to speak about their own academic experiences and how they were informed as they made difficult decisions.
"These Deciding Panels are really panels about making decisions," Dr. Browne said. The second series, Course Exploration Panels, were implemented this week.
Yesterday, "Exploring Courses in the Sciences and Mathematics and Exploring Courses in the Humanities and Arts convened, while the final panel, "Exploring Courses in History and the Social Sciences," is taking place today in Gasson 100 at 3:30 p.m.
2008 Woodie Awards
