College can be a rough time for students and very confusing. It can be even harder when one encounters an advisor who is discouraging and apathetic,
especially when they are in much
need of support and advice.
Unfortunately, this happens most
often than not in advising offices
all across the University of Florida campus. Having changed my major
four times, I have encountered
many advisors, some who were
helpful, some who had incorrect
advice and most others who were
very disheartening. That is why I
have compiled some tips and
information for you to better navigate your way around the advising world.

Undergraduate Advising at the University of Florida and what you should REALLY know.

Undergraduate Advising at the University of Florida and what you should REALLY know.

Advising at the University of Florida and what you should REALLY know. | Bureaucratic Nature of Undergraduate Advising | Tips to Avoid Bad Undergraduate Advising Situations
| Directory of Related Links

Like a bureaucracy, advisors are sometimes instructed to send students on a wild goose chase of red tape before they can receive the help they need.

Advisors fall victim to the bureaucratic system that UF has established, which has turned them into products of efficiency (gone wrong) and calculability.
In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, when you want to see an advisor, you cannot make appointments ahead of time. You must arrive to the advising office and sign in to a computer, that is connected to a mixed bag of advisors who pop in and out of the office—some are graduate students, some faculty and some are professional advisors. When it is the time of year that schedule changes are happening, you will wait to see an advisor for at least 30 minutes and sometimes more. This system is “efficient” for the advisors, who see one student after the other for a maximum of 15 minutes, but for students who have busy schedules, it is uncertain when you will actually see the advisor.
Not all colleges have this same type of system. Some others, such as the College of Public Health and Health Professions have appointments that can be made by phone, so that you can show up at the appointment time and not have to wait. They also have first come first serve walk-in-hours. But this does not mean that their advising is of higher quality. All of their advisors are professional advisors and most of them are very discouraging and send you through a system of red tape. One student said that she went in to talk to an advisor about adding a minor. The advisor told her that with the course load of PHHP, she would not be able to complete a Spanish minor. The student said, “She told me I couldn’t do it, so I completed a Spanish minor just to spite that advisor from freshman year.” Now in her senior year, she has a Spanish minor and is on her way to medical school. If you believe that you can do something, don’t let an advisor tell you otherwise. Follow your plan.
Sometimes when switching majors, there is a lot of “red tape” involved. An advisor may send you elsewhere, and then you may get sent back to that original advisor. You must get accepted to the college and you must have the help of an advisor. Sometimes you have to speak to multiple advisors to have certain papers signed and have holds removed. One advisor from one college will not remove a hold from another college.

“She told me I couldn’t do it, so I completed a Spanish minor just to spite that advisor from freshman year.”

Undergraduate Advising at the University of Florida and what you should REALLY know.

Bureaucratic Nature of Undergraduate Advising

Bureaucratic Nature of Undergraduate Advising

Advising at the University of Florida and what you should REALLY know. | Bureaucratic Nature of Undergraduate Advising | Tips to Avoid Bad Undergraduate Advising Situations
| Directory of Related Links

Bureaucratic Nature of Undergraduate Advising

Being knowledgeable about the advising process can be empowering.

First and foremost, be adamant about what YOU want.
If you are unsure as to what you want, then give the advisor as many details about yourself as you can.
If you are sure as to what you want, still give the advisor as many details about yourself as you can. Advisors don’t know about your drive, goals and everything else that would include on a resume. They just look at your grades thus far, which is objective, so you need to help them out.
Seek out graduate student advisors or faculty advisors. They are usually the most knowledgeable about a particular field of study and are the most relatable. My experience with professional advisors has shown that they tend to be more bound to the rationalized nature of higher education and are jaded by the system.
If you become intimidated by one advisor and don’t want to see anymore, try another advisor in the same department first. All though a good advisor is rare, they do exist. So ask around before you lose all faith, especially if you are a freshman or sophomore.
Be sure to look at the critical tracking section of your degree audit on ISIS to confirm what classes you need to take.
If you want to change your major and an advisor will not let you due to time constraints, seek out the assistance of other advisors and fill out petitions. Unfortunately, advisors feel the pressure from higher powers in the University system to get undergraduate students out in 4 years.
Keep records of your advising appointments and take a business card from every advisor. When visiting with multiple advisors, it is important to have information and names to provide to other advisors incase you are given incorrect advice.

What you need to know about getting the most out of your advisor to have a positive advising experience.

Advising at the University of Florida and what you should REALLY know.

Bureaucratic Nature of Undergraduate Advising

Tips to Avoid Bad Undergraduate Advising Situations

Tips to Avoid Bad Undergraduate Advising Situations

Advising at the University of Florida and what you should REALLY know. | Bureaucratic Nature of Undergraduate Advising | Tips to Avoid Bad Undergraduate Advising Situations
| Directory of Related Links

Tips to Avoid Bad Undergraduate Advising Situations

Tips to Avoid Bad Undergraduate Advising Situations

UF Undergraduate Catalog
http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/catalog.html
The Undergraduate Catalog can tell you much of what you need to know about certain majors and specific courses.

Here are a few compiled links to direct you where you need to go when changing your major, arranging your schedule or to make an appointment with an advisor.

Undergraduate Advising at the University of Florida and what you should REALLY know.

Bureaucratic Nature of Undergraduate Advising

Tips to Avoid Bad Undergraduate Advising Situations

Directory of Related Links

Directory of Related Links

ISIS
Www.isis.ufl.edu
Go on ISIS to add/drop classes and to view your degree audit, as well as degree audits of all other available majors and minors.

List of UF Undergraduate Advisors
http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/soc/advisers.html
If you have the choice, it is important to choose a quality advisor to meet with.

UF Advising Website
http://www.ufadvising.ufl.edu/
It is important to visit the website if you have any specific questions about UF advising.

Advising at the University of Florida and what you should REALLY know. | Bureaucratic Nature of Undergraduate Advising | Tips to Avoid Bad Undergraduate Advising Situations
| Directory of Related Links

Directory of Related Links

Directory of Related Links

Directory of Related Links

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The University of Florida does not endorse this website.

The University of Florida does not endorse this website.

The University of Florida does not endorse this website.