IS IT A RULE, OR DO I HAVE A CHOICE?
There is a difference between matters of school policy (rules) and matters of choice. Policies and rules are published in the college catalog and other official publications. Although you are responsible for knowing the rules, official school advisors should help you interpret them. Advisors can also give you advice on matters of choice, such as which required courses will best serve your needs. But in these matters of choice, you should not look for answers from other people. In general, there is no single right answer in matters of choice. Instead, several viable options usually exist, from which you will have to select the best one for your situation.
Remember: advisors give advice, not answers. The best advisors give you enough information to let you make your own decisions. So weigh advice. Question it. Learn to be a good and intelligent consumer of advice. Take an active part in all matters of choice that affect you.
What sort of advice or counseling do you need? You need or will need advice about how to acquire a solid education and a useful degree, how to make the most of your college athletic career, and how and where to look toward a career. The following sources should help you when you need information, advice about problems, and help with decision making.
OFFICIAL ADVISORS
Professors
Professors often act as advisors to students, explaining academic requirements and other information contained in the official college catalog. You will either be assigned to a professor when you enter the college or be allowed to choose one from the faculty in your major department. As your academic advisor, he or she should help you in developing your academic program, selecting courses each term, and fulfilling your degree requirements in the major.
Just as with coaches, some professors are better advisors than others. Professors are seldom trained as advisors and even less often are paid for it. They are trained, hired, paid, and judged on their teaching and research work. Advising students is a task which comes out of time they might prefer to be doing other things. Some enjoy advising and put a lot of effort into it; others don't. Hold out for one who seems to care about advising and about you. The amount of care and effort put into advising is the best indicator of whether or not a faculty member will advise you well. How can you tell how much care and effort advisors put into advising? Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do they know the rules, regulations, deadlines, etc.?
- If not, are they willing to help you find out this important information?
- Are they willing to spend some time with you exploring your interests, or do you get the feeling that they are rushing you through the advising session?
- Do they simply tell you what to take, without exploring your own interests and alternative ways of approaching your degree and career goals?
Student Services
Academic Advising Center: Some colleges and universities, especially large ones, have special offices for advising students on academic matters. This service is in addition to the departmental advisor to whom you will be assigned in your major. Here, you can expect to find out information about general requirements for graduation, and your state of progress can be monitored and measured. You may also get help with major requirements at the Academic Advising Center; often a member of its staff will serve as your official advisor of record until you select a major.
Besides advice on degree requirements, the academic advising staff can explain the grading system, help you figure out your GPA, and discuss transferring to different majors or even to another school. They also may offer some career counseling, but generally their task is to provide you with help in getting the most out of what college has to offer, in particular a degree.
Realize and remember, however, that no matter what any advisor tells you, even those in the college advising center, the responsibility for your actions-or lack of action-rests on your shoulders alone. If you don't double-check advice and it turns out to be wrong, you are likely to spend extra time and effort making up for the mistake. Be like a bulldog about making sure you have good information; it's your education and future on the line.
Learning Skills Center: This is where you will find tutors, workshops, self-instruction programs, and other help in improving the skills essential to learning. Typical workshops deal with improving reading and writing, test-taking, time management, listening and note-taking, and memory enhancement.
Testing Center: You may take exams here for remedial help or advanced placement (reading, writing, math, etc.) and for identification of your own abilities and interests (such as the Strong Vocational Interest test). Tests for graduate school admission may also be offered, such as the Graduate Record Exam and the Miller Analogies Test. Some schools combine the Testing Center and Learning Skills Center.
Health Center: In addition to seeking medical help at the campus Health Center, you may be able to go there to take any preseason physical exams required in your sport.
Psychological Counseling Center: This is the place to go for help with stress and other personal problems. Many small colleges combine psychological and career counseling in one office; some schools may place psychological counseling in the Health Center.
Career Development and Placement Center: Most colleges have a special office or center for counseling students about their career interests and career alternatives. If your school has a Career Development and Placement Center, check into what it offers. Don't wait until you are about to graduate to seek help from the Career Center. Career advice can be helpful to you as early as your first year in college.
Student Employment Office: This is where you can locate part-time jobs and summer jobs, either on or off campus. Don't confuse the Student Employment Office with the Career Center. (The former deals with your job needs while you are a student; the latter helps you find a career direction and learn the right way to search for a position in your field.)
Educational Opportunity Program (EOP): Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds can get help through EOP with special admissions (if you don't meet the normal school entrance requirements), counseling to help you adjust to the college environment, special tutors in basic communication and math skills, and small grants (between $200 and $1000) to help you through the school year,
Financial Aid Office: The Financial Aid Office exists to help you determine the amount of aid you need and to help you find appropriate sources of this aid. Your coach may help set up your initial contact with the Financial Aid Office, but don't count on or wait for this to happen. Every coach has his or her personal view of how much initiative student-athletes should take in obtaining financial aid.
The Financial Aid Office may have someone who specializes in helping athletes, but again, don't count on it. Even if the Financial Aid Office has such a specialist, don't expect this person to come to you or to drop everything else when you walk in the door. Financial aid offices are very busy places. At some colleges, more than 80 percent of the students receive some sort of aid. Bear in mind that all aid recipients must apply through the same office. A lesson you should have learned in sports applies also to seeking financial aid: "Persistence pays off!"
Unless you have an athletic scholarship, either full or partial, you will probably be just like any other student to those who work in the Financial Aid Office. Even if they tend to treat athletes in some special way, you will be doing yourself a favor not to expect special treatment. Those who sit around expecting to be fed will probably go hungry.
Large colleges tend to have separate offices for each of the student services mentioned above, while smaller schools may combine the services into one or two offices. A final and very important comment on student services: You must approach them; they won't be likely to find you. If you need any of these services, don't be bashful about seeking them out. They exist to help all students, including athletes.
