Readings
Overview
The learning objectives for this chapter are designed to help you develop a professional, productive relationship with your academic advisor and to put all of the components together in a way that helps ensure future success.
Introduction
You are so excited by your acceptance as a future BearKat at Sam Houston State University. You know you want to study ______ (fill in the blank: art, criminal justice, elementary education, finance, kinesiology, etc.), but you really do not know where to start. You went through orientation and were presented with the opportunity to meet with an academic advisor, begin the registration process, and embark on this next stage of your life. However, you are unsure of what happens next or how your classes will help you get there. You know you are coming with transfer hours or dual credit but are unsure where they fit. Who helps you answer these questions?
Academic advisors can be found on most, if not all, college and university campuses. At Sam Houston State University (SHSU), they fill a combination of roles. They advise, mentor, and help with career decisions, but, mostly, they are individuals on campus who help students make the most of their educational experience. They assist you in making good decisions specifically related to your course of study. They are knowledgeable and want you to be successful. Academic advisors also want to help you take ownership over your educational path so you are not reliant on their help but know it is there if you need it. Not all students have a clear understanding of the role of an academic advisor or know the best way to build a productive relationship with an advisor (Sam Houston State University, n.d. a). In this chapter, you will gain information to help you communicate effectively with not only an advisor but also with professors, department chairs, and, if necessary, the dean of your college. You will also learn how to determine the requirements of your degree plan or another degree plan. A degree plan is a specific list of academic requirements leading to a degree. You will learn how to calculate figure grade point averages (GPAs), which will prepare you to understand the impact of an A or unfortunately an F. Additionally, this chapter will help you discover ways to be more proactive in your own educational journey (Aljets, 2018).
Learning Objectives
The learning objectives for this chapter are designed to help you develop a professional, productive relationship with your academic advisor and to put all of the components together in a way that helps ensure future success. You will find the activities specifically tied to the objectives. After completing this chapter and the learning activities, you will be able to:
articulate your role in the advising process
demonstrate an understanding of key terms used in higher education, specifically related to academic advising
set up email in a way that prioritizes communication from advisors and professors
construct emails that are professional in nature and clearly communicate the intended message
understand and locate major requirements and course descriptions in the catalog
understand and articulate the minimum criteria for completing the bachelor’s degree you desire
demonstrate an understanding of Degree Works, or the degree plan program used at your university, and how to read your specific curriculum requirements
demonstrate an understanding of GPAs and the role they play in your educational success
locate and understand your unofficial transcript
identify potential consequences of delayed or unclear communication with an advisor
Let’s get started.
References
Aljets, A. (2018). Three reasons academic advisors should be a go-to resource for student success efforts. EdSurge. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-03-26-three-reasons-academic-advisors-should-be-a-go-to-resource-for-student-success-efforts
Sam Houston State University. (n.d.-a). Sam Houston Advising and Mentoring Center | About us. https://www.shsu.edu/centers/sam-center/about-us
Communication
Your role in the advising process is heavily dependent on communication. Knowing what you need and how to articulate that need contributes to a productive advising session. Your advisor will refer to things like degree plans, GPAs, required courses, elective courses, and transcripts. Knowing what these terms mean, and how they relate to what you are working toward, is important. These terms and how they relate to your course of study will be defined as you read through this chapter. You will also need to know how to communicate effectively via email with your advisor and others, as well as how to schedule appointments with your advisor.
You and Your Email
Your professors, advisors, staff from your major/minor departments, and other important departments will communicate with you through a variety of means, but most of them will communicate with you via email. Learning to set up email in a way that prioritizes communication from advisors, professors, and financial aid will go a long way toward ensuring your success in college. We know you can get overwhelmed by the number of emails you receive in your school email account, so learning how to prioritize what you see can make a big difference. Checking your email often ensures you will have the information you need for your courses and other events, activities, and expectations while enrolled at the university. You can set your email account up in a way that makes sure you notice emails that will impact you the most during any given semester. If you are unsure of the process for doing this, call or visit the information technology department. This process might take some time right now but will save you lots of time in the future.
Knowing how to prioritize emails is really important, but it is also important to make sure the emails you send are appropriate and reflect your growing understanding of the importance of establishing professional relationships with your professors, advisors, and other departments or individuals on campus. Often, after you complete your degree, you will need letters of recommendation from professors for graduate school or employment. Professors respond more and are more positive if they have good experiences with a student.
When you send an email to a university employee, it is always a good idea to send it from your school email account. This way, even if you forget to sign it, people will know who sent it, and that helps them frame a response. Many people send an email from another account set up under a nickname. When that happens, people do not know who wrote the email and may not respond.
Emails to university faculty and staff are professional communication, and they should include a greeting, a closing, and a signature. They should include a reference to why the email is being sent and should be constructed in a professional manner (check spelling, grammar, word usage). They do not need to be long, but your email should address what response you need. When you get a response, read it carefully before replying. Many times, students ask follow-up questions that were already answered in the previous reply. An activity related to composing and sending a professional email is located at the end of the chapter, as well a link to a site with additional information and examples.
You and Your Advisor
In this section, information needed to articulate your role in the advising process is presented. Your advisor is available to you every semester to help plan your coursework for the next term and to help you understand your degree requirements—both the degree plan and specific requirements like GPA (mean number of grade points earned per semester hour) and minimum grade requirements. At SHSU, you will be required to meet with your advisor if you fall under the following categories:
- this is your first semester,
- your SHSU GPA (all coursework completed at SHSU) or cumulative GPA (all coursework regardless of where hours were completed) are below 2.5, and/or
- you have completed more than 90 credit hours.
It is highly encouraged that you meet with an advisor every semester, even if it is not required. If your GPA is not where you would like it to be, your advisor can help you determine the grades needed to improve it.
To schedule your advising appointment, log into your MySam account (or your specific university student account if you are not at SHSU).
Under the “Students” tab, click the link for Go to CAMPUS CONNECT.
Once you are on the Campus Connect site, click the blue button that says, “Need to make an appointment? Start here!”.
From there, select your college and appointment type. It is important to schedule the appointment with an advisor associated with your college. This ensures you will receive the best and most current information about your degree. More information is available in the activity at the end of the chapter.
Advising Scenarios
In a typical advising appointment, your advisor will ask you general questions about how your current classes are going, if you are enjoying your current major, or if you are considering any alterations to your degree. After you establish your major, your advisor will make recommendations for the upcoming term. As you get further into your degree and approach graduation, your advisor will have conversations with you about internships and post-graduation opportunities.
If needed, your advisor may refer you to other offices on campus for assistance with things like tutoring (Academic Success Center), balances owed (Cashier’s Office), and loans (Financial Aid Office or Student Money Management). You can prepare for your advising appointment by pre-planning your courses for the next term and writing down any questions you may want your advisor to answer. The more prepared you are, the less time will need to be spent on course selection. This leaves more time to discuss your current classes and career goals. Let’s consider two scenarios from real life advising sessions. The first scenario occurred with a student in their first year at the university, and the other occurred with a student nearing graduation. As you read them, reflect on the outcomes caused by delayed or unclear communication with an advisor.
Kerri. Kerri started the university in a major with a specific course sequence of study. The program she selected required her to take courses in a very specific order to stay on track for a 4-year graduation. Kerri was advised accordingly, with limited options for other courses to build her schedule. It was essential for Kerri to follow the information prescribed by her advisor to move forward in her program, so she enrolled as her advisor directed. Near the conclusion of her first semester, Kerri was advised again for her second semester courses. After she was advised, Kerri dropped a course from her first semester without first speaking to her advisor. A few days before the beginning of her second semester, Kerri noticed she was dropped from one of the second semester courses she had previously added. Kerri contacted her advisor to find out why she was dropped from the course. After reviewing Kerri’s final enrollment from her first term, the advisor confirmed that Kerri dropped an essential course from the first term for proper sequencing in her program. Kerri shared with the advisor that she had dropped the course because she felt she needed to work more hours. The advisor explained that had Kerri contacted her prior to dropping the course, they could have examined other options that would have allowed her to drop a course without putting her behind in her prerequisites.
Jared. Jared scheduled an advising appointment for the summer and fall terms. He had already registered for courses but stated his intent to declare a minor and a desire to complete his degree at the end of the fall semester. The advisor reviewed the changes adding a minor would make to his degree plan. He determined it would be possible for Jared to achieve these goals, but informed Jared changes would be needed to his planned summer and fall schedules to complete prerequisites and remaining coursework on his desired timeline. The advisor also noted Jared was enrolled in the same course in both summer and fall and needed to drop the fall course. Upon Jared’s confirmation, the advisor added the minor to his degree plan and emailed Jared the changes he needed to make to his summer and fall schedules. Had Jared made these changes, all would have been well, but that is not what happened.
A month after the exchange, Jared emailed the advisor simply stating he was receiving an error message when trying to register for a course. He did not provide any information on what course he was trying to register for, in what semester, or what error message he was receiving. The advisor did some checking and found Jared had failed to make any of the advised changes to his schedule to maintain his desired graduation timeline, including dropping the repeated course. His advisor responded asking what error message he was receiving.
A month and half later, Jared responded to the question. He still had not made any of the needed schedule changes, and, by this time, it was too late to do so if he intended to graduate at the end of the fall semester with the new minor added. His advisor again asked for more information on what issues he was having with registration and informed Jared he would need to remove the minor and make schedule changes to complete his degree by the end of the fall semester. His advisor outlined the schedule changes needed and asked Jared how he wished to proceed.
At this point, due to Jared’s inaction, he had not just delayed graduation by a single semester but two at a minimum because he was not enrolled in a prerequisite course needed to move forward in his minor. He also paid to repeat a course he successfully completed in the summer.
Having a good relationship and maintaining a line of communication with your advisor can help prevent these situations from happening to you. So, now you know more about advising, but your degree plan is still confusing. How do degrees come to be anyway?
Nuts and Bolts of Curriculum
The university provides you with a very detailed roadmap of courses you need to take to successfully earn a degree. Locating major requirements and course descriptions in the catalog and on your degree plan, and understanding these requirements and descriptions, will help you take control of your own path and lead to more productive meetings with your advisor.
College curricula are complex. A specific degree starts with the idea of curricula or courses of study. Degree programs are the result of combining courses together to form a curriculum that meets a variety of objectives. Most states mandate certain aspects be included in all degree programs, with other pieces being left to the institution to decide. In Texas, each degree requires a minimum of 120 semester hours of specific coursework. Some degrees, like education, music, and music education have more hours, but these additional hours require approval from the state agency. Every undergraduate degree in the State of Texas has core requirements; you may also hear them referred to as basics. Each student, per the State of Texas, must successfully complete 42 hours of core curriculum as part of their minimum of 120 hours. Those 42 hours of core coursework are separated into 9 different areas (Sam Houston State University, n.d.b). You have to take all of the courses listed in some component areas, but you get to choose a course or courses in other component areas. Be careful, though, because sometimes you need to choose a specific course or courses for your degree plan. In addition to the core, each degree will require specific hours within the major and/or minor area of study. Often there will be choices, but not always. Some degrees are very prescriptive and allow for no elective courses, and other degree plans give you many options you can choose from based on your interests.
You should be aware that if you plan to complete courses at one institution and transfer them to another, those courses may not count in your degree plan at your new institution. This can also occur when you switch from one major to another; your courses from one major may not apply to another major. Regardless of the situation, whether switching majors or transferring courses from another institution, the courses you already completed do not go away—they will count toward your GPA. If those courses do not fulfill a requirement for your new major, they will not apply toward the 120 hours required for your new plan of study. Simply accumulating 120 hours does not mean you earn a degree. All curriculum requirements for your designated plan of study must also be completed, so it is possible you might accumulate hours beyond 120 by the time you graduate.
Another word of caution when switching majors or transferring courses that do not apply to your degree plan is that students are limited to 150 “hours attempted” before the State of Texas mandates a change in tuition. Hours attempted includes any courses you have successfully passed, courses you have failed, or courses you have dropped. Once you accumulate 150 attempted hours, you will be charged out-of-state or nonresident tuition until you complete your degree. Out-of-state or nonresident tuition is twice as much as in-state or resident tuition. This tuition rate is also applied any time you repeat a course 3 or more times. This is why it is vital to connect with your academic advisor before you change your major or take courses at another institution. Your academic advisor will make sure your courses transfer and apply to your degree and will help ensure you do not exceed the 150-hour mark if you change your major. One additional point to consider is the 180 hour maximum rule for financial aid. Once a student accumulates 180 hours, they no longer receive financial aid.
References
Sam Houston State University. (n.d.-b) Undergraduate Catalog 2020-2021.
Degrees, Degree Plans, and More
In addition to the general requirements listed previously, there are also different types of degrees outside of the major. Degree types range from associate degrees up to doctoral degrees. As an undergraduate student, you often have the choice of what type of degree you wish to pursue based on your major. The most common degree types are Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS), and it is your choice which route you wish to pursue. For example, if you are majoring in political science, you have the option of pursuing a BA or a BS. Traditionally, BA degrees require some type of foreign language with the major curriculum, and BS degrees require additional science and/or math courses with the major curriculum. Many degrees do fall under the BA or BS umbrella, but there are some majors that have different degree types. As an example, business degrees are typically a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), and art and music degrees can be a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). There is even an option at many institutions to pursue your associate degree. An associate degree only requires 60 credit hours and can be completed before and/or while you are pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Based on the degree type and major you are pursuing, your curriculum or degree plan is then set. For many students, earning the bachelor’s degree is the goal, yet, at completion of their degree, they find themselves wanting more information or specific knowledge, so pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree is a logical next step.
The Catalog
The University undergraduate and graduate catalogs contain information important to any student considering a degree or enrolling in a degree program. The catalog is a comprehensive document with information about courses, degrees, policies, and procedures applicable to students enrolled at the university (Sam Houston State University, n.d. c). To access the Undergraduate Catalog, which houses information about majors, minors, and courses at SHSU, start with the university home page.
Once there, select the Fast Links drop down tab in the top right corner of the page. Scroll down the list of options until you see Catalogs.
Once selected, the next page will show multiple catalog years.
A catalog year refers to the curriculum you are following for your major and minor (if applicable). Your catalog year is often the year in which you were admitted, but it can fluctuate depending on different circumstances. To ensure you are viewing the most accurate information for your degree in the catalog, confirm your catalog year in Degree Works (see this video for more information).
SHSU DegreeWorks Tutorial, located at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bphhxBU2bZs
Once you have confirmed your catalog year, return to the Undergraduate Catalog and select the appropriate year. On the left hand side of the screen, you will see a navigation tool bar (screen shot 7). From here, you can access a wide variety of information such as Degrees Offered and Course Descriptions. By selecting the Degrees Offered link, you will be able to view all available majors and minors for undergraduate students at SHSU. There is also functionality to filter your results to specific colleges, modes of delivery (i.e., online, face-to-face), or program type (i.e., degree, minor, certification). Selecting the Course Descriptions link will provide you a comprehensive list of all courses offered at SHSU by department. For instance, if you are hoping to find the course description for ENGL 3330, you can locate the section for E, select English (ENGL), and scroll to the course number 3330. The course description will show you what you can expect to learn in the course, in addition to any prerequisites needed to enroll in that specific course.
You can view your specific degree requirements in the catalog and use the catalog to explore other majors or minors at SHSU. Degree Works will show the curriculum required for your major and minor and the What If function can be used to view other programs. The catalog will provide additional information outside of curriculum requirements and information specific to your degree program, such as specific grade requirements in courses (i.e., C or better required) or a specific GPA required to earn that major or minor. When the catalog is used alongside Degree Works, you will always have the most up-to-date information related to your curriculum.
References
National Student Clearing House, (n.d.) https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/
Sam Houston State University. (n.d.-c) Undergraduate Catalog 2020-2021.
Degree Plans and Unofficial and Official Transcripts
Universities devise degree plans to guide students toward completion of a program of instruction that leads to a degree. These plans are influenced by faculty within a particular discipline. English professors help craft the bachelor’s degree in English, criminal justice professors help craft the bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, victim studies, etc., and foreign language professors help craft the bachelor’s degree in French. Core requirements are decided by a committee of faculty from across disciplines with guidance from state agencies. These degree plans are formal agreements between a student and a university, and they are tied to specific catalog years. If the degree plan you committed to your freshman year was health science, the degree plan outlined in the catalog that year is the plan you will follow throughout your time at the institution. This remains true (mostly) throughout your time engaged in obtaining that degree, even if the requirements are updated and changed years later. This rarely happens, but one reason requirements might change is related to outside agencies. For example, if you are an education major and the state education agency over certification requires different information for certification, a course may be added, dropped, or changed mid degree. The catalog is a great place to look at degrees and what requirements are tied to each major and minor. The catalog is generally updated every 2 years, but some institutions update their catalog yearly. Locating and examining your degree plan is described in a learning activity at the end of this chapter.
If the degree plan is the roadmap, what roles do the unofficial and official transcripts play? Both unofficial and official transcripts are documents that outline how many hours of credit you have received and your actual GPAs (transfer, SHSU, and combined). One caveat to this is the reality that any courses you enroll in and stay enrolled in past the 12th class day (or 4th day during the summer) appear on your transcripts whether you earned credit or not. You can access your unofficial transcript via your MySam Account or your university-based student account portal. You might need your unofficial transcript for a job interview, as a record you want to keep, or even something to show your parents that outlines your progress. Your unofficial transcript cannot be used to verify you have received a degree and cannot be used at another institution for acceptance or transfer. If you are looking to transfer to another institution or apply for an advanced degree, your official transcript must be used. Official transcripts are certified as “official” by the university and are issued upon request. Official transcripts are sealed in an envelope or sent electronically by the National Student Clearinghouse (National Student Clearing House, n.d.). If you elect to pick up an official transcript to deliver on your own, do not open the envelope! Official transcripts lose their verification of “official” if you open the document on your own and can no longer be used by other institutions as an official record of your coursework.
To request an official transcript from Sam Houston State University, or to view your unofficial transcript, log in to your MySam account and select the My Account tab. Once on that tab, you will see a box labeled Office of the Registrar where two links will display under Transcripts: Official, Unofficial. Selecting the Unofficial link will take you to your unofficial transcript, where you will see all of your courses outlined by semester. Any transfer work, dual credit courses, Advanced Placement credit, or CLEP credit you have will be displayed first; SHSU work will be listed next. If you select the Official link, you will be guided through the steps of ordering an official copy of your transcript from SHSU.
Changing Your Mind
Say you step foot on campus with a declared major in finance. One of the first courses you take in political science really captures your imagination, and you begin to think about changing your major. Perhaps you have been pursuing a specific degree plan, but you find you are really struggling with the coursework, and you begin to think this major is not for you. Before you do anything drastic, take a look at the catalog to see what you have completed that might apply to a new degree and then meet with your advisor.
For the most specific information about your degree path, and an overview of what you have taken, what requirements are fulfilled, and what you still need to take, look at an electronic degree plan. At SHSU, your degree plan is located in a program called Degree Works. Degree Works is one of many programs universities use to help students keep track of their progress toward completing a degree. It provides quite a bit of information, in an interactive online format, for your specific degree, and you can see what courses you have completed along with the grade. Unlike a transcript, you can see what courses are still required. f you click on any of the courses that still show as lacking, a box will open that displays the course title, course description, and any prerequisites for the course. Consistently accessing Degree Works and reviewing your lacking courses can help you understand how your coursework should progress as you continue completing courses; it will provide context to the information your advisor shares with you in your session. You can access Degree Works by logging into your MySam account. Under the “Students” tab, click the link for “Access to Degree Works.” Make note of the browser requirements, as using an unsupported browser could cause issues with loading your degree plan. The learning activity later in this chapter will help you access your degree plan.
Degree Works is also useful if you want to explore other majors in the event you find yourself struggling with the major coursework or you find a new interest you wish to study. Degree Works will allow you to run a ‘What If’ on any degree plan at SHSU. It will show you the curriculum required for that degree plan and how your currently completed and enrolled credits apply to this new major. However, if you are seriously considering changing your major, you need to schedule an appointment with your academic advisor. Your academic advisor is not only able to change your major but they also will be able to discuss what the new degree plan entails and if this is the right move for you based on your career goals. Additionally, your advisor will be able to explain how this change might affect time to graduation, and they can connect you with appropriate support resources as you look at making this transition. Bottom line, if you want to switch your major for any reason, setting up a meeting with your academic advisor is the first step before you make any decisions.
GPA and Why It Is Important
When you log in to Degree Works, there is quite a bit of information displayed. Of the most importance are the courses you have completed, the courses still remaining, and your GPA. As discussed earlier, your GPA is a calculation based on your grades and the number of credit hours each course is worth (i.e., UNIV 1101 is worth 1 credit hour). Understanding where and how your GPA originates can be a little intimidating. However, there are multiple tools available to help you when it comes to determining how specific grades will impact your GPA.
First, let’s take time to understand how GPA is calculated. Your GPA is found by dividing the quality points earned by the total credit hours attempted toward the degree. Quality points are determined by multiplying the number of credit hours assigned to the course by the number assigned to the grade for that course. Clear as mud, right? Table 1 shows grade points earned by credit hour. We will use this as we walk through a quick example of how to calculate quality points by course.
Table 1. Quality Points Associated With Credit Hours
Quality Points Per Semester Hour | |
A | 4 |
B | 3 |
C | 2 |
D | 1 |
F | 0 |
Now, you might be wondering how you tell how many credit hours a course is worth. Generally, when looking at course numbers, the first number tells you the level of the course, the second number tells you how many credit hours the course is worth, and the last two numbers are department specific to help differentiate between courses within a department. This might not be universally applied and could change. Now, let’s determine the number of quality points earned for a UNIV 1101 course. Sammy Bearkat completed UNIV 1101 for the fall semester. Sammy earned a B but is not sure how many quality points were earned toward his GPA. UNIV 1101 is worth 1 credit hour and Sammy made a B—that earns Sammy 3 quality points per semester hour. Three points per semester hour x 1 credit hour = 3, so Sammy has 3 quality points toward his GPA!
We will explore a GPA and how to calculate quality points in another activity at the end of this chapter. This may seem daunting, but there are many tools available to help you calculate a GPA—some to assist with determining your GPA by semester and others for determining how grades will affect your overall GPA (Institution and Overall). You can locate GPA calculators by visiting the SAM Center website, selecting Advisor Tools, and selecting GPA Calculators. We will explore two of these calculators in more depth at the end of this chapter.
Now why so much emphasis on a GPA? Why is this so important if you pass all of your courses? Your GPA is a key component of graduation and part of your degree requirements. In addition to everything discussed earlier about degree requirements, your Overall GPA and Institution GPA must be at a minimum 2.0 for graduation. There are some degrees that require a higher GPA—for example, at SHSU, sociology requires a 2.5 Overall GPA (Sociology, n.d.) and education degrees require a 2.75 Overall GPA for graduation (College of Education, n.d.). The catalog and your advisor can confirm if a GPA higher than 2.0 is required for your degree.
Putting It All Together for Future Success
At some point in your educational journey, life may happen, and you might find barriers or obstacles preventing the progress you had planned. It is easy to get discouraged under those circumstances, and many students struggle without addressing the problem, or they quit. Often students will leave campus without talking to anyone about the barriers they are facing, but that is exactly where your academic advisor can help! As discussed earlier, your academic advisor has a wealth of knowledge, not only about your degree plan, but also about campus resources. They can share campus resources that might help reduce or eliminate barriers standing in your way of success. Stay focused on your educational goals and meet with your academic advisor regularly to set yourself up for success.
Chapter Summary
As we worked through this chapter, we discussed ways to make advising work for you, how to understand and navigate your degree plan, how to calculate a GPA, and how to communicate professionally. So, what does this mean as you go forward? Beginning a college experience can be a daunting process. There are many moving parts that can help you to be a successful student, but there are also areas that can be challenging for a student if they are not careful. A college degree is an expensive investment in your future, so focusing on what matters and taking control of your educational journey is essential to your success. As you begin your educational journey, many will encourage you to begin with the end in mind. What does that even mean?
When considering occupations, there might be many that appeal to you, and, as you dig a little deeper, you might realize many professions require experiences and education beyond your initial bachelor's degree. For instance, becoming a doctor requires multiple educational elements, beyond a bachelor’s degree, before one is eligible to earn their license to practice medicine. Other occupations might require internships or certification exams. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) requires a specific exam before an individual can officially list themselves as an accountant on their resume. Public school teachers have internships (i.e., student teaching) and several exams to pass before applying for certification and entering a classroom to teach. Ways you can take control include working closely with your advisor and building a positive relationship with professors and other university individuals.
As we close out this chapter, the activities presented next can help prime you for a bright future in education. You will find that this chapter complements the information you read in the chapters on Career Exploration.
The following learning activities will help you extend the knowledge gained from this chapter. The relevant webpages associated with these activities are included. Completing some or all of these will help you understand your role in your educational journey and participate more effectively with your advisor.