Ask the advisor

Q: So what's the big deal about academic advising? Why is it so important?\nA: Because IU is so big! Because IU has so many options! Because IU has so many rules and requirements! Because every Bulletin contains about a million words (in very tiny print)! Because a poorly informed decision can result in the loss of much time, money and effort! Because IU needs you as much as you need IU! Because sometimes you just don't know who to ask! Because it's always good to have someone on your side rooting for you! Because it's always nice to sit and talk to a real person who will make time for you!\nNavigating the complexities of IU is not an easy thing to do, so it's helpful to have someone working with you to help you keep yourself on track. If you read and translated everything and learned every single detail about the business of being a successful student at IUB, you'd ... well, you'd have my job, and would have no time left over to be a student. That's where academic advisors come in. We help relieve some of the burden and remove some of the stress and anxiety. We give you time to focus on your academics, your growth and development, and your plans and goals. Staying in regular contact with your advisor helps you meet important deadlines, make good decisions and complete all requirements in a timely manner.\nThis week's tips: \nRead the Enrollment Bulletin (or, at the very least, the first nine pages, back cover and inside of the front cover). It was mailed or delivered to your local address during spring recess. It includes the dates and deadlines and basic details you need to prepare for fall enrollment. If you didn't get one, correct your local address through OneStart Self-Service (so you will get the next one) and access the information online at registrar.indiana.edu. Save the Bulletin as a reference until the beginning of the next spring term.\nWhen you access your Enrollment Appointment for Fall 2005, you will notice an "End Date/Time" field that suggests you must complete enrollment by 10:30 p.m. April 29. That date is the end of the Early Enrollment period. While I strongly recommend you enroll before that time, you can still enroll and/or make changes to your schedule through OneStart Self-Service until the end of the first week of classes in the fall.\nIf you started at IU before Fall 2004, you will have a little more work to do before you meet with your advisor to plan for fall. The old IUCARE reports you used in the past are no longer current. We're working on the replacement, but it's taking some time to perfect the new system. This means a little more manual work -- comparing your transcript to tab sheets and Bulletins and old IUCARE reports to see which requirements you still have left to fulfill.\nAnd, finally, plan ahead! Advising appointments fill up quickly at this time of year.