Advising time of year in Tea at the Cabin in the Woods

All the students are pulling out the schedule and going over the courses for next spring. I have posted a sign-up sheet for advising outside my office door. Somehow the students who need to have a sit down and go over the courses to be prepared to graduate never seem to come in and the ones who are doing well are always the first ones on the sheets.

With all the changes to the college this year, my load of advisees is up to 45. All the Sociology majors are on my roster as well as the Social Work minors - added to my Psychology majors - so I need to know not just the requirements for my students but also the other programs.

A young woman sat with me today and told me she hopes to become a mental health counselor but didn’t know for sure. We went through the courses, found a nice mix that will allow her some courses in the major, but I also wanted allow her to get a look into philosophy and social work. First years, freshman, have ideas but usually haven’t really thought through all the possibilities in front of them. It would have been easy to put her into all my classes and concentrate only on Psychology - but that just doesn’t seem like the best plan. I want the students to be well rounded and have a lot of experiences so they can make informed choices about their futures.

Another young lady sat with me and told me she has changed her major or rather her double major, for the third time. She began as an Education major, then went to communications and now it’s computer science along with her Psychology major. I asked her why she keeps changing. Her reply, “My brother doesn’t think there will be enough jobs for the other majors and that I should major in something where there is a future.” I was dumbfounded. She was adopted by grandparents when she was three and when they died her brother adopted her. He has been her main support since she was 10 and will do about anything he says. I asked her what she wanted to do. She said it didn’t matter. So, I pressed her. She really wants to be a film maker - documentaries about the plights of kids to help raise awareness of homelessness, adoption options and not forgetting about the forgotten. It isn’t my place to say, but her brother, although well meaning, is squashing her. I hope she gets to do what she wants at some point.

Need to get some papers graded. Maybe one of these young people will get to do what their heart desires.