How to Prepare for an Advising Appointment

Faculty and advising staff are equipped to advise you and help you plan to register for classes. Plan to meet with your advisor during your assigned advising time and make sure you know your registration day. Communicate with your advisor ahead of time and give yourself enough time to prepare well ahead of your appointment. 

How to Prepare for your Appointment

In the days leading up to your advising appointment, start jotting down some questions to ask your advisor about topics such as fulfilling major requirements, prerequisites, class times, or questions about what you might do in a certain class next semester. Remember that you can register simultaneously for both Summer and Fall (and Winter and Spring during that cycle). 

  • Start by gathering your educational plan and reviewing requirements in the catalog corresponding to your catalog year.
  • Log on to Boxer Online and review your progress and continue adding classes to your plan.
  • Review the class schedule.
  • Create a draft of your planned schedule to have ready for review with your advisor.

Be ready for your appointment at least 10 minutes before you are scheduled to begin.  

Appointment Options

In addition to in-person meetings, many advisors schedule Zoom and phone appointments with students throughout the year, and for a variety of reasons. Zoom appointments may be the easiest way to connect with your advisor. 

In Person Appointment

  • Confirm with your advisor first that they are available for an in person advising meeting.
  • Consider wearing a face covering/mask that covers your mouth and your nose.
  • Bring any materials you may need and decide whether you want to print them and bring them, or have them ready on your computer.
  • If you are bringing a laptop or a tablet make sure it's fully charged.  You may or may not have WiFi access from the meeting location so plan accordingly. 
  • Double check the appointment location and give yourself an extra few minutes. 

Zoom or Video Chat Appointment

Consider your environment if you plan to do a Zoom or video chat with your advisor. If you do not feel comfortable, do not do it. Keep your camera on if that works for both of you, or just switch to audio only using the platform.

  • Decide if this appointment type is right for you and your advisor. Some options could include Zoom or Google.
  • One benefit of a video chat could be screen sharing on Zoom. 
  • You can ask your advisor to share their screen share so that both you are viewing the same thing at the same time. 
  • Make sure you take notes. 
  • Wear earbuds! This will reduce noise and free up your hands to take notes. 
  • If your Internet connection is slow or lagging, consider another option.

Phone Appointment

  • Share your phone number with your advisor ahead of time, and confirm your number with them.
  • Make sure you know who will make the call and who will wait for the other person to call them. It is best to confirm this in advance as well.
  • Be aware of the time (and timezone differences) that the appointment will be held. 
  • Try to have access to a computer in a quiet space during the appointment.
  • Wear headphones! This will reduce noise and free up your hands to take notes. 
  • Have something to take down notes and questions during the appointment. 
  • Consider asking for a follow-up email so that you and your advisor can be on the same page about a topic, especially if it is a specific detail. 
  • Double check that your advisor has cleared you for registration.

Email Appointment

You might consider doing an email appointment for a back and forth conversation in writing with your advisor. This is also useful as a follow up to an earlier Zoom or in person meeting. This may be a good option if you are concerned about access to phone or WiFi for a 30-minute appointment. You will need to be detail-oriented if you choose this method. In your email, you should include a proposed class schedule, a list of at least 2-3 questions, and when you plan to graduate. The more specific the question, the better! Make sure to ask your advisor if they have cleared you for registration. 

Online Advising Resources

  • Catalog | Look up degree requirements and courses. This is a helpful place to view prerequisites at a glance. 
  • Advising Handbook | A resource hub of tips and tricks for advising in your major. 
  • Boxer Online, which includes:
    • The upcoming class schedule
    • Your registration date and time
    • Any holds you might have. Please check and resolve these to avoid late registration.
    • Videos and instructions on how to use BoxerOnline are available. 

If you would like additional support or have questions about advising, please contact Academic & Career Advising at advisingcenter@pacificu.edu

Contact Us

Academic & Career Advising 
advisingcenter@pacificu.edu