It is that dreaded time of year that students around campus hate. We have to take time out of our already busy schedules to sit in an office and wait around for someone to tell us when we can take that random class that doesn’t pertain to our major. Yep, you guessed it — it’s time to go see our advisors.

I know that you’re busy and sitting down in an office full of strangers isn’t an appealing thought, but I recommend not waiting until the last minute. You’ll only end up screwing yourself over in the long run, because you will more than likely end up in an office full of strangers for more time than you’d like.

There’s also the fact that you won’t be able to register for classes for the upcoming semester. The advisors are the ones who hold the power to clear the registration bar that prevents you from registering. If you want to get into any good classes –meaning 9:30 a.m. or later, then you should probably go talk to someone soon, otherwise you’ll be stuck in all the 8 a.m. classes with the freshmen. Trust me when I tell you that you do not want that. Avoid it like the plague.

Another thing to take into consideration are the classes that are completely useless, but you still have to take. Make sure and ask your advisors about those classes. Ask them a million questions about these “core” classes until you’re absolutely sure of which classes you have to take and that it will count towards your degree plan. If you don’t need to take a course, don’t waste your time, or money, on it. You’ll only end up regretting it in the long run.

However, take all of this advice with a grain of salt. Up until recently, I never had a problem with the advising department. At the beginning of my senior year, I was registered to take 15 hours. I thought that everything was fine and dandy with the world, until a girl from one my classes told me that I needed to take two different courses in order to get into the senior level PR class in the spring. I would have registered for said classes had I KNOWN that I needed to take them. Since I was unaware that these classes were prerequisite, and I found out that I wouldn’t be able to take them concurrently with the senior level class, I had to rearrange my entire schedule. What upsets me the most is that I learned this information through a friend and not from an advisor.

My question is why I was never informed about the prerequisites in the first place. I mean, this is the entire purpose of getting advised, right, so what’s the problem? My goal was to graduate college in four years, and that was nearly ruined because someone wasn’t doing their job correctly. You had one job, ONE! I know that I’m quite the catch, but dang, enough is enough. I know when to leave, and this relationship is long overdue to end.

The main thing to remember when talking to an advisor is make sure to ask a million questions, that every class you’re ‘supposed’ to take is required for your major/concentration and finally make sure those classes don’t have any prerequisites. Don’t be that person that has to stay here an extra semester, or even a year, and don’t think that it hasn’t happened, because you were screwed over.