The start of a new school year, especially for students that are just beginning their college journey, can be rough. Emotions and stress run rapidly through the minds of the people that are completely new to this experience. Fortunately for them, they have access to academic advisors all year round. Located on the second floor of the Student Services Center, advisors are there to make the college experience somewhat less stressful for students. "I like helping and seeing people go from start to finish" proclaimed Brad Swenson, an academic advisor at Bloomsburg University. Students often go back to Mr. Swenson before they graduate to say thank you for helping them with making college life easier on them. Advisors at Bloomsburg are here to assist students with a variety of things. Whether students need to change their schedule or need guidance with their major, advisors always take them in with open arms.
 |
| Figure 1 |
Although Mr. Swenson has a bachelors degree in Elementary Education, teaching younger children is not where his heart is set. He picked up a job at the Carnegie Science center after his student teaching. He proclaimed that "the science center helped me realize that I liked working in an education arena, I just didn't want the small box." Later on, he attended grad school at IUP to receive his masters. While there, he worked in residence life. That life was not ideal for him, saying that it was tough having "your job as your home and your home as your job." He then learned to work with athletes by working at the University of Charleston in West Virginia, where 85% of the freshman students on campus were on a sports roster. Here at Bloomsburg University, Mr. Swenson works with both undeclared students and student-athletes. Each advisor in the office has experience with every type of student.
 |
| Figure 2 |
Going to the office is simple and the wonderful people there make it as stress-free as possible. You can either set up an appointment or just walk-in. Once you walk in, you're immediately greeted with a smile by the office assistant at the front desk. The small front room is where you can sign in and wait for your advisor, with a table with magazines in the corner to keep you occupied. The advisor will come and greet you in the front, then take you back to their office. When walking to the office, you are greeted by a relaxing room with a small couch and coffee table (Figure 1) Each office is connected to that little common area. Mr. Swenson's office is quite bigger than some of the others. the desk is large, and there is a small couch in the back of the room. To add to the calming nature of the office, there is also a small waterfall machine to add a relaxing white noise to the background (Figure 2).
Once you get seated, your advisor will bring up your schedule and ask you about how your classes are going. A conversation will spark regarding your interests and hobbies and how you are doing in your current classes. Every question you have, you will be provided with an answer, even if it's just pointing you in the right direction. They listen to your interests and make you feel like you are not just another student. The busiest days are during the first week of classes when Mr. Swenson said he would typically see around 40-48 students per day. Overall, the academic advisors are there throughout your entire college process to guide and help you with your every need.
No comments:
Post a Comment