Issue date: 1/23/09 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Evan Andrews [Click to enlarge]

Surviving a bad adviser is tough. It is difficult to imagine the number of troubles a bad adviser can bring on college students, and these troubles magnify with graduate students. The general misconception when we enter college is that all advisers are there to help students and will do everything they can to help a student graduate on time in the easiest possible way. Unfortunately for students, advisers who are capable of transforming a college experience into a nightmare do exist.

There is nothing worse than bearing the brunt of someone else's irresponsibility. That is what happens to many unfortunate students who naively thought they would graduate on time, only to find they have to stay in college an extra semester to take a single class. It is infuriating to hear an adviser tell you nonchalantly your graduation has to be delayed because the requirements of graduation have not been met. All of this comes despite meeting with the adviser frequently to make sure all the required classes are covered. It is hard to figure out why someone would, at the last minute when nothing can be done, say it is impossible to graduate on time, knowing how desperately students want to graduate.

Quite a few students in college are undecided on what they want to do and consequently switch majors. There are many cases in which advisers wrongly advise students in this process.

"My friend had a tough time with her adviser," said Daniel Woodie, a junior biology major. "She wanted to change her major from biology to psychology, and the adviser did not know which credits could be transferred. After she took the classes, the adviser informed her that those credits were not transferrable."

It is preferable for them to tell students they don't know the procedure instead of giving students incorrect advice.

Some advisers are always busy and don't seem to have the time to do what they are supposed to do: advise. It is frustrating to go to an adviser and be told that they are busy and to come back later, when they will probably be busy again. So much for advisers always being there to listen and help out.

Bad advisers cost time and thousands of dollars, so it is no wonder that students trust them to be responsible and competent. Responsibility and competency on minor issues, like which classes a student should take, is not rocket science. Will Chambers, a senior history major, had one such bad experience.

Continued...

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