Responsibilities of the Student Advisee

The most important thing that students should recognize is that they are ultimately responsible for their own educational experience at Bridgewater College.  To help you with this responsibility, the list below will help you successfully progress through your educational experience at Bridgewater College.

It is the responsibility of the student advisee to:

• Know the academic policies and procedures that impact your educational experience. Academic policies and procedures are available in the eagle student handbook and the academic catalog.  These materials should be the first place students go for information.
• Monitor your own progress toward degree completion.Students are responsible for making satisfactory progress toward degree completion, which involves knowing the degree requirements, general education requirements and major requirements. Also helpful in monitoring progress is learning how to conduct a degree audit on WebAdvisor (see your academic advisor or the College registrar for details.)
• Prepare, in advance, for course planning meetings with your academic advisor. Prior to meeting with one's advisor, the student should do some preliminary course planning (See the registrar's webpage for assistance.)  Be sure to take planning notes and course planning worksheet from WebAdvisor to the meeting along with specific questions you have about course planning or the overall educational experience.
• Make the most of your educational experience.  Courses are one important part of a student's educational experience but consider augmenting that experience by taking advantage of other educational opportunities available on campus (e.g., service-learning, internships, independent research, study abroad or travel courses, honors program) or other off-campus activities that will further help integrate knowledge with practice [e.g., summer jobs specific to your field, mission trips, summer science Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs)].  Another aspect of enriching the educational experience is getting to know faculty members.  Take time to talk with faculty about aspects of a course that one has an interest in, their research endeavors, thoughts about a convocation the faculty member attended, etc.  Remember all faculty members, including but not exclusively the academic advisor, can serve as a mentor, useful informational resource and, of course, a reference for future graduate school and job applications.
• Create a four-year educational plan.In collaboration with the academic advisor develop a four-year educational plan that not only includes general education and major coursework but also other learning experiences (e.g., internships) that the student wants as part of the educational experience and goals that the student has set during the time at Bridgewater College. Although this plan can begin to be formed during the student's first year, generally it is solidified with the academic advisor during the sophomore year when the student completes the Plan of Major.  Know that this plan can be changed over time but it is the official road map to making progress toward degree completion and having a successful experience at Bridgewater College.
• Develop a four-year career action plan. Working with career services and your advisor, identify specific yearly tasks that will help identify career interests (See four-year career action plan.)
• Get acquainted with resources available to students.There are many resources to assist the student throughout the educational experience.  The best place to begin to review these resources is to read the eagle student handbook and review the student life webpage.  Also, if the student is not quite sure what resource would be most helpful in a given situation, consult the academic advisor.
• Become an engaged student.  Be the student that comes to classes prepared and having thought critically about the content. Actively participate in the class by asking questions and contributing to discussion or small group activities. Also be the student that engages in the larger Bridgewater College community in a variety of ways. Engaged community members attend convocations each semester, participate in a student club or organization or play a sport and attend eagle production or athletic events.
• Become a successful student. Successful students learn or refine current study strategies to effectively learn classroom content. If students do not possess these strategies, they should seek assistance from the academic advisor and academic support services. Successful students also integrate the knowledge they are learning into their daily lives, share this knowledge with others and act on their curiosity by seeking out further information. In essence, successful students become lifelong learners.
• Maintain regular contact and communicate with your academic advisor.  A student's academic advisor is the guide to a successful educational experience.  Students should maintain regular contact with their advisors, learning your office location, office hours and contact information as soon as possible.