Meeting with Your Advisor

As a student, you play an essential role in the academic advising process. It is your responsibility to monitor your academic progress and seek advising on a regular basis. Advisors can help you develop educational plans compatible with your career and life goals, and assist you in completing your chosen program quickly and successfully. To make the most of your advising sessions, you need to prepare for the sessions by taking the following steps:

Before Seeing Your Advisor

• Set up an appointment with your advisor.  It is a good idea to meet with an advisor every semester and to schedule your appointment early in the semester.   This appointment is in addition to your  "advising appointment to select courses" for the following semester.

•  Review your ACE - Academic Curriculum Evaluation, available through myUM. Your ACE report explains your progress toward your degree. If you do not have a current copy of your ACE report, you can access and print out this report at myUM.miami.edu, once you have signed on, click "Student" then choose "Academic" from the drop-down menu.  Under "Course Registration Information" click "Degree Audit (ACE)."

• Write down any questions and concerns that you have about your ACE, and bring these questions and your ACE to your advising session.  Please see the ACE 101 pdf document for help reading your ACE.

• For a list of courses and their descriptions, please visit our Course Offerings page.

• Review the UM Bulletin online under "Quick Links" at www.miami.edu. The Bulletin from the year you entered UM explains all of the University and departmental requirements for all degrees.

At Your Advising Session

• Bring your ACE and your questions.

• Establish a target graduation date in consultation with your advisor.

• Work with your advisor to establish a program of study and an outline of the classes that you plan to take in the next 2 or 3 semesters.

• Ask any and all additional questions that you might have. Your advisor can help you best when you explain your academic/career goals and concerns.

• Keep notes from your advising meetings to remind you about what was discussed.  These periodic advising meetings will better prepare you for your "advising appointments to select courses."

Follow Up

• If you have questions, and are an upper-class student, contact the: 
             Center for Student Academic Services at 305-284-4333.  
  If you are a first year student, contact the:
             Center for Freshman Advising at 305-284-3437. 

• Take charge of your academic progress! Advising is an important tool, but you are ultimately responsible for your success.

• The Center for Student Academic Services can help you achieve academic success!