Adventures in Academic Advising

Most people reading this blog know that my out-of-the-house job is that of the Academic Advisor. It may not sound like the world's most amusing profession, but often, 18-22 year olds will give you a lot to laugh about (or roll your eyes, or make statements that start with "when I was in school...") There are the students who desperately try to get out of a 9AM class because "that's just so early." Really? If I just had to make it to work by 9AM every morning, I would feel like I'd been given a gift. Wait until they have children (statement not meant to frighten the friends mentioned in my previous post who are awaiting the birth of their firstborn). One student, a few weeks ago, used this method to try to pick a class: "Which classes don't have final exams?" His parents must be proud. Today, I had a very earnest, sincere student who asked me what he could do with a degree in Social Studies. Hmm. Tough one. While it is completely true that employers highly value a broad liberal arts education, and that, rather than qualifying you for a specific profession, Social Studies allows you to do all kinds of things, the student looked at me as if he interpreted my response as "not much." Two days ago, a student told me that she didn't want to take any classes where she had to learn "a lot of facts." Truth be told, though, for each funny story, I have at least a couple experiences where students are excited about the possibilities of the future, are creative in their pursuits, seeking God's voice in their decisions, and are thinking globally. Just don't ask them to do it before 11AM.