What to expect in an academic advising appointment

Julie Headings
Thu, 11 Jun 2026 02:20:07 +0000
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A student meets with faculty advisor Cara Lawson to discuss plans for the upcoming semester during an advising appointment. Credit: Julie Headings | Lantern Reporter

Devyn Dubose, a first-year exercise science student, remembers meeting with her academic advisor during orientation at Ohio State.?

Months later, Dubose has not scheduled another meeting.?

For students like Dubose, the challenge is not that these appointments lack value, but that they are unsure where to begin. Knowing how to schedule an advising appointment and what happens in a meeting can help students understand what to expect.?

While advising appointments are not required after orientation, they can help students stay on track for graduation.?

Every student is assigned an academic advisor during orientation, but the type of advisor they actually go to for scheduling may vary depending on major, college, department, academic goals or athletic involvement.?

Students exploring majors or needing additional guidance may work with University Exploration advisors, while others meet with their faculty or professional advisors, said Kyle Gilbert, academic advisor in University Exploration.?

Here are the types of advisors at Ohio State.

The best way to schedule a meeting with an academic advisor is to email or call them by using the information provided by OnCourse, said Nicole Vangas, advising manager in University Exploration.?

“We like to remind students to take care of any holds placed on their account prior to scheduling an appointment to ensure that they don’t encounter barriers when going to schedule,” Vangas said.?

After scheduling a meeting, students should check for any prerequisites and GE classes needed to fulfill graduation requirements, Gilbert said.?

Gilbert said that advising meetings typically involve helping students plan courses, discuss degree requirements and graduation progress. Advisors may also show students how to utilize Buckeye Degree Planner and Schedule Planner to schedule on their own.?

Students can expect meetings to last up to 30 minutes. Meetings can be a simple check-in or a more in-depth discussion, depending on what they hope to accomplish, said Cara Lawson, assistant professor of agricultural communication and faculty advisor.?

“The most common reason that students meet with me is to talk about classes. I see a lot of students before their registration window opens,” Lawson said.?

Lawson said students who come prepared tend to get the most out of their advising appointments.?

“The most effective meetings are when a student has reviewed degree requirements and comes in with ideas that they have,” Lawson said.

For second-year computer science student Annie Shaji, an advising appointment with her professional advisor is a key part of her routine each semester.?

“I like to meet with my advisor at least once a semester to ensure I am going to be graduating when I want to,” Shaji said.?

Shaji said that having a supportive relationship with her advisor makes her advising appointments more meaningful and productive.?

“My advisor helps me a lot during these meetings. She is always willing to help and is very understanding, especially when I don’t know something,” Shaji said.??

Gilbert said that the purpose of advising is to help students feel more confident in utilizing resources like degree planner and schedule planner.

“We [advisors] want students to feel comfortable coming to us with any questions they have,” Gilbert said.

Those meetings can provide a sense of direction for students like Shaji. “It is nice coming out of a meeting with my advisor, having a better idea of what I want to accomplish during the semester and knowing that I am on the right track,” Shaji said.?

Understanding how to schedule an appointment and what to expect in a meeting can help students make better use of academic advising at Ohio State.