It is perhaps the most dreaded question for students: the choice of the label that will be branded on resumes, be inquired about upon future introductions and become permanent adult conversation fodder — "What's your major?"
Although some students come to Tufts knowing exactly what they want to do for the rest of their lives, many sport the double−edged sword of "undecided" — not committed to a course of study, but delaying the fulfillment of major requirements. For students in the School of Arts and Sciences, this period of freedom comes to an end sophomore year, when they must choose a mentor for their remaining time at Tufts. Engineering students, however, make the decision much earlier.
Each incoming undergraduate is assigned an academic advisor prior to matriculation, and many engineering students choose to stick with these advisors, according to Laura Doane, program director of advising and scholarships. In contrast, the majority of Arts and Sciences students select different advisors when they declare their major.
"Students choose an advisor in their area of concentration when declaring a major, before the end of the first year in Engineering or before the middle of the fourth semester for students in Arts and Sciences," Doane told the Daily in an e−mail. "This advisor is the person who clears you for registration and signs paperwork."
With the deadline looming, many in the school of Arts and Sciences are faced with a difficult decision: Whom to choose? And, moreover, how to court the professor you have your eye on?
"Many students approach a faculty member with whom they have taken a class," Doane said. "Some also meet with a faculty member whom they have not met before but who teaches courses or has published works in a particular area of the student's interest."
An advisor is meant to be an academic resource, guiding students on how best to chart the course of their education, according to Doane.
"Ideally the academic advisor — or advisors, if you have more than one disciplinary concentration — acts as a touchstone for the students. They assist you in finding the resources to make the most of your college career, including, of course, the classes best suited to your interests and needs," she said.
All full−time professors are technically available to take on advisees, according to Doane, although some will decline an inquiry if they already advise too many students or are planning to leave the university.
"If you ask someone to be your advisor who is unable to do so, she or he will usually suggest another member of the department who might be a good fit," Doane said.
Part−time faculty, visiting lecturers and graduate students are not allowed to serve as advisors. Eligibility can easily be determined by checking with the department coordinator or by simply asking the instructor in question.
Much like beginning a romantic relationship, it is important for a student to make sure that he or she shares interests and expectations with his or her academic advisor before becoming seriously involved, Associate Professor of Biology Harry Bernheim said.
"If the student's and prospective advisor's academic interests mesh, then that instructor would be a good choice to be that student's advisor," he said. "If students had an instructor for a course they liked then that instructor would be an attractive choice for a student."
Doane suggested that getting to know a professor early on, before deciding whether they would make a satisfactory advisor, is probably the best way to find a professor that matches your needs.
"I recommend talking to faculty members with whom you take classes — or would like to take future classes — as often and as early as possible," Doane said. "Learn more about your fields of interest from the folks who have made it their careers; that's what office hours are for."
When choosing an advisor, students should keep in mind, Doane said, that different professors might have different ideas about the role of an academic advisor.
"It's important to be clear about your hopes for an advising relationship. Do you want to meet with someone regularly to chat about your co−curricular involvements and how they relate to your overall academic progress? Do you have other support structures for that type of conversation and really just want to check in once a semester about course selections?" she said. "Remember, this relationship is primarily about your academic progress, in class and out."
While it may sound easy to select and woo an advisor, the process can be as stressful as the dreaded search for a high school prom date, sophomore Marissa Gallerani said.
"I didn't know how to structure the conversation with [potential advisors]," she said. "I'm planning on going to the end of [one of my professor's] office hours tomorrow and hopefully asking him then."
Gallerani, who plans on double majoring in political science and French, did not seriously start searching for a political science advisor until this past fall, but easily found the right match for her French concentration.
"They were teachers that I knew very well or had at least developed personal relationships with," Gallerani said. "I felt comfortable talking with them about a variety of issues, mainly academic."
One thing to keep in mind when selecting an advisor, Bernheim said, is that a student's relationship with an advisor does not need to end when the student's undergraduate career does.
"I have students from 30 years ago that I still hear from and see," Bernheim said. "Nothing is nicer than to have an advisee who graduated a while ago drop by and talk about how their life turned out. Also, it is very nice when a student I helped advise a generation ago comes back to Tufts with their children who are planning on applying to Tufts and asks questions about the school."
