Theatre VCU students I ADVISE you to read this... oh so clever... a pun...

Theatre Advising Day!
A Guest Blog post by Shaun M. McCracken, Academic Advisor to the Stars*
(*star status pending)

The weather is turning, the leaves are changing, and our students are emoting at a fever pitch!  That can mean only one thing in TheatreVCU-land…it’s almost time for Theatre Advising Day!

Now for some strange reason, academic advising makes students nervous.  But contrary to popular belief, advisors do not require bribes for good class selection.  Nor do we have poison-tipped nails…or great big teeth (Monty Python reference—ha!)  Seeing your advisor is a chance for you to check in with your departmental advisor, make sure you’re progressing in your degree, and see how you’re doing in your tech or performance classes.  But if you’re STILL nervous, here are some tips to help make advising run more smoothly:

1). Print out all important/required materials BEFORE your scheduled appointment!  All Theatre Advisors are requiring that students have a copy of their degree audit with them when they attend their advising sessions—don’t forget it!  If you don’t remember how to get your degree audit:

• 1) Log on to eServices.
• 2). Click the “Student” tab.
• 3). Select the “Student Records” option.
• 4). Select “Degree Evaluation”.
• 5). Select the term (it will usually be the upcoming semester, i.e. Fall 2010). Then click “Submit”.
• 6). You will see your current degree information (major, concentration, year started, etc.)—look at   the bottom of the screen and click “Generate New Evaluation”.
• 7). Select your program and click “Generate Request”.
• 8). You will see 2 options (General Requirements and Detail Requirements)—select “Detail Requirements” and click “Submit”

2). Write down a list of questions for your advisor BEFORE your meeting!  How many times have you met with your advisor and then realized you forgot to ask 20 things that you REALLY needed the answers to??  Avoid the stress and confusion…and keep your appointment moving quickly and efficiently! 

3). Know when you’re going to register…and make sure you don’t have any holds!  Your advisor should have a copy of the Spring Registration Schedule, but why not be proactive and look up the date yourself?  You can find the schedule here:  http://www.enrollment.vcu.edu/rar/docs/1011_advance_reg_date.pdf
Then do yourself a HUGE favor and check your eServices account to make sure you don’t have any holds that might prevent you from registering.

4). Find the balance.  The best way to create a schedule is to put in your required Theatre classes first (make sure you have the absolutely necessary Performance or Tech classes, and then see if you can’t add in one of your Theatre “core” classes)—then fill out the rest of your schedule with General Education classes.  Remember that Theatre students should be taking 15-16 credits each semester to stay “on track” with their degree progress. 

5). Know the registration “secret”.  When you look at the available courses for next semester, you will see a five-digit number in blue printed in a column on the left (in eServices).  That number is the Course Reference Number (the CRN) and it will unlock a TON of extra information.  Want to know if a class has major or class restrictions?  Click on the CRN!  Want to register super-fast the morning of registration?  Write down the CRN’s for all of your classes!  When the system “opens” for you (at 8am), you can literally just go to the Add or Drop Classes screen; type in all of your CRNs; click Submit Changes; and register for ALL of your classes in one easy step!  Do yourself a favor and double-check to be sure all of your classes are still open the night before you register—and then verify that you were able to add all of your classes the morning of registration.

6). Be flexible!  You already know that your Theatre classes have set times and days of the week—and there really isn’t any changing on those.  But if you try to be flexible with your General Education classes, you will find yourself to be a lot less stressed.  If you only give yourself one option for a General Education class, and that class isn’t open, then of course you’re going to freak out when things don’t go your way! 

7). Talk to other students about good professors and good classes…NOT about which classes fulfill which requirements!  Yes, getting input from your peers is important.  No one knows better than someone who has taken a class how much work will be involved.  But PLEASE (your advisor is begging on her hands and knees here), do NOT (under any circumstances) check with your friends to see which class will fulfill which requirement!  Different students follow different requirements, depending on what year they started.  A class that fulfills a requirement for one student will do absolutely nothing for someone else.  Don’t waste your academic time needlessly.  If you’re concerned or you have a question about a class—ask your advisor!


So be organized, be smart, be flexible…but more than anything else—HAVE FUN!!  You have a half hour of your advisor’s undivided attention…enjoy it!

Thank you Ms. McCracken!!!