<p>I just did a search through Columbia Spectator achives for "major advising" and the articles were mostly negative. Now, I'm a first-year, and has had a couple meetings with my FYSAAC dean/adviser person. Not very helpful, but at least he's a nice guy.<br>
BUT, I'm worried about are the department advisers. From the Spec, seems like History, English, Econ, POli Sci (maybe all the big departments) are just awful. Very little information on the other departments. I would be very gratefu if anyone who has already declared his or her major (or the parent of a student who has) can talk about their experiences. I mean, it's not like I can transfer, but I'm very curious; if one department is inexcusably awful, that just helps shorten my list of potential majors.</p>
<p>the advising is terrible....your best bet is to talk to older students in your major and they will know the ins and outs of the major and will be more willing to tell you than any "advisor" can.....also, take the FYSAAC's advice with a grain of salt....they dont really know very much and dont really keep up with changes even though i guess thats what they get paid for....go figure.</p>
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our best bet is to talk to older students in your major and they will know the ins and outs of the major and will be more willing to tell you than any "advisor" can
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<p>Great advice. Don't take advice from the bureaucrats. Upperclassmen are the best resource around--and they're always willing to help out without you having to make an "appointment."</p>
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also, take the FYSAAC's advice with a grain of salt....they dont really know very much and dont really keep up with changes even though i guess thats what they get paid for....go figure.
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<p>The problem is that they don't get paid very much. You get what you pay for. The people have no training and experience, and the positions have very high turnover. There's new people coming and going all the time.</p>
<p>Agreed FYSAAC is abysmal for all the reasons mentioned. Ironically, advising gets better as one has been at Columbia longer and already knows the ins and outs...</p>
<p>My advice is not to worry about which majors have better set advising programs. What you should be doing in whatever major you choose is seeking out professors with whom you can have a close relationship- preferably someone who's going to stick around and isn't a lowly adjunct...ideally someone with influence in the department and intimate knowledge of its protocols. This person will be more than an advisor for you; they be able to recommend you for awards and write recommendations.</p>
<p>My son has gotten a lot of advice from upperclassmen. He also found his FYSAAC advisor useless in terms of course advice, though I don't think he made contact more than once. (She was fine, however, when he had mono, in that she promptly sent out e-mails to his profs.)</p>
<p>What columbia2007 is suggesting is great advice but is hard to pull off in the huge departments, like econ, where even the upper level classes are large and you probably won't get a seminar until senior year. His advisor in the department knows a lot, but is extremely busy and businesslike, and not someone with whom he is likely to form a close relationship. I think this might be one reason why my son has kept going with an additional concentration that is a smaller and friendlier department. </p>
<p>An additional suggestion, in terms of getting advice from other students, is to check out whether or not there is a student club in the field. (Like a math students association, physics student association) These are often good places to meet older students, to chat with professors in more informal situations and show interest in their work, etc.</p>
<p>Also, I think it took my son a while to feel comfortable taking the initiative to contact professors. But I can report that each time he has, they have been responsive.</p>
<p>As a sophomore transfer, I for some reason have an Advisor in the Junior-Senior Advising Center. I've found my advisor to be really helpful and very timely with any of my requests or problems. Will I be sorely disappointed once I actually get to campus?</p>
<p>It may be that there's an advisor who is assigned transfers. (I know, for example, that general studies students have their own advising and that it is generally very good.) If your advisor has been really helpful so far, I see no reason why that would stop once you get to campus. So, don't worry.</p>
<p>I have a feeling that my son gave up his advisor as useless partly based on the general feeling around campus that the advising center isn't much help. He met with his advisor only once and never bothered to go back, so he really didn't test his assumptions.</p>
<p>Yes, the transfer advisors are more helpful in general because they've got more experienced and are trained to deal with more complex problems. Also, JSAAC is better than FYSAAC by a mile.</p>