Academic or Career Concerns

Filled Classes 

Many classes, especially prerequisite classes, tend to fill up quickly. Students who need a particular class often get upset when they unsuccessfully attempt to register for the class.

DO

  1. Refer students to BANWEB to look for an alternative class that meets their needs.
  2. Refer students to the appropriate Academic Department
  3. Refer students to the appropriate school or departmental undergraduate advisors.

Changing Majors

Students tend to change majors a number of times as undergraduates. Some majors at Michigan Tech may be declared as late as the first quarter of the junior year and still allow the student to graduate in four years, while other majors require an earlier decision because of particular requirements. Academic advisors in the Schools and Colleges can help a student appraise the fit between the course work and his/her major and determine a realistic time frame for the major. If a student is considering changing majors, they should arrange to meet with the academic advisor of the major they are considering. . Career counselors at Career Services can help the student evaluate whether the selected major will allow him/her to be competitive in a chosen career or graduate program.

DO

  1. Advise students to read major requirements in the Michigan Tech Course Catalog.
  2. Refer students to the appropriate departmental undergraduate advisors and website.
  3. Recommend the MyPlan computer program at Career Services to help a student establish preliminary ideas of compatible majors.
  4. Refer students to Career Services (906) 487-2313 or career@mtu.edu

Academic Advisor

Many students will at some point need to speak with their school or departments academic advisor for assistance. The following are some of the reasons a students should meet with an academic advisor. A student is:

DO

  1. Experiencing a crisis or emergency affecting academic progress.
  2. Considering repeating a course for the first or second time.
  3. Considering a withdrawal from a course.
  4. Inquiring about an intercampus visitor application or transferring credit from another college or university.
  5. In need of athletic eligibility.
  6. Inquiring about registration blocks and/or academic probation.
  7. Interested in learning about different majors and/or minors.

Co-Curricular Activities

Employers tend to favor students who have the combination of education and work-related experience. While enrolled at Michigan Tech, students have many opportunities to supplement their education with experience.

DO

  1. Recommend that the student consider taking a leadership role in student activities. The Office of Student Activities can help students get involved in activities and offers leadership programs like HuskyLead and LeaderShape that can provide a structured way for students to gain leadership experience. http://www.sa.mtu.edu/stulife/stuactivities.html
  2. Refer the student to the co-op and internships listed in HuskyJOBS.
  3. Recommend that students search “local jobs” on the Career Center website for part-time or seasonal jobs that will increase their level of experience. http://www.career.mtu.edu/students/jobpostings.php

Career Concerns

Many students enter Michigan Tech without a career direction and may benefit from career exploration, which can occur in a variety of ways such as career advising, career testing, internships, career classes and career workshops. Some start to approach this transition by gathering information and exploring options as freshmen, sophomores, and juniors while others wait until their senior year. As students approach graduation, they may experience a sense of fear about the prospect of leaving school and getting a career position or selecting a graduate school. The campus offers many resources that may facilitate the transition to graduate school or to a career position.

DO

  1. Inform the student about UN 2525 - Career Development Foundations, a one-credit career development and planning class. .
  2. Refer the student to HuskyJOBS. All employers seeking to hire students for part-time jobs while they are enrolled, or for full-time jobs post graduation, list their jobs here.
  3. Advise the student that Career Services has an on-line career testing program.
  4. Recommend that the student visit the Career Services or refer the student to a career counselor at Career Services (906) 487-2313
  5. Refer the student to http://www.career.mtu.edu/
  6. Refer the student to the alumni mentoring program to identify a mentor who may be able to provide professional experience in their area.

Additional Opportunities

Many undergraduates explore the option of graduate school in their junior and senior years.

DO

  1. Suggest to the student that s/he peruse www.kaplan.com and www.princetonreview.com for on-line resources.
  2. Refer the student to workshops and events related to graduate school at Career Services.

References

This page was adapted with permission from material developed by the University of California, Santa Barbara.