Academic Advising

Advising Reflection Questions

Some questions to consider for advising appointments, adapted from an Advising Examen by Julie O’Hara

What is most on your mind today, this week, month, semester?
How are you getting involved and connecting on campus?
How supported do you feel on and off campus from family, friends, faculty, and staff?
What are you doing to take care of your mental and physical health?
Are you getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising?
Do you need help with food, transportation, clothing, health care, safety or other needs?
What are you most excited and hopeful about for the future?
What are you most concerned about?

Academics

What interests you in your major and why?
Are you considering changing your major? If so, why?
Are you considering a minor, double-major, or study abroad option? What interests you in this pursuit?
What classes are you enjoying or learning the most from?
What are you struggling with or what might you dislike about your classes?
Do you know how to use DegreeWorks to track degree progress?
Are you on track to graduate?
Which courses are you planning to take in the next semester or two?
What are you planning for your summers and how they can help you progress?
What do you see as barriers to your success?
What are your strengths and resources to support your success?

What internships, research, service opportunities, or travel have you done at Xavier?
Which ones would you like to pursue and why?
Can you tell me about any new skills you would like to gain? (For example, language skills, coding, writing, social media, math, creative expression, research, etc.)
What ways to serve the world’s needs bring you the most joy? Where do you feel called to use your gifts, talents, and experiences to contribute to the greater good?

What are you considering for your post-graduate work or future career?
What are you doing to gain experience in post-graduate work or build your resume? Are you shadowing or volunteering?
Have you visited the Career Development Office yet? Have you taken any of their career or self assessments?
Have you transitioned from a high school to a college resume? If not, please see the Career Development Office to have them help.
Do you feel supported in your career exploration/development? How can Xavier better support you in career exploration and achievement?
Do you have a professional network or mentor to connect you to your future goals? Have you participated in any mentoring programs, such as the Professional or Flash mentoring offered by Career Development?