Academic advising is a key component to student success at Lehigh University. Therefore, it is important to maintain regular contact with your advisor and meet with them at least once a semester. You should come to your advising meetings prepared. To make the best use of your and your advisor’s time, the following are some suggested steps to take before meeting with your advisor.

 

✔ STEP #1: Schedule the meeting.

Schedule a meeting with your advisor in advance; it is difficult (and sometimes impossible) to schedule a same-day appointment, as advisors’ schedules tend to book up, especially around registration dates. If you do not know who your advisor is, log into connect.lehigh.edu and click on Student Profile to see your advisor’s information.

 

✔ STEP #2: Run your Degree Audit.

Your Degree Audit is a valuable tool that enables you to review your academic progress, view your most up-to-date course information, and match your progress against your academic program requirements. You may also run a “What If” audit to see how your courses would count toward any specific major or degree. Please note: The Degree Audit is a tool; official requirements for each degree program are listed in the Catalog. The Office of the Registrar provides information on how to run and interpret your Degree Audit.

 

✔ STEP #3: Use the Plan Ahead tool in Banner and browse classes.

You should create a few mock schedules to prepare for registration using the Plan Ahead tool in Banner. With one click you can import your plan into the registration system. To access the Plan Ahead or Browse Classes features, log into https://go.lehigh.edu/studentregistration. You may view the Office of the Registrar's instructional guides on using the Plan Ahead tool and registering for classes. For example, the instructional guides show you how to search for courses by attribute (e.g., humanities or social sciences). Be prepared to show your academic plan to your advisor by sharing your screen or bringing a printout to your appointment.

 

✔ STEP #4: Create or update an academic plan.

You may use this academic plan template to plan ahead for future semesters:

  1. Choose the major(s) you would like to pursue.
  2. Determine your catalog year and access the online catalog for that year to review the requirements in the "Undergraduate" tab.
  • This is the year you started at Lehigh (e.g., if you started in Fall 2022, your catalog year is 2022-2023).
  • Choose the "Previous Editions" link in the bottom left corner of the catalog homepage for earlier catalog editions.
  1. Run a "What If" Degree Audit for your intended major to review how the courses you have already completed fit into the requirements.
  2. Using the online class search tool to review when courses have been offered historically, sketch out the sequence in which you plan to complete requirements on the academic plan worksheet.

 

✔ STEP #5: Bring a list of any questions or concerns you may have.

Come to your advising appointment with ideas of what you would like to discuss, along with a list of questions or concerns you may have. Not sure where to get started? The following are some sample topics and questions you could discuss with your advisor. If your advisor does not know the answer, they will be able to help you find and connect with an expert in a particular area. 

  • Do I have a good balance of classes planned for next semester?
  • How many credits should I be taking each semester?
  • What are my general education requirements?
  • Why do I need to take a set of core classes?
  • What is the minimum grade I need to pass _______ course?
  • Can I repeat a class if I want to raise my grade?
  • What is the best way to go about finding an internship?
  • What type of experiential learning opportunities are available to me as a Lehigh student?
  • What type of jobs might someone with _______ major pursue?
  • How did you end up in your profession?
  • What is the best resource on campus for ______?
  • How do I get involved in clubs?
  • How do I begin to explore study abroad options?
  • How might I change majors or programs?
  • Do you recommend any minors or certificates?
  • Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently as an undergraduate student?