Your Freshman Adviser
Your freshman adviser is a Yale faculty member or administrator affiliated with your residential college who has volunteered to talk with you about your academic interests and aspirations. He or she can offer general guidance about constructing a sensible overall schedule for your first year, help you think through larger questions and plans, and direct you to relevant resources. Please note that the primary purposes of these conversations are to provide general advice about acclimating to Yale’s academic culture and to give you an opportunity to become acquainted with a member of the faculty or administration affiliated with your residential college. Specific questions about particular courses or requirements should be directed to the relevant academic department or your residential college dean. |
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Your First Meeting with Your Freshman Adviser
You will meet your freshman adviser at the advising meeting in your residential college dining hall on Tuesday, September 1. Be aware that advisers typically serve four or five students from the same college, and this first meeting usually takes place in a small group. The principal purpose of this meeting is to discuss general questions and to arrange a follow-up meeting when you can talk on on one. As you plan your individual meeting, be sure you know your adviser’s name and take a calendar so that you can schedule a follow-up meeting.
Follow-up Meetings with Your Freshman Adviser
You and your adviser must meet at least one or two more times before course schedules are due, either in your adviser’s office or in your residential college, perhaps over a meal in the dining hall. Even if you
have a clear idea about which courses you want to take, be receptive to the advice and suggestions your adviser offers. Conversely, you don’t
need to come to these advising meetings with a settled plan; it is perfectly appropriate to be considering six to eight courses as you prepare
for course selection period (“shopping period”), during which you
can make your final selections.
Among the purposes of the follow-up meeting(s) are reviewing the courses you chose during course selection period and securing your adviser’s signature endorsing your fall-term program of study. Please be aware that you will likely need to address specific questions about courses and requirements to faculty affiliated with the relevant academic department or your college dean. If you have any difficulty finding answers to a particular question, your college dean can guide you to the right source of information.
Finally, keep in mind that advisers are also available to meet throughout the term about any matter you wish to discuss, and the amount of contact you have with your adviser depends largely upon your interest and initiative. We particularly encourage you to arrange a meeting with your adviser around midterm to discuss how your courses are going, and again toward the end of the term as you begin to think about the spring term.
