Helping Your Student Blossom, Academically

Spring fever has hit Gonzaga’s campus – shorts and sandals are blooming, right along with the tulips. While the attire may lean toward relaxation, be prepared for some anxious conversations with your students as they start preparing for their final exams, & sophomore year.

If these topics come up in conversation, here are a few suggestions and helpful tips you can give your student:

Preparing for Final Exams

• Stay in close contact with professors.  The more comfortable students are with them, the easier it will be to…

–          Ask questions – remember, knowledge is power!

–          Get clear on the syllabus and course expectations – know what is coming and how to study for it.

• Start studying now.  Don’t wait until the last minute to cram.

–          Your best resource is right in front of you, every week.  Ask your professor for specific study strategies.  It may be helpful to schedule an individual appointment with your professor during office hours.

–          We also provide suggestions and study tips on our website, Academic Services.

–          Consider attending a group tutoring session, or enlisting a personal tutor through the Tutoring for Academic Success Program.

• Manage time well.

–          Gonzaga’s Counseling Center or an Academic Success Coach can help with this important organizational skill.

• Participate in stress-reducing activities when not studying or attending class

–          Exercise, intramurals, getting enough sleep, and spending time with friends are a few ideas.

If one-on-one support is important for your student, encourage him/her to sign up for an Academic Success Coach, or Tutor, both available for students throughout the semester.

Registration for Fall Courses

• Encourage your student to be flexible in their course/instructor selection.  As first year students they have last pick of classes.  If their desired course is a NEED (usually only pertains to nursing, human physiology, special education, science and engineering majors in freshman years), then have your student pursue the following course of action:
  • Using a Course Authorization Form, see the Professor, Department Chair, and finally, Academic Advisor to get signed into closed courses.
  • No luck?  Go see the department chair and ask about waiting lists
  • Still don’t have a full schedule and not sure what to take? Visit our office, Academic Services, in College Hall or email us at advise@gonzaga.edu.
  • Keep checking Zagweb through the summer.  Students will be making changes to their schedules through September 8th, the last day to add courses to fall schedules.  The course your son/daughter is looking for may open up.
  • Your student will have a full schedule before fall semester starts.  If he/she runs into road blocks, have him/her see their advisor, or visit Academic Services.

Choosing a Major  (or minors, concentrations, etc.)

• Encourage your student to spend time this summer thinking about the different paths they may take, and to participate in activities which may help them settle on at least a couple ideas for a possible major.  Have your student:
  • Consider approaching a local business of interest for an internship or job shadow experience
  • Ask questions of family members, friends, or those who work in fields of interest to find out what majors they pursued as a student, or what they thought may be the most helpful or applicable in today’s job market
  • Read and be informed – the Gonzaga website is a great resource for information on all of our degrees and programs offered.  Go to www.gonzaga.edu and click on Academics.
  • Engage in the on-campus resources available to students for Career Exploration:
    • Request an exploratory advising meeting with an advisor in the Office of Academic Services either over the summer or when your student arrives back in August.  One of our advisors will sit down with your student in a one-on-one conversation where we can explore interests and help match them with fields that may be a good fit.
    • Use the Counseling Center – they offer several career/major exploration tools to help students narrow down their interests, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory
    • Check out the Career Center – especially helpful to students once a major is chosen, but they can also help determine best fit with job market analysis – they know what jobs are out there for all kinds of majors, from English, History or Art to Business, Criminal Justice, and Sports Management.  Start building this key relationship now.
    • If your student has found a new major, but isn’t sure if it can be accomplished in the original 4-year timeline, have him/her schedule an academic planning appointment with Academic Services.  We’ll demonstrate how to map out an academic plan to graduation, so all requirements fit into a specific and workable timeline.