My Academic Advisor

1. How can the Academic Advisor support me

Students are entitled to academic and pastoral support during their stay at Queen Mary University of London. This takes the form of regular or ad-hoc contact with members of staff as well as support from the University central services. Student support within the School of Economics and Finance is structured around a network of Academic Advisors, the Student Support Officer (SSO) and coordinated by the senior tutor.

Your advisor is your first and continuing point of contact with the academic staff and making contact with them at an early stage is very important. 

Your advisor is there to offer advice on your academic progress, as well as to provide pastoral support. Your advisor is the 'go-to' person when you face a difficulty, and can help you connect with professional services (or to the SSO and the Senior Tutor) when needed.

2. Your Academic Advisor’s main duties

You can talk openly and confidentially with your advisor about any difficulty, academic or personal, that may affect your studies. They can offer insights, suggestions, and guidance. If your advisor is unavailable or unable to help with a particular issue, you can contact the School’s Senior Tutor, who has overall responsibility for student advice.

There are four key areas where academic advisors can effectively support you:

• "academic" – supporting students to attain academic success and achieve their desired qualification. 
  
  Academic advisors can help you understand course expectations and key processes, support your transition into university life, suggest effective study strategies, provide constructive feedback on your academic progress and engagement with your studies, offer advice on choosing elective modules, and guide you towards useful academic resources. Your advisor is here to help you engage with your learning in the way you intend to.
  

• "pastoral" – supporting students on a more personal level to address difficulties that may impact their studies.

  Academic advisors are there to listen, offer understanding, and help connect you with the right wellbeing or counselling services when needed.

• "development" – supporting students’ general personal development.

  Academic advisors can encourage you to get involved in extracurricular activities, help you develop transferable skills, and build your confidence for both academic success and future professional opportunities.

• "practical" – discussing plans and providing references for applications to further study and/or employment.

  Academic advisors can discuss your plans for your next steps after your studies, whether that’s further education or employment. They can discuss your options with you and provide informed references to support your goals.

3. How to engage with your Academic Advisor?

Academic advising is student-led. It is up to you to decide how much you want to engage with your academic advisor. The academic advisor is there to offer you the opportunity to discuss any issue affecting your engagement with your studies in an open and confidential manner, and provide insights and suggestions as to how to proceed with your studies. Meeting your advisor is your opportunity to communicate any difficulties and to be heard. The advisor can also direct students towards further specialist support at the University if needed. Academic Advisors are not trained counsellors, or specialists in careers, money matters, immigration, housing, and disabilities, but can direct you to appropriate resources within QMUL and SEF. Students are encouraged to discuss any issues with their Academic Advisors with the Student Support Officer and the Senior Tutor. 

4. Topics to discuss with your Academic Advisor

There is no single way an advisor–advisee meeting should run, as every student’s needs are different. Below are some examples of topics you might discuss with your advisor:

Academic issues: Our aim at SEF is to create active and confident learners who can set objectives, reflect, and take ownership of their learning. So, tell us:

• How do you feel with your progress so far? 
• Do you feel you know what to do in order to progress well with your studies?   
• What do you think is your highest achievement in your studies so far?
• Is there any subject that you particularly enjoy? Why do you think is that?
• What have you learned from this module/extracurricular activity? How do you think it will help you in your career/future studies? If you had to talk about it during an interview, how would you describe it?
• What type of assessments do you prefer? Why? 
• Is there anything you feel you need help or support with?
• What would you change in your performance so far?
• Do you feel your grades reflect your effort? 
• This is how you imagined economics/finance would be before you started studying? Has your view on the subject changed? How? 

Personal welfare: We are always available to find out what is going on with you and help you make the most of your time at SEF. So, tell us: 

• How are you?
• Is there something stopping from you from fully engaging with your studies?
• Is all the material accessible to you? 
• What are the main challenges that you are facing now? Do you feel you need further support?
• How are you feeling about study/life balance now?
• Do you know what to do in case you need to submit extenuating circumstances for one of your assessments or if you need extension? 
• Are you familiar with the Fit to Sit policy? 
• Do you feel that you are engaged sufficiently with the learning material? How do you find your attendance at your lectures and classes? 

Development: We want to hear about your career and/or further education plans as well as your expectations from your studies. Advisors can provide insights, information, and guidance on these issues. We want you to think of every curricular and extracurricular activity not simply as another line in your CVs. Reflect on them and to try and figure out what you have learned from each one of them. So, tell us:  

• Did you like the event/co- and extra-curricular activity that you attended? 
• How has this knowledge/skill/activity challenged your beliefs about economics and finance? 
• How do you believe each activity will improve your career and future studies prospects? 
• Are you applying for jobs / internships / placements / postgraduate studies? 
• Have you booked an appointment with careers to have your CV and/or personal statement (also for postgraduate applications) checked?
• What do you feel are the main competencies that you have acquired so far in your studies?
• How do you find the events/activities/opportunities included in the SEF Careers Insights newsletters?
• Are you part of a society or do you take part in any other extracurricular initiative organised by the School?

If everything is ok, should I go and see my Academic Advisor? The answer is yes!