Hey everyone!
The Student Directors of Peer Academic Advising are currently hard at work preparing materials to make sure that everyone goes smoothly on the academics aspect of O-week 2013. O-week is 50% academic advising and we are making sure that each and every student is well equipped for their coursework and life at Rice.
During O-week, you will encounter a variety of people. These people will fall into the following main categories:
– Peer Academic Advisors (PAAs): These are students from your college and they were extensively trained on the academic requirements, regulations, and logistics here at Rice. They will be your primary guide and liaison for all academically related issues including course selection, academic planning, specialized degrees, and internships. The PAAs come from a variety of majors and are excited to help you plan your academic careers at Rice.
-Divisional Advisors (DAs): These are faculty members from each of the four main “schools” at Rice: Humanities, Natural Science, Engineering, and Social Sciences. They are also extensively trained in their respective schools and can give you a broad yet focused overview of the majors and specialties offered in their school. They are extremely knowledgeable in their fields and are a great resource to learn about the different opportunities at Rice.
-Faculty Mentors: For first year students, each O-week group will be assigned a faculty mentor who will be the main guide for not only academics but also social life at Rice. They are there for new students to get acclimated to life at Rice and are excited to learn about each new student and become an integral part of their first year.
What about the Student Directors of PAA? What do we do exactly?
As Student Directors (Rebecca McKinnell and Michael Lam), our responsibility is to make sure the transition into academic life at Rice goes as smoothly as possible for all residential colleges. We aim to prepare all students by offering them a vast array of resources from pre-medical to transfer credit information and making sure they know all the nuances of the academic system to make smart decisions.
Throughout the summer, the Student Directors will be working with the Office of Academic Advising, updating on the events at the OAA. Each week, we will provide a “OAA spotlight” on the different people at the Office of Academic Advising and how they can help you jump-start your career as a Rice Owl.
Stay tuned for future posts!