Undergraduate Advising Questions and Answers for Parents

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Q: What advising resources are available to students?

A: Academic advisors are available to students from their first year through graduation. Advisors provide detailed information about academic resources, degree requirements, majors/minors, pre-professional program advising and graduate school advice. UIC’s academic advisors can show transfer students how courses from previous institutions fulfill UIC’s requirements. In addition, the educational requirements for UIC can be explained in detail to students.

Q: What can a parent do to help?

A: UIC students put a lot of pressure on themselves to excel and often call home when they are upset or confused.  Listen to what your son or daughter says but try not to overreact.  If you talk to them a day or so later, the “crisis” has often passed.  Recognize that this is a time of exploration and self-discovery for students.      

Encourage your son or daughter to try different subjects and to get involved in activities that will broaden his or her experiences.  Show interest in your son or daughter’s academic decisions but try not to influence him or her unduly.

Q: When should a major be declared?

A: Students are encouraged to spend their freshman year exploring a variety of courses and resources offered by their academic college. By sophomore year, students should begin to consider their choice of major.  Students must declare their major before achieving junior standing. Remember that the pre-professional programs, such as pre-pharmacy or pre-medicine, are not majors; instead, they are educational goals that are geared toward helping students achieve their professional aspirations.