Advising Beyond Graduation: Incorporation of Life Planning Conversations in Academic Advising

Abstract

When undergraduates develop partnerships with their advisors, they are able to move beyond scheduling and degree audits to engage in discussions focused on post-graduation and life planning. Unfortunately, many undergraduates do not take full advantage of this aspect of academic advising and treat advising as a once-a-semester task required for registration. Thus many graduate from college without plans for attaining long-term goals. This study surveyed University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM) undergraduates majoring or minoring in a life/biological science to see if those who receive life planning advice or engage in life planning with an academic advisor are more satisfied with advising and feel more prepared for life after graduation, than those who do not engage in life planning with their advisor. Results of the study found significant differences between undergraduates who reported high levels of life planning in advising on advising satisfaction and feelings of preparedness for life after graduation, than those who reported low levels of life planning in advising.