<p>So, how does the advising system work?
I have read that TAs are sometimes your advisors as well. What if they haven’t graduated harvard? How can they advise you on which courses to take and which to avoid, and what to do with your life at Harvard?
Thanks</p>
<p>I gather you didn’t go to Visitas because there were panels on Advising–and there seem to be layer upon layer of all sort of advising. The biggest issue, the advising folks said, is that students don’t use them; that they are around but that H students are often too independent and proud to seek out an advisor’s help and advice.<br>
They are trying to change that culture by making a large push from orientation on that it is ok to use advisors, in fact it’s expected.</p>
<p>A TA is a PhD candidate in your major field. They are knowledgeable about that department and what’s important within that field. But you always need to be ready to ask someone else if you don’t feel that the first person you asked gave you the info you need. If you get discouraged and give up because the first source wasn’t helpful, to me that is a sign that Harvard is not a good fit.</p>
<p>Have had mixed experiences w/ D’s advising. We had been so excited when D was given the name of her freshman faculty advisor. His name is well known in his field. We felt this would be such a wonderful opportunity. Over the whole freshman year she got 30 seconds of his time. After initiating multiple attempts to meet him first semester, she gave up and found her own resources for the second.</p>
<p>This year, she has a concentration advisor. I cannot speak one way or another regarding this advice since, after freshman year, D and I worked out a whole curriculum plan through graduation. She and I update it each semester. Since this is what she brought the advisor, there was not much advising to give.</p>
<p>I am not going to claim advising issue has anything to do with Harvard. Son’s experience at his undergrad college was as bad and maybe worse. He was literally forced into his first semester classes without regard for his wishes or the academic consequences. This was when I first discovered that college advising may not be better than high school. After his academic plan was messed up by the assistant dean (not even an advisor), I worked on how to repair it. Since low level classes in his field are often serial and only offered once a year, it took him until his junior year to get his classes on track and ultimately there were classes he was unable to take before graduating.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I found that advisers can’t really tell you which courses to take unless it’s a graduation requirement or standard choice for those with your interests, because it’s hard to know your level of preparation or readiness for college, or gauge how much effort you’ll want to put into those courses, or know exactly what your interests are and how they may change. Which courses to take and what you want to do with life at Harvard will be questions your advisers will be throwing at you, unlikely the other way around :).</p>