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The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal Benefits of Peer Advising to Peer Advisers Kelly Prather, Columbia College Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles written by students who were enrolled in Jennifer Bloom's graduate seminar in academic advising at the University of South Carolina for the 2007 fall semester. As part of her course syllabus, Dr. Bloom required each student in her class to submit an article to The Mentor or other publications for consideration. Today's environment is extremely fast paced, and the college atmosphere is no different. As students begin their college careers, they are under the assumption that they will have some guidance in making decisions about which classes to take and which majors and minors will best suit them. However, with increasing college populations (Wilson, 1991) and limited resources at many institutions, it is difficult for professional advisers and faculty members to meet the advising needs of students. Because of this, “some people graduate without ever having consulted an advisor” (Wilson, 1991, p. 2). One solution that some institutions are using to deal with this issue is implementing a peer advising program, which allows capable upperclass students to advise first-year students. While peer advising programs benefit the advisees, the purpose of this article is to highlight what peer advisers gain from their participation in such programs. The advantages to peer advisers include an increased knowledge of their own requirements, opportunities to hone their communication and leadership abilities, and the chance to explore advising as a profession. Many of even the most intelligent students often feel lost in the jungle of general education requirements. One of the most confusing aspects of selecting courses to fulfill these requirements is that “students must take courses in broad subject areas, but choose from a long list of options” (Magner, 1996, p. 1). As students choose classes, they are often confused about which classes they can take that will meet degree requirements as well as mesh well with their own interests. While the students may be under the assumption that they have an adviser there to help them make these decisions, “some students say that when they have asked professors for advice in choosing courses, the professors have either given bad advice or said they weren't qualified to help” (Wilson, 1991, p. 1). By participating in peer-adviser training and forming relationships with academic advisers, peer advisers can better understand the rationale behind and intricacies of general education requirements, and thus are better positioned to select their own classes. In addition, they may learn about majors on campus that they did not know existed, which may spark changes in their own majors. By helping first-year students select classes, they will be more prepared to help themselves and better understand when and how to approach their own advisers for assistance. Participating as a peer adviser also allows students to develop skills that future employers will find attractive. These qualities may include “confidence, self-esteem, and altruistic values” (Kuh, 1993, p. 2). Throughout the past decade, the outsourcing of jobs has become a more common practice for many U.S. companies. Thus, the competition for jobs has increased. Students with peer advising experience gain valuable customer-service experience while also developing their interpersonal communication, advising, and leadership skills. These skills may provide the leg up that students need as they apply for their first post-graduation positions. Peer advisers also become more engaged in the institution, thus enriching their own collegiate experience, personal growth, and development. George Kuh (1993) states, “out-of-class experiences that contribute to these and other aspects of student learning and personal development include conversations with faculty after class and collaboration in research and teaching projects, living in a residence hall, working on or off campus, participating in institutional governance, involvement in clubs and organizations, and voluntarism” (p. 2). By becoming involved with peer advising, students have the opportunity to develop relationships with faculty members and/or professional advisers who oversee their work, collaborate with other students on advising practices, work on campus, and contribute to the quality of other students' academic experiences. Many students do not realize that there are employment opportunities at colleges and universities. In this case, participating as a peer adviser may open the door to exploring the possibility of pursuing a career in advising. While peer advising is usually not an internship, there are certainly similarities: “Internships are one of the best ways to get that experience and to test a career choice. And later, when it's time to get a job, internships attract employers” (Jones, 2006, p. 1). Students who decide that they would like to pursue a career in academic advising because of their undergraduate peer advising experiences will have valuable experience when they apply for positions in the field. Peer advising programs are advantageous to both the students being advised and the peer advisers themselves. In this article, I have demonstrated that peer advisers gain valuable experiences and skills, become more engaged in the institution, and become exposed to possible careers in advising. In addition to benefiting the school and first-year students, peer advising gives upperclassmen the chance to positively alter the direction of their own lives. Why not consider starting a peer advising program at your institution? It is truly a “win-win” proposition. References Jones, E. (2006, Summer). Internships: Previewing a profession. Occupational Outlook Quarterly. Retrieved November 13, 2007, from http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2006/summer/art02.pdf Kuh, G. D. (1993, July). In their own words: What students learn outside the classroom. American Educational Research Journal, 30(2). Retrieved November 15, 2007, from www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/recordDetail?accno=EJ466288 Magner, D. K. (1996, March 29). Report finds shift away from general-education requirements. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved November 15, 2007, from http://chronicle.com/che-data/articles.dir/art-42.dir/issue-29.dir/29a01701.htm Wilson, R. (1991, January 9). Undergraduate students are found increasingly dissatisfied. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved November 14, 2007, from http://chronicle.com/che-data/articles.dir/articles-37.dir/issue-17.dir/17a00101.htm About the AuthorKelly Elizabeth Prather is pursuing a master's degree in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Program at the University of South Carolina and serves as the graduate assistant for student activities and student union programs at Columbia College. She can be reached at kprather@colacoll.edu or pratherk@mailbox.sc.edu. Published in The Mentor on January 16, 2008, by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved | |