Issue 26(2)
Giving
Advice to Students: A Road Map for College Professionals.
(2004). Schein, H., Laff, N.S., & Allen, D. R. (R. Robbins,
Ed.) [Monograph No. 11]. Manhattan, KS: National Academic Advising
Association. 114
pp. NACADA member price $25; non-member
price $40.00. Order # M11.
Review
by: Harold W. Faw
Department
of Psychology
Trinity
Western
University
Langley
, B.C. Canada
Though
they may not be aware of it, college students frequently need
advice that can be best provided by faculty and student life staff.
Giving Advice to Students will assist both the help-seekers
and the advice-providers play their parts more effectively.
Now
in its second edition, this NACADA monograph offers unique perspectives
and practical resources for student services staff and instructors
alike. Its seven short chapters include almost no references,
nor are their contents grounded in one theoretical framework.
Rather, the ideas emerge from years of cumulated, hands-on experience
gathered by a diverse group of advice-giving practitioners. One
unique feature is that five of the chapters are followed by a
series of brief essays targeted directly to students. These essays
cover topics as diverse as why choosing an academic major is NOT
the place to begin, how face-to-face contacts with people working
in their fields of interest can pay off handsomely, and how to
cope with test anxiety. As a significant bonus, book purchasers
receive NACADA permission to download these essays for distribution
to students. (Contact NACADA for more information.)
Even
though the authors start with the premise that students must be
proactive in shaping their educational experiences, they do not
let staff and faculty off the hook. The reason is simple: many
students can not find the resources they so urgently need. Thus,
advice-givers play strategic roles in helping students connect
with key people both on and off the campus.
Three
insights have particular merit. First, we, as advice-givers, possess
a powerful tool in the unsettling questions we can pose. These
might include "Are you in college for a degree or an education?"
or "What are you most interested in learning while in college?"
Answering such challenging questions helps students settle into
programs of study; thus choosing a major is not necessarily the
first step.
Second,
regardless of their field of study, students need to gain core
skills that will serve them in life and in their careers. These
skills include critical thinking and communication skills-abilities
students should develop in the process of completing any major.
Thirdly,
as they look toward postgraduate study or career pursuits, students
should make contact with persons already engaged in the spheres
they are about to enter. They can gain priceless insight from
graduate students enrolled in their anticipated programs; likewise
interviews with people working in their fields of interest can
prove invaluable. Such contacts may well lead to internships or
even future job opportunities. Surprisingly, the authors urge
students to arrange the first of such interviews with people in
their least favorite fields so they can hone essential skills
and gain confidence when the stakes are still relatively low.
Brilliant advice!
Giving constructive
advice is all about building relationships with students and encouraging
them to take the initiative. This book provides sensible, seasoned
insights beneficial to students and advice givers alike.
