Planning for your future
Getting to know and working closely with your academic adviser can be key to your academic success. Academic advisers help you with your academic plan and progress as well as your academic schedule, choice of major, and other academic activities and career goals. Ultimately, your academic adviser will help you make important decisions that lead to accomplishing your goals and graduating from Penn State. We encourage you to meet with your academic adviser at least once a semester. Learn more about the student-adviser relationship by reading the Advising Syllabus.
Peer Advising
Peer advisers are current students in the College of the Liberal Arts who are trained to help new students adjust to college life, explore opportunities for social and academic engagement, and find ways to connect to the college and to peers. Peer advisers also work with upper-division students to address a variety of academic and other concerns.
- Mondays–Fridays, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., 102 Sparks Building
Find your academic adviser
Meet with your academic adviser
Pre-Scheduled Meetings
Use Starfish to schedule a virtual or in-person appointment with your academic adviser early in the semester. A pre-scheduled meeting will give you enough time to ask detailed questions and have an extended conversation. Appointments must be scheduled 24 hours in advance. However, during peak times of the year, it is important to schedule much further ahead.Â
Drop-In Advising
Monday, August 21–Friday, August 25, 9:00–11:30 a.m. and 1:30–3:30 p.m.
There will be no scheduled Academic Advising appointments during the first week of classes. Instead, students can stop by their adviser’s office for a fifteen-minute meeting to ask a quick question about courses for the fall semester. The meetings will happen on a first come, first served basis.
Drop in on your adviser any time throughout the semester during specified hours. Drop ins are on a first come, first served basis and are great for quick questions and clarifications. Click on your major below to view drop-in advising availability and to access the form to check in for virtual drop-in advising.
In addition to the hours listed below, Liberal Arts peer advisers have expanded hours to be available even when your assigned academic adviser is not. They are trained to help you adjust schedules, navigate technology, and provide helpful insight about student life and involvement. Peer advisers are available each weekday in 102 Sparks Building from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 506 Keller Building or virtual
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 506 Keller Building or virtual
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 506 Keller Building or virtual
- Wednesdays, 1:303:30 p.m., 160A Burrowes BuildingÂ
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 160A Burrowes Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–4:00 p.m., 220 Weaver Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 160A Burrowes Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., Third Floor Oswald Tower
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 127 Burrowes Building or virtual
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 160B Burrowes Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 160B Burrowes Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 160A Burrowes Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–4:00 p.m., 220 Weaver Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 160B Burrowes Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 160A Burrowes Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–4:00 p.m., 220 Weaver Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 160A Burrowes Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–4:00 p.m., 220 Weaver Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 160A Burrowes Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–4:00 p.m., 220 Weaver Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–4:00 p.m., 220 Weaver Building
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 127 Burrowes Building or virtual
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 125 Moore Building
- Thursdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 125 Moore Building or virtual
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 160B Burrowes BuildingÂ
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., Third Floor Oswald Tower
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 160B Burrowes BuildingÂ
- Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m., 127 Burrowes Building or virtual
Facing Academic Challenges?
Resources and support are available for students facing academic challenges. The college’s academic recovery specialist can assist if you are not making positive academic progress or are navigating academic warning, suspension, or dismissal. Through this partnership, you will set attainable goals and have an additional support system with which to work. You can schedule an appointment via Starfish.
Ten Tips for Succeeding at Penn State
- Find the name of your assigned academic adviser and locate their office.Â
- Visit Starfish to schedule an appointment with your academic adviser.Â
- Consult with your academic adviser to plan your semester.Â
- Check out advising.psu.edu for information on just about everything academic.Â
- Check out and bookmark Penn State’s academic calendar to track important deadlines.Â
- Learn about the Career Enrichment Network and career-related resources.Â
- Get into the habit of reading your Penn State email every day.Â
- Go to your classes, read the course syllabi, and make note of important assignment due dates.Â
- Upload your résumé, and check out internships on Nittany Lion Careers.Â
- Visit your professors during their office hours.Â