Few experiences in your academic career have as much potential for influencing your collegiate experience as academic advising. Whether you are an exploratory major, pursuing a major in the College of Arts and Sciences, or interested in one of the majors the professional schools have to offer, your academic advisor is an expert in guiding you toward degree completion.

Along with your advisor’s expertise, you should remember that a positive academic advising experience also depends on you taking an active role in the process. Particularly during peak advising and registration periods, you will only have a short amount of time with your advisor (and likely a significant amount of information to cover).

Prior to meeting with your advisor, be sure to do the following to help maximize your appointment time:

1. Review your online degree evaluation. For step-by-step assistance in navigating your degree evaluation, use these instruction guides.
2. Based on the information presented on your degree evaluation, you may find it helpful to begin developing a four-year plan. Not only will this serve as a guide for what classes to take and when to take those over the next several years, but it will also help you in establishing short and long-term goals related to your academic success. If you need additional assistance in developing your graduation plan, schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Students First Office.
3. Use the class schedule in UNCG Class Schedule to check course availability for the upcoming semester. Typically, the course schedule becomes available in mid-October and mid-March so that you can begin planning for the next term.
4. Using the information from your degree evaluation, the UNCGenie Class Schedule, and the University Catalog create some sample schedules to discuss with your advisor. In addition to your ideal schedule, have two or three alternative choices in case class sections close before your registration window opens.
5. Write down a list of questions you want to ask your advisor or other topics you may want to discuss. These can include questions about transfer credit, adding a major or minor, requesting a course overload, your GPA, academic good standing – or any other questions that are on your mind!

Once you have done all the steps above, schedule an appointment and meet with your advisor during the agreed time. If you aren’t sure who your advisor is or how to contact them, follow these steps to look up your advisor in UNCGenie:

1. Login to UNCGenie.
2. Select Student Services and Financial Aid.
3. Select Registration.
4. Select Look up Advisor.
5. Select the term from the drop down list.
6. Click View Advisor.
7. Your advisor is now displayed.

As you prepare for advising each semester, it may also be helpful to remember the following requirements and procedures:

• You must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester hours to be considered a full-time student. However, on average, students typically enroll in 15-17 semester hours each semester so that they can stay on track to graduate in 4 years.
• Students are not permitted to take more than 18 semester hours each fall or spring semester without first receiving approval from their academic advisor. Exploratory students and students on Academic Probation must receive course overload approval from the Students First Office. Please refer to the Requesting a Maximum Credit Hours Increase page for more information.
• Students are not permitted to take more than 7 semester hours during summer session I or II without receiving approval from their academic advisor. Exploratory students and students on academic probation must receive course overload approval from the Students First Office. Please refer to the Requesting a Maximum Credit Hours Increase page for more information.
• To register for classes, or to drop a class at any point in the semester, you will need your UNCG Advising Code. Remember that this code is unique to you (no other student has the same code) and changes each semester, so you must meet with your advisor to get your new code. Once you receive your code, be sure to save it, (even after you register) in case you need it in the future. If you forget or misplace your code, contact the Students First Office for assistance.
• Classes that require “Written Permission Only” can only be added to your course schedule by having an instructor complete an override in UNCGenie. If the instructor grants you an override, you can register yourself for the course in UNCGenie. Email the course instructor to request permission to add their course
• Adding or changing a major or minor is usually as simple as filling out the Change of Major/Minor Form in the University Registrar’s Office. However, some majors require a different process for declaration. When selecting your major or minor of interest on the Change of Major/Minor Form you will be directed on the next steps to take.
• Remember that it is YOUR responsibility to make sure you are in Academic Good Standing at all times. For assistance in calculating your semester or cumulative GPA, use the GPA Calculator.
• It is very important to also be aware of the University’s academic deadlines, particularly those pertaining to the last day to withdraw from a course without academic penalty. Before dropping a class, visit the University Calendar or talk with your academic advisor to make sure you are aware of any potential consequences for dropping a class. Once you are ready to withdraw from a course, you can do so by logging in to UNCGenie.