A Conversation With an Academic Advisor

Mike: Would you like to introduce yourself?

Academic Advisor: I work as an academic advisor for a mid-sized state school in the Midwest. I have a master’s degree in counseling and student affairs. Specifically, I work with students to navigate their program and help out with any academic related concerns. I’ve been doing that for a few years, and previously I was the director of a residence hall for freshman students.

Mike: Did you always know that you wanted to work with students?

Academic Advisor: No, not really. My undergraduate degree is in biology. I was not, it turns out, a very good biologist. But as an undergrad, I was a residence assistant and I was good at that. I graduated in 2009, and it was a lot easier to find work in education than science. During my grad school experience and working in the residence halls, I really found a passion for helping students access higher ed.

Mike: So this is highly relevant as part of a discussion on the issue of what a college degree is worth, and what you gain from a college education. You essentially studied one thing (biology), but went on to do something not related to your degree.

Academic Advisor: Right! In terms of a degree as a gateway to a career, my specific educational path wasn’t very useful. However, the act of getting a degree still has value. I think the problem that a lot of students are having right now is that colleges are telling them, “Go to school, get a degree! It doesn’t matter in what!” And the economy and media are telling them that it matters a great deal what you get your degree in and that increasingly, a degree isn’t, at least economically, a great investment for a lot of people. I get questions about this a lot from students and families, which is new for my generation of professionals. No one questioned the value of a degree 10 years ago. Most of my day is filled with fielding student concerns, academic, personal, career, or even financial.

Mike: What kind of financial questions do you get?

Academic Advisor: Mostly questions about how to pay for college, or if I think they would be better off dropping out. Students are increasingly looking at their loans and financial reality and getting — rightly — scared. The problem is that I believe that college does still have value. I have to, or I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. I also get lots of career questions — graduation dates loom and students get freaked out and end up in my office trying to find a next step.

Mike: So let’s talk about your own experience. What is your student debt load, and how much are you earning now?

Academic Advisor: I owe $45,000, half to Sallie Mae and half to the Department of Education. I make $32,000 a year.

Mike: Do your student loans feel like a burden to you?

Academic Advisor: Yes, significantly. I pay about a quarter of my take-home just to make my minimum payments. I can still live fairly comfortably, but the thought of trying to save enough to buy a house, or even a car, seems daunting.

Mike: Can you provide a breakdown of what your budget looks like in terms of housing, groceries and the money you can use for fun?

Academic Advisor: Sure! I take home about $2,000 a month, rent and utilities is $800, and my loan payments are $500. I spend between $100 and $150 on transportation (I have an old Toyota and I try not to drive, but small Midwestern cities aren’t known for their public transportation). Once you add in my phone bill and a few other small bills, I have about $400 left each month for groceries, going out, and savings. That actually sounds like a lot more spending money when I look at it like that.

Mike: But you’re worried about being able to save enough and to do certain things? Like contribute to your retirement account? Does your school provide you with a plan?

Academic Advisor: Yes, as is, I have a (nice) roof over my head, and I can afford to feed myself and I have health care, so I’m well aware that I’m privileged in that. But it doesn’t leave a lot left over for saving for bigger things, like a house and my retirement. I do get a small 403(b) contribution from my employer, but it’s not enough on its own. On good months I’m able to save between $100 and $150, which is great! But not quite enough to do much with. Honestly, it makes me worry for the economy as whole, too. I know my situation is not all that dissimilar for a lot of people my age. It’s hard to believe in a economic recovery when the younger generations don’t make enough money to contribute in significant ways (e.g. through the housing market and investments). And it certainly makes it hard to imagine being able to afford a family.

Mike: When students talk to you about some of their fears, which may include things like graduating with so much debt and being afraid of not being able to find a job, what kind of counseling do you give them?

Academic Advisor: Yeah, that’s always a hard conversation to have because the problem is so systemic. I can work with them on career skills, resumes, finding experience while in college in the form of internships if necessary. Sometimes the advice I have to give is that they just need to find something, somewhere. Even if they think they won’t like it, or it’s not close to home. Because student debt — you can’t get rid of it, and at the beginning, any job that can pay the bills is better then defaulting on your loans.

The real advice, that I wish I could give (or that I wish was effective) is that this system has failed them. Failed us all, really. Education is one of biggest tools (or should be) for people to increase their standard of living, happiness, and increase the active citizenship of our country, and as is, people simply can’t afford it. I want to tell students to demand more of their university, and more of their state and federal governments. That the way we run higher education in his country is unacceptable. But, of course, that doesn’t help the student, in the moment, who’s having a crisis about their financial future.

Mike: Do you talk about your own situation with them? Because it sounds like that would be helpful and relatable — to talk about how your salary is lower than your student debt load, but you’re still finding a way to make it work.

Academic Advisor: Yes, I do, and that does help. And it’s a good anecdote considering I ended up in a field I never thought I would (or even knew existed, really). There are opportunities out there, and you can make it work, but it may look very different then you had originally thought.

Mike: Cycling back for a moment, do you find ways to talk about the systemic problems? Or get students to recognize them? Or is this just something that goes around unsaid?

Academic Advisor: It gets talked about with other professionals, and in our conferences, but rarely with students. I think a lot of us struggle with how to address it: in a constructive way, that won’t end up with us in trouble, and that will benefit the student. There are some great financial aid advisors out there who do their best to milk the system to get as much money to students as possible. I guess that’s another piece of advice to students: know your financial aid advisors. You should know them by name.

Mike: We talk a lot about the student loan crisis on the site. And having a conversation about it is a good starting point. Maybe you should tell students to check out our site! Just kidding. Maybe.

Academic Advisor: I do, actually! I always encourage students to do their own research, and I think the Billfold does a pretty good job of putting a lot of good information out there in a way that my students will actually consume it.

Mike: One thing I think about sometimes is that a lot of students who need help don’t actively seek it or don’t realize they need it. I remember visiting my college’s financial aid center a bunch of times and also meeting frequently with academic advisors — but only because I had taken that initiative. There wasn’t anyone around who was going to convince me to go, otherwise. Are there ways you try to reach out to the students who don’t take that initiative?

Academic Advisor: I do a lot of “intrusive advising” which is basically forcing yourself into the student’s field of view. I call students, stop them in hallway if I haven’t seen them in my office in a long time. I have 450 students, though, so it can be hard to reach everyone. We do, as a profession, spend a fair amount of time thinking about just that. How do we get students to come to us and take our help? Obviously, not all advisors take the time, but most of us care about our students a great deal. And as you can imagine, students have a tendency not to seek us out until they are pretty deep in trouble.

Mike: Do you track the students you counsel after they’ve graduated? Or have you been able to see how some of them have done? If they’re struggling, are you able to give them post-graduate counseling?

Academic Advisor: In some ways, yes. Our career center keeps track of our students somewhat, and I keep in touch with a few. Though, a lot of the time they fall off the map a little bit. But, yes, I can still provide some services post-college. Little known fact, actually: Most colleges career centers will do career counseling and resume/interview help for alumni.

Mike: Do you see a pathway to fixing the systemic problems? Are there people actively chipping away at it?

Academic Advisor: That’s so hard. I mean, we need to change the funding patterns for public schools, and that is matter of a lot of things coming together: activism, lobbying, supporting politicians who make education a priority. I think eventually something will have to change, or people are going to start leaving higher ed, and states have a pretty vested interest in keeping their public institutions open.

Mike: But you do discuss it at conferences, so you are figuring out ways to address it.

Academic Advisor: Well, we’re trying. Not all of us agree on the best method for making change, and even if everyone at a university agreed on something, the size of the institution, and the related moving parts, makes it difficult. I do think there’s hope — pretty much everyone agrees that the current system is unsustainable, so that’s a start.

Mike: And despite the systemic problems and the increasingly high costs, you firmly believe that college is worth it.

Academic Advisor: I do. It’s a life changing experience, and very few other experiences force you to confront new ideas in the same way. A successful college education demands a shift in perspective and understanding, and it remains one of the best ways, as a society, to address social justice, economic mobility, and civic engagement. We just need to find a way to make it truly accessible, for everyone.

Mike: So I personally think that college is worth it because I don’t think I would be where I am today if I didn’t get the education that I did. But I also know people who chose not to go to college and are doing well for themselves. So although I think that college is worth considering, I don’t think it has to be for everyone. What do you think about that?

Academic Advisor: I agree. I think it should be a realistic option for everyone. Not everyone wants that experience, or the experience isn’t right for them in some way, and that’s great. By not going to college you aren’t giving up on your ability to feel successful, or be educated, or to change in a significant way. And no one should go to college without being invested in it, just like no one who wants to should be restricted from it.

Want to chat? Get in touch.

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