First-Year Student Advising

First-year students may engage in their required quarterly advising and registration clearance in one of the ways described below.

Quarterly advising meetings begin in Week 2 and continue through Week 7, prior to registration opening in Week 8. We strongly encourage students to attend their meeting earlier in the quarter to avoid longer wait times. 

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    Schedule an In-Person or Virtual Appointment

    First-year students may schedule an individual quarterly advising appointment with their assigned academic advisor in Weeks 2 through 6, subject to availability. 

    • Instructions for how to schedule an appointment through Inspire are available as a PDF or Video.
    • If you cannot attend your scheduled appointment, please cancel ASAP and at least 24 hours in advance to allow others an opportunity to meet with an advisor. 

    Schedule Your Appointment

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    Attend In-Person or Virtual Drop-In Advising

    The Office of Academic Advising holds weekly drop-in hours for quarterly advising meetings and other academic policy questions.

    • During drop-in hours, students meet individually with the first available academic advisor on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

    Drop-in Schedule

Advising Learning Outcomes

At the end of their first year:

1. Students will understand the value of the Common Curriculum and display the ability to select courses that satisfy core requirements.

2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of degree program requirements and the ability to select courses each quarter toward degree progress.

3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of DU’s academic policies and procedures and how these policies and procedures impact their educational progress.

4. Students will effectively utilize technological resources to assist in degree planning and course registration.

5. Students will select majors based on their interests, abilities, and career goals.

6. Students will be able to identify campus resources and services that can be used to assist them in achieving their academic, personal, and career goals.

7. Students will understand the importance of co-curricular programs for supporting and promoting their educational and life goals.

Student & Academic Advisor Responsibilities

Student Responsibilities

  • Discuss personal values, goals, interests, and competencies that inform the academic decisions being made.
  • Prepare for advising sessions by bringing appropriate questions, course plans, and degree audit.
  • Schedule regular quarterly meetings to ensure academic progress.
  • Know DU dates and deadlines.
  • Check DU email daily.
  • Accept responsibility for decisions and actions that affect educational progress and goals.

Academic Advisor Responsibilities

  • Empower students to take responsibility for their academic experience.
  • Assist the student in pursuing a program of study that aligns with the student’s interests, goals, and competencies.
  • Assist the student in periodic evaluation of their academic progress and demonstrate understanding of the curriculum and graduation requirements.
  • Set clear boundaries for when they are available for advising appointments.
  • Refer students to relevant campus resources.
  • Maintain student privacy by not discussing issues with parents and non-University persons without a student’s permission.

Advising Resources

  • 10-Week Calendar

    Students should use the "Quarter on a Page" or 10-Week Calendar" to help track of major deadlines and important university dates. 

  • Degree Pie Charts

    Sample degree pie charts provide one way to visualize the proportion of credit hours in each category for a degree. Your individual degree may look different from a sample pie chart. Please consult your degree audit and the DU Undergraduate Bulletin for more information on requirements.

  • Registration Checklist

    Review the Registration Checklist prior to each registration period to ensure successful course selection.

  • Registration Solutions

    Review our Registration Solutions resource as you have questions about resolving registration errors, repeating a course, or registration waitlists.

  • Tutoring, Academic, Health & Wellness Resources

    DU offers many resources, including academic, health & wellness, research, social, and financial, each aimed to support your academic and personal success. 

  • Understanding Your Degree Audit
    What's On a Degree Audit?

    The Degree Audit Worksheet displays a summary of the completion of overall degree requirements. Degree requirements are broken up into cards on the Audit Worksheet. Each Card contains specific degree-related information such as major or secondary major, minor, concentration, common curricula and electives.

    Regular Degree Audits Keep You On Track

    By undergoing regular degree audits, you can ensure that you're progressing towards your degree within your desired timeframe. You can also use it to help determine whether you're able to pursue electives outside your course of study without affecting your other academic goals.

    Degree Audit: Guide for Students
  • 4D Constellation Mapping

    At DU, students build out their individualized constellations, based upon their unique interests, needs, and goals. These mentors, advisors, and other supporters help students explore who they are, inspire them to achieve, bolster their confidence, provide access to opportunities and chart purpose-driven pathways forward. It’s an ongoing process of engagement, connection and empowerment that sets the stage for lifelong thriving.