Every semester without fail I have at least one student who relies on me for everything. I want students to speak to me frequently. I want them to come to me if they have issues. But I also want them to know where to find the information they need and take the initiative to solve some issues on their own.

Currently I have a student, we’ll call her Molly, who is the perfect example. Molly met with me three times before registration. Each conversation went exactly the same. We went over her plan of study, what she should be taking and when she was eligible to apply for Nursing. Although repetitive, those conversations are ones that should occur between a student and his or her advisor. A couple days ago Molly sent me an email asking me the last day to withdraw from a course. I could have responded with the date. Instead I chose to tell Molly where she could find the academic calendar on the college’s website. Molly responded, “You did not answer my question.” I wanted to scream. Instead I wrote back and explained the importance of knowing where to find essential information. Although she initially showed push back, I think I was able to convey my message.

Molly is an older student. She hasn’t been exposed to formal education in years. Computers are foreign to her and she is in some ways scared of them. She has a family and a job she is not satisfied with. She has made the decision to change her career later in life and doesn’t want her decision to pursue her dream to negatively impact her family. She is fighting for a spot in a very competitive program against students half her age. Not getting in would mean failing her family.

Sometimes when Molly calls over and over again or emails me ten times in one day I get frustrated. Doesn’t she understand that I have 600 other students that also need my attention? I have to constantly remind myself that each of my students need a different amount and kind of attention. For Molly I need to be reminded of her situation and help to guide her towards her goals with a little more hand holding than some of the others.