Hi everyone, and welcome to Wesleyan! We are so excited to have you all here. This post will serve as an introduction to the Academic Peer Advisors here at Wesleyan, as well as a (very brief) overview of some of the resources we can help provide for all of you. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at peeradvisors@wesleyan.edu if you have any questions.
First and foremost, what are Academic Peer Advisors (APAs)? Well, APAs work under the umbrella of the Office of Student Academic Resources, and simply put, we are – you guessed it – resources! And not just for first-year students, but for all students at Wesleyan, no matter the class year. Over the summer, we are available to answer questions and address concerns via email (please feel free to reach out at peeradvisors@wesleyan.edu). You can ask us about topics ranging from preparing for Wesleyan to course selection to getting involved on campus!
During New Student Orientation (NSO), we focus on course planning and scheduling to help to prepare you for your first semester of classes, and are part of the larger network of academic support that you will be able to access once you are on campus, which includes pre-major advisors and deans. In your first week here, you — and every other first-year student — will meet with an APA to discuss course selection for first semester, as well as any any other questions you might have. After NSO and throughout the entire academic year, we continue meeting with students individually as well as hosting group workshops. We are as available as students want us to be, ranging from meeting once a week, to meeting once a semester, to even just meeting once a year! Also, we are always extra available during the Pre-Registration and Drop/Add periods of each semester, and you will see us work in conjunction with other offices on campus.
In our one-on-one meetings with students, we help with various academic skills like time management, organization, study strategies, and reading or note-taking, as well as with course registration, major planning, and a variety of other academics-related skills and topics! In our workshops — which can be with different Residence Halls, class deans, athletic teams, or other liaison groups, campus groups, and communities — we also help students become familiar with the various academic processes and skills that were mentioned above, but in a group setting instead of an individual one. We also serve as liaisons to other campus resources, both general and specific, helping to connect students with any and all resources they might need, from peer tutors, math and writing workshops, and the library, to the Resource Center, CAPS, and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life — plus everything in between. Basically, we are here not only to help you, but also to help you help yourself!
But how do you get connected with the peer advisors? Well, there are many different ways. Sometimes we receive referrals, often from Dean Patey or the class deans, or even from friends, RAs, and professors. We are also available to meet with any student who reaches out to us on any platform (and even in person)! All of our bios are posted on the website (with our emails), so if you read through them and think that you would connect well with a certain peer advisor, feel free to reach out to them directly. Otherwise, you can always send an email to peeradvisors@wesleyan.edu to request a meeting or ask a question, and someone will get back to you ASAP!
So how can we help you right now, and throughout the rest of the year? Like we said before, we are available over email at peeradvisors@wesleyan.edu to answer any and all of your questions that you might have — please do not hesitate to reach out! While this was just a quick overview of our roles on campus, we are happy to help with whatever we can. We look forward to working with you, and welcome to Wesleyan!
P.S. Check out our Tips from the Peer Advisors page to see what we have been working on!