How to Book Your Advising Appointment: Step-By-Step Guide [5min read]

Defining your academic goals, choosing your courses, creating a schedule and everything else that’s involved with preparing for university can seem daunting. Whether you are a new, returning or a transfer student, there are many questions to ask and decisions to be made as you prepare for the year ahead. But don’t fear, the First-Year Advising Centre is here!

CBU’s First-Year Advising Centre (FYAC) is located on campus, and staffed by experts in academic advising, success coaching, scheduling and all things CBU! It’s mandatory that all new-to-CBU students book an appointment with the FYAC, as we want to make sure each and every one of our students is set up for success. Returning students are also encouraged to book an advising appointment prior to the beginning of each academic year, as it’s a great way to touch base and ensure you’re on the right track to successfully completing your program.

Below you’ll find a step-by-step guide for booking your advising appointment, along with information about the benefits of advising and how it can pave the way for your academic success.

Step 1: Log in to your Compass Student Account 

Logging into your Compass Student Account is the first step in the booking process for advising at CBU. Whether you follow the link above or click the button in the Students menu on cbu.ca, you will reach your destination. Once logged in, move to the left menu within your account and click on Academics (grad cap icon) to reveal a new sub-menu. Scroll through that menu to find Book Your Advising Appointment.

                 

Step 2: Booking your appointment

The FYAC opens in May of each year and runs until the end of August. Appointments take approximately 1.5 hours and is completed online. You can even request group-advising if you and friends are enrolled in the same program.  

Now that you’ve located the Academic Advising section of your Compass Student Account, you can begin the appointment booking process. Clicking Book Your Advising Appointment will take you to a new window. From here you can view advisor availability, select a date and time that best suits your schedule and finalize the booking.

Pro Tip: Book your advising appointment as soon as you can to help ensure you get your first-choice course schedule (Some course options and times can fill up quickly).

• Click Any Advisor or click on a specific advisor’s name to view availability,
• Use the arrows under Select Date & Time to choose the date you’d like to book – available appointments appear in blue,
• Next, provide details for your advisor- what you’d like to cover in your session and any questions you may have,
• Finalize the booking by clicking Book Appointment – this button appears in blue as well,
• Check your CBU student email account for the confirmation; and if you’re particularly savvy, click the provided link to add the appointment to your Outlook calendar.

*If you are unable to book and receive a message in the booking system: ‘You have not yet been assigned an advisor,’ click the Get Help button in the top right corner to request an advisor. Follow the prompts to complete this step. 

Step 3: Show up to your appointment

You might be wondering, “Do I need to bring anything?” and the answer is no. Well, other than your optimism and an internet connection, of course! We do recommend that you prepare for your appointment by checking out the academic calendar to become more familiar with the academic policies and courses offered at CBU. You might be surprised by some of the unique courses that could meet both the needs of your program as well as your personal interests.

Pro Tip: Reading the ‘About This Calendar’ section of the academic calendar is a great starting point for any new student about to register.

Double check the time of your appointments – maybe you’ll even set that reminder in your Outlook calendar. 😉

Step 4: Meet with your Academic Advisor

Academic Advisors are the knowledge-keepers of all things academic at CBU. When you sit down with your advisor, they’ll help you to get down to the ‘nitty gritty’ of your academic year ahead. Here are some things you’ll discuss with your advisor:

• Expectations and concerns
• The breakdown of your program, including core and elective courses (and what these mean)
• Defining new terms that are used in university settings that make you go, “huh?” like major, minor, concentration, credits, etc.
• Selecting your courses and completing the registration process
• Student support services available on campus such as Jennifer Keeping Accessibility Centre and the Writing Centre (to name a few)

Step 5: Meet with a Peer Success Mentor

After meeting with your Academic Advisor, you will then meet with a Peer Success Mentor. They will assist you with:

• Creating your class schedule
• Navigating your Compass Student Account
• Why it’s important to access your CBU email 
• Registering for classes

Once you are finished meeting with the transition coordinator your appointment is complete! You are now one step closer to beginning your studies at CBU!

We can’t wait to meet you and see what you’ll accomplish during your time at CBU and beyond.

Book Your Advising Appointment