Sample Questions for the First Meeting

The first meeting with a student should focus on getting to know the student and discussing your role as an advisor. Some students will talk freely and readily provide the information when asked to tell a little about themselves. If the student appears shy or says very little, you can use some of the following questions to obtain information and build rapport with the student.

What high school did you graduate from? Can you tell me how well you think your high school prepared you for the challenges of WPI?
Where do you live at WPI? What is you local address, phone number, and email address to put in my file? Are you familiar with the email system on campus?
Where are you in the math course sequence? Have you thought about your social science and physical education courses? How about your Humanities Sufficiency?
Have you taken any courses within your major yet? How are they going?
Is there a specific aspect of your major that particularly interests you?
What led you to choose this major?
Are you involved in any kind of extra-curricular activities, such as campus groups or part-time jobs?
Have you received any scholarships? If so, what is required for you to keep those scholarships?
What are your goals after graduation from WPI (employment, graduate school, etc.)?
What do you expect from me as your advisor?

You can use these questions as a guideline for initial sessions with students. You can also save the information from these questions in the student's folder. It is also a good idea to ask students for a resume to keep on file once they have created one to stay informed about their career goals and progress.

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Last modified: May 31, 2007 09:43:25