More than course registration: How academic advising helps students thrive

Choosing a major. Planning classes. Exploring careers. Considering study abroad options. Wondering if graduation is still on track after changing directions.

For many Bethel students—and their parents—college can feel like a series of big decisions with lasting consequences.

That's where academic advising comes in.

Bethany Opsata, associate business professor and department co-chair, has spent decades helping students navigate their academic journeys. Advising at Bethel is intentionally designed to help students explore possibilities, make informed decisions, and build confidence as they prepare for life after graduation.

We sat down with Opsata to learn what students can expect from the advising experience across campus, and why meaningful guidance matters—especially in a field with so many career paths.

What does advising look like for a new student?

The Department of Business has a very structured advising process, especially during a student's first year. Before business students ever meet with a faculty advisor, they connect with one of our peer advisors—upper-level business students who help them learn how to use tools like DegreeWorks, understand the Bethel catalog and course registration process, and navigate the systems they'll use throughout college. It’s a really valuable experience for our new students to get to know a junior or senior who can calm their fears in a peer relationship. 

Then they meet with dedicated advisors who help them think through their major(s) and academic requirements, specific academic plans, general education courses…basically what their first year should look like, academically. The goal is to make sure students feel supported from day one, so they don't have to figure everything out on their own. Here’s a great Q&A with our advising team, sharing what advising looks like for first-year students across all majors.

How does advising change after the first year?

As students move further into their major, they transition to a faculty advisor within our department. That's where advising becomes much more relational.

Students aren't just meeting with someone once a semester to register for classes. They're building relationships with professors they see regularly in class and who understand both the curriculum and the industries students are preparing to enter. 

That means advising conversations often go beyond schedules and requirements. For instance, in our department, students ask questions like, "Is this career path a good fit for me?" or "How do I know if I should pursue accounting, marketing, finance, or human resources?"

Those conversations happen over time and are rooted in relationships. 

What kinds of questions do students ask most often in their advising sessions?

Some questions are practical:

• What classes should I take next semester?
• Am I on track to graduate?
• What happens if I change my major?
• Can I study abroad and still finish on time?

Others are much bigger:

• What should I do with my life?
• How do my interests connect to a career?
• Am I making the right choice?

Part of our role is helping students understand that they don't have to know the final destination on day one.

College is truly a journey.

Students can explore, ask questions, discover new interests, and make adjustments along the way. Our job is to help them understand the options in front of them and recognize the key decision points that might affect their timeline or goals.

How do you help students who feel overwhelmed by big decisions?

I try to remember that while I've had these conversations thousands of times, for the student, this may be their first time making these decisions.

Choosing a major, considering a career path, or planning four years of coursework can feel overwhelming. So, a lot of advising is helping students break those decisions into manageable steps.

We help them understand where the milestone markers are...those “forks” in the road after which it’ll be a lot tougher to go back and switch directions. Maybe they have another semester to explore their options. Maybe it's time to choose between two possible paths. Maybe they're considering adding a major, a minor, or studying abroad—and they need to officially declare their intentions or apply to an international program to give them confidence on registration day.

Students don't need to have everything figured out. They just need to know what the next step is.

Do advisors help students explore opportunities beyond their major?

Absolutely. Part of advising is helping students think broadly about their education and experiences.

What would it look like to add a minor? Take a psychology course? Pursue an internship or get involved in a research project with faculty?

Sometimes students arrive with a very narrow picture of what college should look like. One of our goals is to help them consider possibilities they may not have thought about before.

We ask questions. We help them reflect. We encourage them to think about who they are becoming and what experiences might help them grow.

What happens when plans don't go as expected?

That's actually one of the most important parts of advising.

Sometimes a student doesn't get into a class they wanted. Sometimes they change majors. Sometimes they discover a new interest halfway through college. Or they have a personal crisis and they have to withdraw from a class. When that happens, our advisors help students see that there is often more than one path forward.

Students can become discouraged when Plan A doesn't work out. But because we've walked alongside so many students over the years, we often know where there's flexibility and where there are alternative options.

We help students understand the implications of different choices and build a new plan that keeps them moving toward their goals.

What do you wish every Bethel family knew about advising?

Bethel students don’t navigate college alone.

Our role isn't to make decisions for students. They're the ones who ultimately choose their major, decide which opportunities to pursue, and determine the direction of their education. But we walk alongside them every step of the way, and it’s our job to know the catalog and our industry inside and out.

We help students understand their options, think through challenges, navigate unexpected situations, and make informed decisions with confidence.

What are some Bethel planning tools students and families should know about?

Bethel students have access to several resources that help them plan their academic journey:

• The Bethel Career Commitment and the Studio for Vocation and Calling are huge investments Bethel is making to ensure students feel supported and have clarity as they choose a major and vocational path. Every major has intentional experiences and touchpoints that allow students to explore and reflect, and there’s a physical space on Bethel’s campus for students to go when they have questions or need a little extra support.
• DegreeWorks allows students to track degree progress and explore "what if" scenarios for majors and minors. This is linked within a student’s MyBethel dashboard, and they have access as soon as they start at Bethel. 
• The Bethel catalog provides detailed information about majors, course requirements, and when courses are typically offered.
• There’s a dedicated Advising Day in the middle of each semester, where students are given the day off from classes to meet with their assigned advisor (if possible) and think intentionally about their academic plan. But most professors are highly accessible and welcome other conversations as needed. 

While students are in the drivers’ seat of their academics, parents are encouraged to take an active role in helping them reflect and explore options and resources. It’s support from home and campus experts that gives students confidence as they step into what’s next.

Explore your future at Bethel

Whether you're interested in business, nursing, engineering, psychology, education, or one of Bethel's many other academic programs, you'll find faculty and advisors committed to helping you discover your strengths, explore your calling, and prepare for what's next. Explore Bethel's academic programs, learn more about majors and minors, and discover where your journey could begin.

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