ESS Podcast

LAURA
If you’re not sure where to go when you have questions or even what questions to ask, this episode is your starting point. Hello and welcome to The (not so) Secret Guide to being a Berkeley Engineer. I’m your host, Laura Vogt and today we’re breaking down advising by introducing you to your Engineering Student Services advisers. These are the folks who will support you throughout your time at Berkeley.

We’ll also walk you through Golden Bear Advising, which begins in June and helps you figure out your first semester courses and other key next steps. And to help us do this, welcome to the podcast ESS adviser, Megan Raya. Thank you so much for joining. Can you please introduce yourself and tell us more about your role here at Berkeley?

MEGAN
Yeah. Thanks, Laura. Hello everyone. My name is Megan Raya. I am one of the Engineering Student Services advisers. I provide academic advising to a caseload of students. We’re here for degree planning and a lot of other stuff that I’m sure we’ll talk about in just a moment.

LAURA
Well, thank you again so much for being here. Let’s get started with some of these questions.

To start it all off, this is the first part of our 10th season. So, anyone new coming in, I think Engineering Student Services is going to be a new idea. We often call it ESS. But why don’t you explain what ESS is?

MEGAN
Definitely yes. ESS or Engineering Student Services, we are the central place for support for undergraduate students here in the College of Engineering.

ESS has two arms. We have our programs team which offers programs like tutoring services and mentorship opportunities, among others. And then our advising team, which offers academic support for new and continuing students through their entire time at Cal.

Our engineering students are assigned an ESS adviser based on major, sometimes last name, so that you always have someone to go to for questions about degree and graduation requirements, as well as academic policies and procedures.

LAURA
When’s the earliest that you want students to connect with their ESS advisers?

MEGAN
Incoming students, both frosh and junior transfer admits, will be introduced to their ESS adviser during Golden Bear Advising or GBA, our online orientation. And then after GBA, you’ll be able to connect with your adviser and meet one-on-one if needed.

LAURA
When does GBA take place?

MEGAN
GBA is going to start up in early June and you’ll have some time to go through it. We’ll be all done in early July before enrollment actually starts.

LAURA
Can you tell us a little bit more about GBA and why taking the time to really peruse the materials that are in it is so important.

MEGAN
GBA truly covers everything a student will need to know to finish their degree and move through the college with confidence. There is a lot that goes into being a university student. From requirements to policies and GBA covers it all.

It is a lot to memorize though, so GBA breaks this information down into different modules to try and help students with a solid foundation. Taking the time to read through GBA very slowly will give you an excellent starting point for how to succeed in the College of Engineering and at Berkeley at large.

I do recommend taking breaks while you go through the modules. It is truly a lot of information.

LAURA
I know when we first started the Golden Bear Advising that we had one student that I think finished it in like ten minutes. Basically, he just clicked next, next, next, next. And yes, his adviser reached back out to him and was like, no, there’s no way that you watched all of this in ten minutes and took part in it in ten minutes. We really need you to go back there and do it again. And his response was like, well, my brother had already done this once and that might be the case. You might have had a brother who had already done this once, but policies change. We’ve got new majors, like there’s changes. You need to make sure that you’re not missing something.

MEGAN
It’s true. We do. There is a, like, a timekeeper built into the modules. And so that happens every summer that we see a student who maybe went through very quickly. And you’re so right, Laura. There’s just no way to retain that information. I’m an adviser, I still can’t retain at all. But the exposure is the goal, right? That you’ve at least read through it all once. So maybe if it comes up later, it’ll kind of pick back up for you.

LAURA
When your students start thinking about when they should meet with their adviser, I know they have this first initial meeting with the Golden Bear Advising, and then a little bit of back and forth, maybe as they choose that first semester schedule.

But when that should they start really seeing their adviser and having regular meetings with them?

MEGAN
I would say the earlier the better, in some cases, you know, there are some students who are going to come to Cal and maybe they don’t know anyone. And so, if you come and you meet your ESS adviser early, so maybe after you’ve done GBA and over the summer, even if you just want to say hi and introduce yourself, at least you know us. You have someone to go to with questions or concerns.

Beyond that, I do think it’s helpful to me if you have really specific goals for your time at Berkeley. You know, if you tell us what you’re interested in, we can maybe help you get started making those goals actually happen. And if that’s the case, I would say, for students especially, who maybe want to study abroad, who are interested in a minor, if you have like really specific clubs and organizations you want to know more about, you come and meet with your adviser early, and you just tell us a little bit about who you are, what you’re interested in.

I think that can be a really helpful starting point for all students.

LAURA
How can I advising help students who don’t even know what they need yet? We’re just talking about students that might be interested in doing some stuff. But what about the students that are like, okay, I’m here.

MEGAN
Yes. And that’s totally fair. We to be a little cliche, we have a bit of a phrase in advising, and that is you don’t know what you don’t know.
And we truly don’t expect you to know everything. So that’s kind of why I have a job. That’s kind of why advising exists.

You know, beyond the really basic policies and requirements, what you learn, right, when you’re very slowly going through Golden Bear Advising, if you just come and tell your adviser a little bit about who you are, we can start suggesting things and we can help with that kind of next step.

So yes, you don’t have to have everything figured out the first time you sit down in front of your adviser. That’s not the expectation at all. But come chat with us and maybe we can at least help get you started.

LAURA
Do you think the goal of advising when it comes to the academics is to help students graduate faster or more efficiently?

MEGAN
I would say the latter. I cannot guarantee that I will get you graduated faster. All of the engineering programs and of have their normative time, meaning they’re built to take either eight semesters as a frosh or 4 or 5 semesters for junior transfer. But as far as efficiency goes, the engineering majors are pretty regimented, meaning there are sequences that you’ll really want to follow to make sure that you have the right foundation and experience.
Coming and talking to your adviser so that we can go over those sequences and share our advice, can help, maybe avoid some difficulty down the line. Can I get you graduated in two years if you’re a frosh, no promises. But I think efficiency is always the goal.

LAURA
I know, and we’re going to talk more about those sequences and the importance of them and understanding why they’re that way next week with another ESS adviser. If folks have more questions about that, because I know the sequencing is sometimes hard to understand or like, okay, well, I need this class and this is the one I can get it to. So, I’m interested to learn a little bit more about that in the planning.

When students come to see you, Is there like a perfect question that you want them to ask you or something that stands out to you that you really want to be able to help with?

MEGAN
I think honestly, for that first advising appointment, I usually have more questions for the student than they do for me. You know, I want to know what led you to your major, what brought you to Berkeley, what are you doing for self-care? And kind of along the way, maybe you’ll start to come to advising with your own questions.

I think the perfect question probably doesn’t exist, but some good questions, at least to start, might be how does my schedule look? What does it mean to have a balanced schedule? Where can I get more help with my math class? What are my options if I’m facing academic difficulty? You know, any question with an academic focus is really fair game with your ESS adviser.

If you do have nonacademic questions, I still welcome those. I always encourage students to bring to me whatever’s on their mind, for better or worse. And if I can’t help or if I can’t have that question answered, I probably know someone who can. So please still come. There is no perfect question, at least for me. I would just want to know kind of where you are. What are you thinking? And we can go from there.

LAURA
When you think about your advising, is there a situation that you saw a student in that you know that you’re advising really made a difference?

MEGAN
I do I think the most impactful advising s ESS ions, you know, over my, my many years now in this job is when a student is facing academic difficulty, and that can be anything from maybe they are not passing one of their classes, or they have personal circumstances that are making it really hard to balance life and academics.

I have seen time and again, being a college student is hard, and it comes with some really difficult situations, and I do see that as a place where ESS advisers can come in. We can offer advice or maybe just be a listening ear in those situations. For the students who are open to advice, there are a lot of resources and options available to students.

Berkeley is such a huge place and your adviser might be able to help you kind of consider things you didn’t even know where a choice for you. I’ve had students not realize that maybe they have the option to drop a class, maybe they could change their major, maybe even some time away. You know, these are options that are very real at Berkeley and at your university, that maybe more options for them in high school or at their community college.

And so, if you come and you talk to your adviser and you’re honest about your experiences, you know, you might be surprised with what we can help with.

LAURA
If you’re able to do all these things when it comes to like the academics, and I think the idea of like having to change a major might be a big question, how do you work with them on things beyond that, like stress and mental well-being, or even if they’re trying to get like an internship?

MEGAN
Yes, I know we mentioned a little earlier that academics are certainly the focus for ESS advisers. That’s kind of the job title. But myself and honestly, all of the ESS advisers on our team, we have many, many shared years of experience on the campus and even within the College of Engineering. And so, while yes, our expertise is a little bit more academic. I really do welcome those questions to come in and tell me what is stressing you out.

I am not a mental health professional. I will give that disclaimer time and again, but I have picked up a few things here and there as far as tools and resources and maybe strategies that students can use. And I think that can be at least a really helpful starting place for maybe those questions that kind of creep outside of the classroom, creep outside of academics, the same, I’d say, for internships or financial aid, you know, things that are very real for a college student.

Maybe I’m not the expert, but I probably have enough to at least get us started. And at best, I also have the ability to make referrals to tell you who to talk to, who is really great, who in Berkeley Career Engagement is the ideal STEM resource.

So yes, there are common questions. They come across my desk all the time. Maybe we’ll just start with a little bit of a general check-in. I want to hear what’s happening, and then I might do a little bit of finger pointing. As far as who could be more helpful for those non-academic focused questions or concerns.

LAURA
How do students actually make an appointment with you?

MEGAN
Oh, I love a logistic question. So yes, ESS appointments, they’re all scheduled actually on our website which is engineering.berkeley.edu. You’ll get that during GBA, but we have an embedded appointment system, and that’s where you can actually schedule either in person or remote appointments with your ESS adviser.

LAURA
How do you feel about an email exchange?

MEGAN
Email is a very real part of my job and of campus life. I think for email, I usually tell students one, you have to be okay with a little bit of a delayed response. So, my email gets a little bit busy from time to time. So, if you just have a general question that you could wait for a few days. Email is a great place for that. If it’s a question that’s going to take a little longer, maybe it requires me looking at your record. I think usually an appointment would be better for those types of interactions.

LAURA
Talking about that, you might have to have a delayed response, are there times of the semester when it’s busier and harder to get in?

MEGAN
Definitely. I would always say the busy times for advising and for my calendar. They actually pretty closely reflect when students are busy.
So, the start of the semester when you’re figuring out your schedule, midterms, when maybe you’re feeling a little bit more stressed and looking for more support. Enrollment season when you’re trying to look for and try to decide on that next semester’s classes, those are the busiest times for students and advisers, and usually for the same reasons. Most of our calendars are open at least three weeks in advance.

I would always tell students, you know, schedule early, try to look a little bit into the future as far as when you might have more questions and book in advance.

LAURA
Are there also options for students to drop-in and see an adviser, or does it all have to be scheduled?

MEGAN
Nope. So, every adviser and there are, I think, nine of us at that point.
So, the disclaimer is every adviser will do it a little bit differently. But most advisers do offer what we call drop-in advising. So, drop-in advising, if you’ve never heard that term, it’s generally like a block of time that an adviser will hold for students who can just come in, either in person or maybe in a Zoom room to ask a few more quick questions, or maybe more urgent questions.

For my drop-ins, I usually say anything you think will take maybe less than 5 or 10 minutes. That could be great to bring to drop-ins. You know, these quick multiple times in the week hours that I hold that other advisers would hold.

That’s compared, of course, to appointments which are usually 20 or 30 minutes in length, again depending on the adviser.

And those are really meant for longer questions, maybe more future planning something. Again, that might require really looking into your calendar and to your record and see what you’re thinking of. Advisers can also prepare for appointments. I’ve always enjoyed that. So those really complex questions maybe a little bit more appropriate for appointments, those quick questions, maybe just a what does this count for? Does this look okay on the front end? I think those are fair game or drop-ins.

LAURA
Do you think there’s any misconceptions that students have about advising?

MEGAN
I do; I think the most common one is whether we exist. So at least in engineering, you will always have an adviser. I know I said that at the start, but yes, engineering students have an assigned adviser. This is not the case across campus, but here you will always have an adviser. We are there.

I think the next most common misconception is that you have to be in some sort of crisis to come and talk to your adviser, and that’s really not the case. In fact, please come meet with me before you feel like your concern has turned into a crisis.

I know we’ve said it already a few times. You don’t need to know everything. You don’t have to figure every situation out on your own. So, if you’ve got at least something that feels a little concerning, that’s making you feel a little uneasy, please come and talk to us. Tell me what’s happening, and maybe we can help prevent that concern from turning into a crisis later on.

LAURA
I know ESS kind of has two sections to it. So, you’re the first part with the advising. And then we also have a programs portion. Can you tell me a little bit about what the programs does?

MEGAN
Programs is the other the other side of ESS. And they’re hosting things like events. They are organizing our tutoring center. So, the CAEE where we support most of our lower division and some upper division engineering classes.

So, while advisers are here for degree requirements and support, maybe more of a one-on-one setting, programs is hosting the other side of being a college student. So, where are you getting some of that support? Are you interested in certain organizations? Do you feel like you would benefit from a mentor on campus? ESS programs puts on a lot of the support side of the College.

LAURA
We’re really trying to make this real well-rounded student.

MEGAN
Definitely, yes. So, the advising side and then the program side, we all know each other. We all know what our strengths are. There’s another instance of referrals where in an appointment, I’m probably referring to programs. And then during those programs, they’re probably referring to advising.

I think that every adviser in ESS, we really do see the value for human support and for connection. Please do take us up on our offer to check-in. We want to know who you are beyond just a name. Say hi. Come introduce yourself. We want to know who you are. So yes, please, please come visit advising.

LAURA
Well, thank you so much Megan, for being here and answering all these questions and about advising and introducing us to Engineering Student Services and giving us a heads up on what the Golden Bear Advising is going to be all about in June.

MEGAN
Yes. Thank you. I hope that was helpful. I hope it’s encouraging to students to know a little bit more about what we offer, and I hope to meet many of you this fall.

LAURA
And thank you to everyone for listening to The (not so) Secret Guide to being a Berkeley Engineer. As I said earlier, this is our 10th year of the podcast and our first episode of introducing our incoming students to Engineering Student Services.

I’m really excited for you to check us out and the rest of the series this summer. We’re covering topics like study abroad and mental wellness. We have the co-presidents from the Engineering Student Council come and give us an amazing overview of engineering clubs and organizations on campus, so please be sure to check out the rest of the series for more guidance as you begin your Berkeley journey.

And we look forward to welcoming you to the College of Engineering this fall.