First-Year Success Advising

Your first-year success adviser is like a personal life coach, helping you navigate Clark and answering any questions you have. They are there to support you from the summer before you start at Clark through May, at the end of your first year.

Students will be required to meet with their FYSA twice – once at the beginning of the summer to check in and go through the checklist, and once as noted about advising for classes.

Before your first year begins, you will meet with your first-year success adviser to discuss your academic interests and sign up for classes.

To get the most out of this meeting, we suggest you:

Read about Clark’s undergraduate curriculum.
Review the course offerings and think about which courses interest you.
Check out the Academic Advising Handbook available through the Academic Advising Center.
Make a list of questions for your advising appointment.

First-year courses fill up quickly! Make sure you meet with your adviser sooner rather than later. Watch for emails from Clark in June to find out when you should schedule a meeting.

To set up the meeting:

Complete the required online Advising and Registration Tutorial, which will introduce you to Clark’s course requirements.
At the end of the tutorial, you will schedule an advising appointment with your adviser.
Complete the Adviser Information Form so that your adviser gets a sense of your interests.

You will meet with your adviser via Zoom. During the meeting, your adviser will give you a personal identification number (PIN) to register for classes.

Once the academic year begins, feel free to check in with your first-year success adviser (also called your FYSA) for any questions you have about signing up for classes, connecting with faculty, getting involved in campus life, living on or off campus, and more.