If you were anything like me, you were not the biggest fan of treading the beaten path. Most of us here at Brown have some kind of indie — or maybe hipster is more appropriate — flair and have never been fans of being told what to do. This independent streak translates to why our open curriculum is so valued.
I have written about its emancipating appeal on numerous occasions, but it is still a system that takes time and effort. As freshmen come in, we vouch that they have little to fear with the numerous advising stabilizers at their disposal. We laud faculty advising and even assure that deans are willing to drop what they are doing for a student in need. Both these can be true, but they tend to be in subjective situations. Informal or peer advising ends up being the most influential to Brown students, and it is time we build upon those foundations.
Most incoming students are excited as they learn the name of their faculty advisor prior to their arrival. Building close relationships with professors can be one of the most rewarding experiences at college, and it is a feature Brown loves to publicize. That said, your advisor more often than not has interests very different from yours. Most advise voluntarily, and while some can help cultivate some sense of purpose in you, most leave you grasping for more. Yet it is hard to blame the professors, considering how consuming teaching and absurd research requirements may be.
Concentration advisors end up facing the same problems. Though they may have more time dedicated specifically to one-on-one time with students, there are few departments that are not facing a resource crunch, which leads to less interaction. International Relations is a perfect example. This department is easily one of our most popular concentrations — what explanation can there be for having only one advisor for more than 100 students every year?
I had no problems with my initial faculty advisor, but something just did not quite click. I was fortunate to have a great concentration advisor, but I recognize this is not common. I have learned most from those around me. I came in as a sophomore transfer, and if it were not for my friends, I would never have realized the importance of starting off with five classes with the option of dropping one later. I am also sure I could have avoided some of the initial, abysmal professors had I grown closer to my friends earlier.
And with that I find hope. I am grateful to be at a school that has such a developed peer advising program. Furthermore, in recent years we have seen the emergence of the Matched Advising Program for Sophomores to fill the void not having an official student advisor may give you in your second year. We also have the larger Curricular Resource Center, which tragically not enough people know of, let alone visit. That said, there is still more we can do. We have plenty of Departmental Undergraduate Groups, but other than the Philosophy or International Relations ones, I can hardly think of any whose work I see frequently publicized or discussed. DUGs can act as an outlet for more guidance, but this is under the assumption that the students running these organizations are really in it for reasons other than resume building.
Another aspect of Brown that we frequently overlook is that there are accessible means for freshmen to interact with upperclassmen. Our plethora of clubs is a great outlet, while the fact that the majority of our classes are open to all years is an added advantage. Though the stigma against freshmen here is not as bad as at most schools, it still exists. I have been trying to trace how to reduce that, and I personally believe we need to revamp our housing system in order to improve interaction and avoid segregating first-years in Perkins Hall or Keeney Quadrangle.
We have a complex but wonderful system here at Brown. Professors and faculty do not always have the time to guide us. Even if they should, the economics involved frequently lead to their role being diminished. We have great student initiatives in place, but there is even more we can be doing to help students fulfill their potential.
Nikhil Kalyanpur '13 likes little talks. He can be reached at nikhil_kalyanpur@brown.edu.
