- It's not ideal if an advisor has so many advisees that they don't know who they all are. Students are less comfortable approaching an advisor if they have to explain who they are.
- It's not ideal if advising is the only thing that the student sees the advisor for. It's better if the advisor and advisee know each other in another context, such as if the advisor is the student's instructor or research supervisor. I think that students don't want to go see an advisor who doesn't know them. I think it's hard for advisors to know how to advise a student when they don't know the student.
- It's not ideal when the student has to go meet the advisor in the advisor's office in an unfamiliar building. The formality and unfamiliarity of the setting will make it harder for the student to feel comfortable talking to the advisor.
- It's not ideal when students have to make an appointment with an advisor. Appointments should be an option, but students also find it convenient to be able to drop in any time, especially if they feel they have a quick question which is not substantial enough to warrant their requesting an appointment.
If I ever find myself in a more traditional advising job, I think I would want to overcome the shortcomings by doing things like:
- Making sure my advisees know who I am, for example, by speaking to them as a group at an orientation, and trying to learn who they are.
- Getting involved in activities or committees where I would interact with students.
- Holding drop-in hours at an accessible location such as student union at a convenient time.
