Second Year Experience - Office of Student Success

Step 1

Step 1: Fall Academic Advising

Schedule an appointment during the Fall semester. Look on mySail to see who your Academic Adviser is or go to the find my Academic Adviser website.

Why make this appointment?

Verify you're in a major that is the right fit for you;
Double-check you're taking the correct classes for your major;
Gain insights on academic and campus resources!

Bonus: You’ll receive an SYE t-shirt for meeting with your Academic Adviser (while supplies last of course, so don’t put off seeing your Academic Adviser)!

Step 2

Step 2: Engagement

As part of the Second Year Experience, we want you to participate in at least two engagement opportunities throughout the year. Your Academic Adviser will talk with you about these areas of engagement:

Major/Minor Exploration

This exploration is to ensure you're in a major that is the right fit for you and consider what minors may complement your degree. Sample major/minor exploration opportunities include:

Major info sessions
Major expos
Group advising
Job shadowing

Research Engagement

Now is the time to learn all you can about your field of study and prepare for your future. Sample research engagement opportunities include:

Department hosted event or lecture
Research consultations with a librarian
Meeting with faculty/program adviser
Attending an academic workshop

Career Engagement

Start building your resume and thinking about your career after graduation now. Sample career engagement opportunities include:

Major specific research
Internship or co-op
Career fair/internship mixer
Visiting an on-campus recruiter

Campus/Community Engagement

Focusing on academics is important in college, but college is also about making memories, meeting new people, and having great stories to tell. Sample campus/community engagement opportunities include:

Social student organization
Leadership & volunteer work
Sporting events
Performance events

Wellness Engagement

Taking care of yourself is important and OU offers a wide variety of wellness opportunities for current students. Sample wellness engagement opportunities include:

Going to the Recreation Center
Attending cooking demonstrations
Intramural Sports
Wellness student organizations

Step 3

Step 3: Winter Academic Advising

In your Winter semester academic advising appointment, you’ll review those engagement opportunities from Step 2. The primary goal of this appointment with your Academic Adviser is to ensure you are on track with your courses and involved on campus.

Your Academic Adviser will also help you plan out next year’s course schedule. To be prepared for full-year registration, meet with your Academic Adviser before mid-March.

Step 4

Step 4: Prepare for Your Third Year

It's time to prepare for your third year at Oakland University! Two main items to complete are full-year registration and ensure you have engaged in your major.

1. Full year registration happens every year in late March and/or early April. Meet with your Academic Adviser and create a plan before registration begins.

2. Have you gained experiences in your major that will either lead to a job after graduation or help you get accepted into graduate school? If yes, keep up the great work and continue what you are doing. If no, take action and talk to your Academic Adviser about your next best steps.