Butler will be your home for academic advising through all four of your years at Princeton. As part of the college where you live, eat, and socialize, your advisers will get to know you well beyond your classes, and they will take time to learn about your interests, talents, goals, or concerns. Even though you may move into unaffiliated housing your last two years, you will continue to receive counsel from people who have seen you grow at Princeton.
First-year and Sophomore Advising
During your first two years at Princeton, your advising is housed in your community in Butler, and you have a whole advising team to guide you. In addition to your faculty adviser, a Peer Academic Adviser (PAA) is assigned to your zee group in the residence halls, along with a Residential College Adviser (RCA) and Resident Graduate Student (RGS), each of whom can share wisdom with you based on their different experiences and areas of interest. You see them in study breaks and around Butler, and you may well be in classes or clubs with your PAA or RCA, so you will have ample opportunity to get their advice. Last but not least, Dr. Lazen and Dean Andrews follow your progress closely and can help you with complicated matters or give you a second opinion. Dr. Lazen takes the lead advising first years and sophomores, but Dean Andrews is also available to meet with you. You can contact Dr. Lazen with questions at [email protected] or, better yet, make an appointment to talk to him by going to his online appointment calendar.
With so many advisers at Butler and beyond, how do you know who to talk to? You’ll form different relationships with each of your advisers, but a lot will depend on what kind of assistance or information you need. You can learn more about all the advisers available to you at Princeton, including pre-professional advisers and directors of undergraduate studies, by reading this Guide to Advisers.
For information on how to navigate Princeton academics, entering first-years can also find excellent guidance in the Class of 2027 Academic Guide, on the Learning at Princeton page of Path to Princeton, and on the First Year page on the Office of the Dean of the College’s website. Sophomore year brings new opportunities and challenges. You can, for instance, find information about Choosing a Major on the Dean of the College website. Of course, there’s no substitute for personalized guidance from people who know you, and your friendly advisers at Butler are here to answer any questions and help steer you in the right direction for your talents, interests, and goals!
Junior and Senior Advising
In your junior and senior years, the college continues to be an important part of your academic advising and support even though some of you may have moved into unaffiliated housing, and all of you will have departmental advisers with whom you choose classes and address department-specific concerns. Just as Dr. Lazen worked with you most closely in your first two years, Dean Andrews will take the lead in your junior and senior year. You can see her for any question relating to academics, and her advice can be especially helpful when it comes to strategies for completing distribution and degree requirements, the best resources for help with specific courses or independent work, and the best way to interact with departmental faculty advisers. You can make an appointment with her by emailing her at [email protected]. All upperclass students can benefit from the academic resources at Princeton and should be on the lookout for email from Dean Andrews about specialized support and residential college bootcamps for independent work over the January Wintersession and spring break.