With the beginning of the new academic semester, Iowa State students are once again looking to their academic advisers for help and advice.

Despite the large numbers of students needing assistance at the beginning of the semester, some advisers said they still have enough time to meet their advisees’ needs.

“We’re accessible at busy times, like at the beginning of the semesters. [However], students may have to wait,” said Rosa Bell, academic adviser for the College of Engineering, who has about 200 advisees.

“Right now, we’re busy, but we take walk-ins,” she said.

Lucinda Frederickson, College of Education academic adviser who sees about 250 students, said she tries to make it easier for students to know when she is available by posting an appointment schedule.

She said she also has walk-in hours available for students without appointments.

Carrie Doyle, undeclared freshman, said making an appointment with her adviser is easy.

“I haven’t had a problem with it. Whenever I need an appointment, it is really easy to get one,” Doyle said.

Doyle also said she has benefited from the appointments she has had with her adviser.

“I needed to know what I needed academically, and she pointed me in the right direction,” Doyle said. “She was very straightforward.”

Mary Goodwin, advising coordinator for the College of Education, said she would like to see more students use the services offered by their advisers.

“I would like [to see] more students coming before midterms to ask for help,” she said.

Goodwin said advisers offer academic help by referring students to tutors and other resources on campus.

Even though Bell feels that advisers do a good job of informing students of the services they provide, she thinks there could be alternative routes of communicating with students.

Doyle thinks students will be more willing to use the services provided by advisers if there is a good relationship between the student and the adviser.

“If the advisers are understanding and helpful, the students will take advantage of their services,” Doyle said.

Olivia Dietz, freshman in biology, said she has a good relationship with her adviser.

“He is very helpful and knows how to make things seem simpler,” Dietz said. “When I e-mail him a question, he always responds within a day.”