Academic Advising Frequently Asked Questions

Please review the Academic Calendar.

Academic Advising is the interactive process of guiding students through course selection based on assessment outcomes, intended academic/career goals and future transfer colleges and universities.

Counseling is the provision of assistance and guidance in resolving personal, social, and psychology problems and difficulties by a professional.

Yes. It is recommended that students be advised early each semester to determine course planning and transfer eligibility.

The Texas State Initiative (TSI) Hold is placed on a student’s record when the student does not meet college readiness standards in Math, Reading, and/or Writing on the Texas State Initiative Assessment (TSIA). These students are required to be advised each semester until they complete their developmental sequence(s).

A TSI Initial Hold is placed on all new student records, some of which may be TSI complete or TSI incomplete.

• Be prepared to discuss your career path, transfer institution, and intended major.  
• If you are looking to transfer to another institution(s), research your intended institution(s) admissions requirements.  
• Review your DegreeWorks - available through myBLINN. Your DegreeWorks explains the progress you are making toward your Blinn College degree. 
• Think about your current semester and how your classes are going and what classes you may want to take in the upcoming semester. 
• Make notes of any questions or concerns that you have about your current degree status and bring these to your advising session.  

Registration can be completed in your myBLINN account. 

1. Click on the My Records tab under Registration Tools. 
2. Click add or drop courses. 
3. Scroll down to Course Search. 
4. Select Advanced Search. 

Tip: Ensure that your home campus is selected. If you are looking for online classes, select Distance Education for the campus. 

Please note that Academic Advisors are not able to register students for courses. 

A Q drop is a notation on a student’s transcript when a class is dropped without academic penalty. A student is only allowed 6 Q drops during the entire undergraduate academic career. This means the number of Q drops a student uses will follow him/her to other colleges.

A W (withdrawal) noted on a transcript is a complete removal from coursework due to unforeseen circumstances. Withdrawals must be documented and approved by the college. No penalty is assessed on the student’s academic transcript.

There are two types of online courses:

1. Log into myBLINN.
2. Click on the Add/Drop icon.
3. Choose the appropriate term.
4. Select the drop reason from the drop-down box next to the course to be dropped.
5. Submit changes at the bottom of the page.

The first step for changing your major(s) is to meet with an academic advisor in order to determine the appropriateness of the major(s).  Consulting with your academic advisor ensures you are following the appropriate degree track(s).

You can submit the change of major through your  myBLINN account.

1. Log in to your account with your username and your password.
   • Username: FirstName.LastNamexx (where xx is the last 2 digits of your Blinn ID #)
   • Default password: your birth date (MMDDYY) or use the password you have set
2. Once you are signed in, click the Admissions Forms icon.
   
3. Click "Change of Major Form - Associate of Applied Science Degrees, Certificates & Occupational Skills" under Additional Admissions & Records Forms and follow the instructions within the form.
   
   OR
   
   
4. Click "Change of Major Form - Associate of Arts and Associate of Science Degrees" under Additional Admissions & Records Forms and follow the instructions within the form.

Students who are not college ready and have an advising hold must come in to meet with advisors to have the hold removed prior to dropping their class.  If students do not have a hold, they are not required to meet with an advisor prior to dropping a course; however, a visit with Financial Aid and Housing is recommended, if applicable, prior to dropping a course. Please note that advisors do not drop students. 

If a course needed for a pre-requisite is in progress at another institution, students will need to send a PDF copy of their unofficial transcript showing the required pre-requisite listed as in progress at their current institution to the Division Operations Coordinator for the division that the course falls under for consideration and approval to register for the class. For contact information, please visit the Academic Divisions page.

If approval to register for the course is given, upon successful completion of course, students will need to submit official copies of transcripts with updated course information. Failure to provide updated official transcripts, two weeks prior to the start of classes, will lead to the course being dropped. 

Please note Blinn College requires official transcripts to complete a student’s enrollment. Students will need to request official transcripts sent from their previous institutions to Blinn College. For more information on submitting the required documents please see the Steps to Apply page.