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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.

Students should reach out to an academic advisor whenever they feel they need any help or guidance. It is recommended that students meet early with an advisor each semester. We suggest that students look to come in after the 12th day of class to start planning for their next term.

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 pathtransfer 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.  

DegreeWorks explains the progress you are making toward your Blinn College degree. It will also allow students to review previous advising sessions, calculate GPA, and run what-if scenarios if they are thinking of changing majors.  

All admissions documentation must be submitted to Enrollment Services/Admissions prior to meeting with an academic advisor.

Please visit Testing and Assessment for more information.

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. 

The Math Placement Exam (MPE) is a free, online assessment required for those students who wish to enroll in Pre-calculus (MATH 2412) or Calculus I (MATH 2413).

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.

It is never too early to contact your intended transfer institution. A visit to the college/university campus is encouraged. It is highly recommended to stay in contact with your transfer institution for the most up to date transfer requirements.

Academic Advisors do not provide information regarding financial aid. Please visit Financial Aid for more information.

Students with documented disabilities may seek support from Blinn College’s Office of Disability Services. Students are encouraged to contact this office as early as possible to initiate services. To make an appointment or to receive more information about services on all campuses, please contact the Office of Disability Services.

It is generally not suggested for incoming freshman to take an online course.

There are two types of online courses:

Online: Online courses are completed entirely online within a virtual classroom environment. In the course schedule, online course section numbers begin with "N."
Hybrid (blended): Blended courses combine online learning with traditional classroom instruction. In the course schedule, blended (hybrid) course section numbers begin with "B."

Students can drop a course online in their myBLINN account.
  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.
    Admissions Forms
  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.

Tutoring is available for free in the Learning Centers on the Brenham and Bryan Campuses. Visit Tutoring for more information. Students on the Schulenburg and Sealy Campuses should contact Enrollment Services for tutoring information.

Students can calculate a GPA in Degree Works. To access Degree Works, please visit your myBLINN account. Select the Student Links tab. On the bottom right side of the screen, select Degree Works. Then select, GPA Calc tab. Under the term calculator you can enter letter grades to calculate your semester GPA.

Students can request a transcript online. Unofficial transcripts may be printed from a student’s myBLINN account.

Part-time student worker jobs are available in various offices throughout the campuses. Job search and application are available online through the Human Resources web page.

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. 

Within the course syllabus, most instructors address absences. Most instructors will excuse the absence if you can provide written verification of illness from a doctor. Excused absences do not, however, excuse you from the requirements of the course. If you must miss an exam because of illness, call or e-mail your instructor before the absence. Talk with your instructor immediately following an absence to get advice about making up missed work.

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.