Discover the Benefits of the BME Peer Advising Program

BME encourages undergraduate students to take advantage of the BME Peer Advising Program, an initiative dedicated to supporting the academic journey of our UG students. This year, we have three exceptional peer advisors on our team: Lauren Collins, Amin Jazaeri, and Elisabeth Gadzic. These highly approachable and knowledgeable advisors are here to support you!

Whether you’re crafting your four-year plan, exploring which courses align best with your career aspirations, or deciding your next steps, our Peer Advisors are here to help. They offer valuable insights and guidance that can make a difference in your academic planning.

“We’re here to show you what your path is, help you figure out what you enjoy, what classes you like, what content you’re interested in, and how you can get from point A to point B,” said BME senior and peer advisor Elisabeth Gadzic. “Peer advisors are here to give you the tools and the resources to know BME’s requirements for graduation, but ultimately to let you, as students, determine the classes that are most interesting to you and your goals and how those topics fit into the broader BME curriculum.”

Senior peer advisor Lauren Collins said that her own quest for degree advice when she was starting college inspired her to apply for the position. “After past negative advising experiences, declaring BME restored my trust as the advisors offered personalized guidance aligned with my career goals,” Collins said. “By becoming a peer advisor, I wanted to be able to provide that level of service for other BME students.”

Things Peer Advisors Can Help With:

Creating and reviewing your four-year academic plan.
Discussing courses that best fit your academic and career paths.
Interpreting audits and advising on subsequent courses.
Engaging high school students or non-declared engineering students in discussions about BME.
Please note that while peer advisors bring a wealth of experience and student-based knowledge, there are certain areas they don’t cover. For instance, they cannot adjust your audit, determine if a course counts towards your degree requirements, assist with graduate school applications, or discuss dual-degree options.

Things Peer Advisors Cannot Help With:

Adjusting audit details.
Confirming course eligibility.
Graduate school applications and SUGS questions.
Requesting course adjustments on audits.
Dual-degree considerations.
Waitlist/course enrollment outcomes.

“I applied to be a peer advisor because I enjoyed connecting with the BME community,” said Amin Jazaeri, a junior BME major. “I myself am a cross-campus transfer who at one point was a pre-health student. I wanted to help others like me decide on what they want to do after they graduate and how they want to navigate their own degree. I definitely received a lot of help from the advising team when I was an underclassman, and I wanted to give back to the new BME students.”

In addition to advising those trying to decide if BME is right for them, Jazaeri has assisted students in tailoring coursework to be more manageable for their schedules.

“A lot of students have needs outside of commitments to their classes,” Jazaeri added. “Some students are commuters, and some have families. Building a schedule that caters to their individualized needs is something that I think peer advisors can really help with. Also, peer advisors themselves have gone through the classes, so it’s useful for students to get a little bit of insider knowledge on how each class is structured with regard to workload and class expectations.”

Collins agreed that direct course experiences inform peer advisors’ advice and enhance their ability to connect with fellow students. For example, Collins is able to offer unique tips based on her own path. “When I first started at Michigan, I wanted to follow a pre-vet plan using my BME program, which was not very common,” she said. “I have had a couple of advising appointments with students who are interested in the same path, which is somewhat niche. Back when I first started, it was harder to find people familiar with that process. Even though I decided not to do pre-vet, I feel that I can help students who are interested in wanting to follow that route based on what I learned.”

Overall, Gadzic has some general advice that applies to all students. “Do not panic,” she said. “If something can be rearranged, you know there are always options. If there’s something that you were planning on taking later, you can totally take it earlier if you have the prerequisites. It’s not the end of the world if you modify your schedule.”

She added that staying engaged with available resources is an important aspect in degree planning. “I think the other piece of advice is for students to be proactive and start as early as possible,” she said. “You don’t have to finalize everything immediately, but it helps to have researched options in advance so that you are prepared to pivot, if needed, or stay the course if that works.”

Peer advisors are available for BME-declared undergraduate student appointments. You can easily book a session with them through our dedicated booking link. The current team of BME’s peer advisors has been working since October 31, 2024, and will be available for appointments until April 22, 2025. They are eager to contribute to your academic success and provide the personalized support that only fellow students can offer.
For additional details about course registration and other academic advising queries, refer to our Registration FAQ and complete the 450 Form. Stay updated with the latest student announcements by visiting this link.