College enrollment has increased steadily over thepast decade, and there is an expectation thatenrollments over the next few decades will more thandouble our current college student population. Foryears, academic advising for college students was onthe periphery. Increasingly, however, faced with thechallenges created by the daunting costs andcompetition associated with college success, academicadvisors are finding themselves more and more presentto the everyday experience of college students. Thenew approaches to learning, including distancelearning and a growing returning student population,have contributed to the creation of the role of the professional academic advisor, as more collegesrecognize the value of the experience of advising.Adopting a phenomenological approach, this book isaddressed toward all who work in a student oracademic affairs role with college students, be theyaffiliated with a specific department or an advisingcollege. Student Affairs professionals are alsolikely to gain insight from this book.