You know academic advisors. Each department has one, every student has to meet with them. Some are kind of grumpy (understandably, after dealing with hundreds of stressed-out college students all the time) and some are straight-up Yoda in human form. Whatever most describes them, they are definitely under-appreciated and need some love every now and then. How better to do that than with a thank you note?

Dear Academic Advisor,

Let me just start out by saying that you are a rock star for dealing with my seemingly constant stream of questions and concerns. I am an anxious person to begin with and deciding what classes I am going to take to be able to graduate on time makes me even more of a nervous wreck, so it takes a special type of person to deal with that.

You somehow manage to remember all of our names. How do you do that? I can barely remember the names of people I’ve been in class with for three years now. Yet, every time I walk past your office, you greet me by name and with a smile, and I’ve heard you do the same to others. It means a lot that you care about the people whose futures you are advising.

Coordinating the different registration times for all four class levels must be exhausting. What about that random freshman that came in with 100 hours and now has no idea what classes to take? Or that super-super-super senior that just can’t seem to graduate? Your ability to keep everything organized and categorized is astounding.

During said registration weeks, the sheer amount of desperate emails begging you to “just force me into this class” must weigh heavily on your soul. I’m sure, in your heart of gold, you want to make it happen for everyone…but alas, you have to tell some people no. That must be so difficult to do, especially for a saint such as yourself. Bless your heart.

Lastly, there are the people who insist on doing things out of order and messing the whole timeline you have created for them up, or who are adamant about studying abroad and will not listen when you tell them “Emily, if you do this you will have to take all of your really difficult classes at the same time.”

So thank you, advisor, for all your patience and humble saint-hood. We pretty much all owe getting through our four-or-so years of college to you.