5 Q's with Anna Bednarski

5 Questions with…Anna Bednarski 

Associate Director, Student Services Generalist 
Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering 

Anna Bednarski has been a professional academic advisor for almost 20 years. At the Luddy School, she helps students map out their courses and future career paths and teaches SICE Y100: Exploring Tech Pathways. Bednarski began her IU career as an undergraduate in the School of Education with jobs at RPS, Hoosier Courts Nursery School, and New Student Orientation, and later worked as an academic advisor in the Department of Biology.

In her spare time, she enjoys watching TV (especially home improvement and science fiction shows), collecting nail polish, crafting, volunteering as a roller derby official, supporting IU Soccer, and hanging out with her husband and pets: Charlie the cat, and Redmond and Dolly, her basset hounds. She earned her B.S. in special education and J.D. in the Maurer School of Law, both at IU Bloomington, and is now taking classes in the Instructional Systems Technology program in the IU School of Education.

Q: What does a workday look like during the academic year? About how many students do you meet with on a typical Monday? 

I’ll start my answer the same way I do with students, which is … I have an answer for you that’s not a real answer! Which is to say, there no one single answer. For advisors, the workday and number of students looks vastly different depending on their advising population, time of year, and other responsibilities. Student appointments are often busy during summer new student orientation (June-July) and continuing registration time (in October/November and April). The first weeks of the semesters can also be busy. Other times of year, an academic advisor might also need to double-check records of graduating students, prepare to teach a course, reach out to students who are struggling, or meet with their department’s faculty for a curriculum committee.  

Both career and academic advisors do lots of continuing education and work with data as well. We use technology to get to know our students’ needs and to help them know that we’re here to help. Although the heart of our jobs can be one-on-one meetings, advising is a complex endeavor with lots of moving parts! 

Q: What do you tell students now that you wish you’d known as a student? 

There are so many ways to get support as a student! As an illustration: the first time I changed my major at IU, it was because my computer failed in the middle of my first semester. This destroyed a big paper I was writing, which caused me to drop a class in my major, which led me to drop the major completely. See how silly that sounds? (If you give a mouse a cookie …) 

When I tell that story to my classes, I point out that I never checked in with my academic advisor at all during this process.  I was too embarrassed to ask for help, and I was unsure whether advisors could even help in that situation. I also didn’t meet with my professor or anyone in my classes. 

If I was advising my younger self, I’d ask myself questions like: why did I choose my major? What are my study strategies? Do I have long term academic and career goals? I might or might not have changed my major, but at least I could make an informed decision about what to do. (P.S.: Everything turned out OK – eventually!)

Q: What do you love about your work?  

I love soooo many things about my work! The career and academic advisors that I work with are phenomenal people. The vast majority have earned graduate degrees and have pursued varied and interesting professional backgrounds. I’ve been lucky to work closely with some of the best advisors in the field at IU. 

As for the students: it may sound corny, but it’s true: they are a source of inspiration. Every year, I get to share in their successes and help them work through their struggles. Even after almost 20 years, the Fall semester is a time of optimism for me because they’re ready to begin again. Spring is exciting too, but in a different way. It’s when the students tell us stories about all the amazing things they’re going to do as they leave IU, and all of us career and academic advisors get to cheer them on their way.  If we’re lucky, they’ll report back sometimes, which really means a lot to an advisor. 

Beyond the interpersonal aspects of my career, I love that I really get to innovate too. A big part of my job is about communication with students. However, any advisor must get creative for their communication to make an impact. For instance, our team at Luddy is currently developing some new digital ways to introduce new students to the school and to keep our students informed about what’s going on in Luddy. I’m fortunate that I’ve been supported whenever I want to try new things that can help me do my job better. 

Q: What is your favorite spot on campus? 

That’s a tough one—there are so many!  My husband and I like to picnic around Showalter Fountain and the Arboretum. (Side note: I want to play the Metz Carillon someday—can anyone hook me up?) I lived in Ashton Center for four years, so I have a soft spot for those buildings. And like most people, I still enjoy a good show at IU Auditorium or the MAC. Plus, Dunn’s Woods is so pretty in the fall. 

Not to make other IU employees jealous, but my office in Luddy Hall has two big windows and new carpet. That’s the definition of a sweet spot on campus! 

Q: If someone were deciding whether to move to Bloomington and work at IU, what would you tell them? 

I’ve lived in Bloomington on and off for 30 years, and I still find so much to discover about this town. And IU is one of the most (if not THE most) beautiful campuses in the world, with great students, staff, and faculty. My career has been spent trying to meet IU’s missions to educate students and improve our world. What’s a better goal than that?