Advice - Colorado College

Printer-friendly PDF

During the 2004 and 2005 spring semesters, mentors were asked:

What advice would you give a new mentor?
What do you wish you’d known?  

• Plan activities before classes begin and during the first week of block 1 (capitalize on early enthusiasm and motivation)
• Link name to face right away (i.e. take photos)
• Have them write down info about themselves on index cards (e.g. hometown, extracurricular interests, favorite movie,
• Send several emails early on to get them in the habit of checking email
• Before first day of classes, meet to walk to classroom and talk about fears and expectations
• If you do a lot early, you won’t have to prove yourself later
• Meet on an individual basis right away (e.g. casual conversation over coffee)
• If living off-campus, early connection is crucial. Invite them to your apartment

The FYE class

• Contact with faculty teaching course is crucial; cultivate faculty-mentor relationship
• Establish a clear expectation with faculty regarding responsibilities
• Have professor legitimize your role by including you in the class
• Find out how they are doing in class w/different assignments
• Get a copy of the syllabus & familiarize yourself with the readings
• Be as involved in the class as possible (e.g. attend occasionally)
• Ask professor to link you to course and to highlight your potential to provide academic support
• Use classroom setting for sign-ups and activity announcements

Defining the relationship

• Try to put yourself in their shoes and remember what it was like (particularly your FYE experience)
• Don’t act superior – more of an older brother or friend; less of a parent
• Be approachable – helps define the relationship after class ends
• Being more of a friend and less of an authority figure may help sophomore mentors
• Be friends and establish trust – they already know you as an authority figure
• Let social connections emerge from something else
• Say hello on campus and capitalize on these informal interactions
• Support mentees by attending their concerts, athletic contests, debates, etc.
• Don’t force activities on them---sell it as fun

• Link mentees with campus activities and dept events that are in sync with their interests
• Don’t overwhelm First Year students with too much info at first
• Be available & really listen to what they have to say
• Show up where you know they will be (e.g. outside classroom at break)
• Have a thorough understanding of the registration process and related issues
• Model a balanced life outside the classroom
• Find out about their interests and capitalize on that. Follow up to reinforce the idea that you are a resource.

Logistics & planning

• If you have a large group, divide into smaller groups for some activities
• Coordinate with other mentors – combine groups for activities
• Be flexible about scheduling times for events
• Make a schedule so that they will know when and where you are available
• Registration advising takes a lot of time. Use a sign-up sheet for times.
• Advance notice of activities - Give detailed explanations of time and location w/multiple reminders
• Serve food
• Email distribution list is crucial. Keep in contact via email, especially after Blocks 1 & 2
• Consider creating a phone list for the group
• Take advantage of events planned by other groups (e.g. dept lunches, lectures)
• Do something in a social (non-academic) setting
• Leadership skills help

Your life as a mentor

• Make a commitment to the role – schedule other things around this priority
• Understand that mentoring takes time and energy. Be organized so that you can be available.
• It’s challenging to work in a role that has minimal structure
• Don’t take a difficult class Block 1
• Go into mentoring with a positive attitude and be patient
• Self-monitor periodically à How am I doing as a mentor?
• Relax and have fun – plan activities that you enjoy
• Don’t expect everyone to respond and don’t take it personally when they don’t