Find a College Mentor to Improve College Life
Attending college is an important moment in every student’s life. Besides introducing the student to a new set of friends, college opens the door for more avenues. Making the right choice with respect to these avenues is imperative because it sets the foundation for the student’s professional career. Since this is uncharted territory for the majority of students, they’re bound to make mistakes. So, getting any advice would go a long way in helping them steer in the direction.
The best person to get college advice from is from someone who has actually “been there, done that”. These people are formally referred to as “College Mentors”. A mentor can bestow the right advice to the student and can help mediate issues that the students are at cross-roads with.
What Does a College Mentor Do?
Mentors exist everywhere. There is always someone who has more experience in any avenue or issue that you are in close proximity to. Be it professional advice or personal advice, a mentor is someone who gives you guidance on how to overcome the difficulties that haunt you. In fact, the concept of mentorship has become more prevalent with social media, especially in entrepreneurship. Experienced entrepreneurs offer to mentor young entrepreneurs for a fee and help them get started with their business idea.
It’s the same with college mentors. These range from senior students, alumni, and teachers who help students in need. There is no fixed service that they offer, besides guidance. Here’s how mentors can guide you:
- Provide support for financial aid forms
- Help you find internships and prepare for intern interviews
- Teach you how to network in college
- Introduce you to other alumni who can help you out
- Provide guidance on choosing a major
- Help you with test prep for the tests, SATs and the ACT
College Mentors for High School Students
Students in their penultimate year of high school need guidance. They need to make a choice between a host of colleges, and it is a daunting task to choose a college that is well-suited for their needs. That’s where having a mentor can be fruitful.
Mentors with vast experience in this field can help struggling students and their parents to make a choice in this regard. College Applications are an intricately designed time bomb waiting to explode; one mistake and it could explode, rendering negative consequences for the student and his/her parents. So, they need to be approached carefully and with a strategy.
Also, if a student shows promise, scholarships are another avenue that needs to be explored. Hence, a mentor with the right amount of experience can be the link that helps the student get there.
Mentors While in College
Imagine this, you’ve finally made it to the college of your choice. Classes are in full swing and you’re overwhelmed with the plethora of opportunities around you. How do you go about it?
The answer is to seek help from people who’ve been in your shoes a.k.a a Mentor. Being a mentor, as mentioned previously, isn’t a formal job, especially in college.
College seniors and teaching staff are the best mentors in this instance. It all comes down to the level of involvement that a student exhibits and colleges today understand the needs of their students. They have designated departments to help their students out and students can seek help for almost anything, regardless of whether it is personal or professional.
Networking with a College Mentor
Getting a good college mentor is easier said than done. As a student who’s trying to find their footing in the always on-the-move college life, any advice would be welcome. However, how does one differentiate good advice from generic advice? That’s where a mentor makes all the difference.
The best way to get a mentor is to network as much as possible. College is all about exploring all the opportunities afforded to a student and networking is the first step in doing that. If you feel that there is someone who can guide you to where you want to be, approaching them is the first step in establishing a relationship. Have a casual chat with them, ask them to meet over a coffee or in an informal setting, and go from there. The more you network, the better opportunities will come your way. But if you are socially anxious and found yourself to get nervous at the thought of networking, then UStrive is here to save your day.
Find a Mentor with Ustrive
UStrive is an online platform that specializes in finding the right mentors for high school and college students. Once you sign up on the platform, it connects you with the right mentor, according to your needs. Our mentors help you from filling out college applications to further dissecting prospective career opportunities. The best part is that it is all online, so if you hate interacting with people in an “offline” setting, this could very well be worth the shot.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right mentor takes time and patience. Everyone has advice to offer, but only a handful of them will offer advice that will stick. But that shouldn’t hold you back from exploring avenues on your own. Everything in college is about trial and error. Your future mentor got to the position they are at by trying things out, and so should you. Because once you have the experience, you can then guide others to avoid the mistakes that you did.
