Steven Spielberg once said that “the delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”
College mentors can have a life-changing effect on a student’s career by empowering them with the guidance, confidence and skills necessary to succeed. There are very few aspects of the college experience more important than a simple teaching learning on the campus. Students need mentors to assist in navigating the complexities of higher education, the uncertainty and anticipation of what post-college life has in store.
Mentoring is not about helping someone out who is facing difficulty in performing well in his related job but the key part of mentoring is to help the mentees to further develop their skills and abilities. The mentor is one who guides the mentee and sets them on a good career path. It involves goal setting and achieving, training and networking.
A mentor is an extra support for an individual just getting started in their career. Mentor can be termed as the extra advisor that helps them navigate mentee’s way through the energetic culture or even direct them in their next professional steps. Research has demonstrated that mentoring can also have a positive impact on the emotional and mental health of both the mentee and the mentor.
However, mentoring programs can also have a positive impact on the mentees by connecting them with other people in the organization. In addition, because technology and industry is changing rapidly, the ability to connect help the mentors and mentees learn new things even at their own peer level. They can also discover different ways of doing things. All of these help the mentor and mentee not to grow professionally and personally, but can also prove an advantage to improve in their life skills as a whole.
Mentorship in the Classroom
On-campus mentorship allows students to gain perspective and confidence in the classroom.
Campbell, who won a Nobel Prize in 2015 for discovering a parasitic disease-treating drug called ‘avermectin,’ is just one example of the many dedicated experts who work side-by-side with students in the lab. The impact Campbell made on his students through mentorship was immediately evident following the announcement of his Nobel Prize win.
Mentorship in the Real World
Beyond the classroom , mentors assist students in career and life choices. Transitional times are most difficult for individuals who don’t have a clear understanding of the environment or situation they’re transitioning to.
The four key ways mentors help students in their careers:
- Goal-Setting: Mentors assist college students in determining their career aspirations, and work with students to achieve them.
- Networking: Because mentors are often well-known and respected in their field and community, they can connect students with other professionals, internships and jobs.
- Broadening the Scope of Knowledge: Along with introducing students to professionals and opportunities in their chosen field, mentors acquaint students with new resources and organizations.
- Job-Seeking and Interview Skills, and Job Retention: Mentors are able to demystify the often overwhelming job-seeking and interview processes, and offer first-hand advice on how future graduates can stand out to potential employers. In addition, mentors advise students on maintaining career longevity.
OUR COLLEGE AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
The major reason that college decide to mentor is succession planning. Our college has one mentor after every 10 students of the class. These mentors understand the problems and obstacles faced by mentees in their learning journey and help them to come ahead. This all is done under the supervision of Principal Mentor (Coordinator of the program). All departments and NSS have mentors and stage out their best.
Higher authorities – Principal & Vice-Principal (Academics in-charge) meet all these mentors every fortnightly to help them further by understanding their problems which they may be facing in the improvement of certain mentees and suggest them ways to overcome.
HIGHER AUTHORITIES LESSONS TO MENTORS
“Keep in mind that every mentee is different, and you should approach each mentoring relationship differently. The goals and objectives of each mentoring situation will be unique to the individuals involved. It is best to sit down and write out goals and boundaries for the mentoring relationship. This can include how often you will meet, what the mentees hope, what the mentor can offer to help them to last this relationship for ever”.
The future course of actions is also decided by the mentors on the needs of mentees and higher authorities actively implement that.
