3 Benefits of Having a Mentor While in College

A mentor is someone who helps a less-experienced person navigate life, school, or business. The relationship between the mentor and mentee is based on mutual trust and a common respect between both parties. A good mentor understands the role they play and adheres to boundaries, knowing their main purpose is to be reliable, caring, and supportive. When it’s a good match, having a mentor while you’re in undergraduate or grad school can be a priceless tool, providing you with advantages other students will never get to experience.

Motivation

The life of a student is filled with stress and worry, and it’s very easy to get overwhelmed, even questioning your choice of major at times. Sometimes all you need is a shoulder to cry on and a word of encouragement. A mentor can pick you up when you’re feeling down and help you keep your focus on long-term goals, instead of just panicking about the next assignment or exam around the corner. For those moments when you think that you don’t have what it takes, a mentor can help bring you down to earth and offer comfort. Boosting someone’s confidence in the form of a kind word can carry a lot of weight and mentors understand that.

Learn time management

Time management is another way mentors are invaluable. Most students tend to struggle with all of the different aspects of college life. They know they need to set aside the right amount of time for work, classes, socializing, and studying, but there are only so many hours in a day, and sometimes multiple things can seem equally important. A mentor provides an unbiased opinion about how you should organize your time and priorities. This perspective can help stop you from aimlessly juggling your responsibilities.

Get answers

Most people who volunteer their time as mentors have years of knowledge and experience, so take advantage of this and ask plenty of questions throughout your mentorship. If you are planning on entering the same industry as your mentor, they might have even gone through some of the same challenges you are facing, which means they have first-hand experience with solving your specific issues. Don’t be afraid to confide in your mentor and seek all the advice you can. They also have access to a wide network of potential connections that you should definitely get to know. Often in business, knowing the right people matters, so the more connections you can make early on, the better your changes once you graduate.

Originally published at haralambosgeroulanos.com on October 3, 2018.