Joining a team as a mentor?

[Carol]

What is your area? I'm not picking on you, but does help to have a state and/or country in everyone's location field - a city or school name alone means nothing to those outside your area.

Unless someone does that on purpose to remain more anonymous.....

[Nate Laverdure]

Does having graduated HS a year ago mean that you'll be starting your second year of some kind of college in the Fall? If so, you should be warned that your academic responsibilities will soon start to noticeably ramp up. If you haven't done so already, I recommend that you read the hugely helpful Think Before You Mentor thread from cover to cover.

Another difficult part of being a young mentor is developing adult relationships with the students and with other mentors. In this case, you'll have an important advantage over folks attempting to mentor the same teams they were on as students: instead of trying to redefine your old relationships to fit your new role as mentor, you'll have the chance to develop new ones.

[LeelandS]

Originally Posted by Carol

What is your area? I'm not picking on you, but does help to have a state and/or country in everyone's location field - a city or school name alone means nothing to those outside your area.

Unless someone does that on purpose to remain more anonymous.....

Sorry. I fixed that. When I saw setting up my CD account 5-ish years ago, it didn't seem that prudent. And I just never got around to changing it. I'm sure you didn't mean it this way, but I read that as being kind of harsh... Still, no harm to foul

Originally Posted by Nate Laverdure

Does having graduated HS a year ago mean that you'll be starting your second year of some kind of college in the Fall? If so, you should be warned that your academic responsibilities will soon start to noticeably ramp up. If you haven't done so already, I recommend that you read the hugely helpful Think Before You Mentor thread from cover to cover.

I have given this a great deal of thought. Originally, I was going to wait until after college to start mentoring, but I realized I missed FRC too darn much to really make a realistic effort to stay away. I've got the bug.

However, thank you for the added consideration! I'll definitely look this over ("cover to cover"). I'll take any advice I can. I'm still not even sure if I really want to do this yet (I may want to wait until I transfer to my 4-year college so I'm in a more permanent setting), so I hope this will help me ease my mind on the subject.

Thanks again to everyone who has been contributing!

[Blackphantom91]

I was only in first 1 1/2 years before I decided to come back and be a mentor and I had zero expertise, Going on my third year im seeming to getting the hang of things.

1.) Time management- I assume your still in school? That comes first I remember thinking I could do both equally learned real fast I couldn't school has to come first its more important.

2.)As for contacting a team you should honestly just do it whom ever you have in mind just contact them on the phone then meet in person attend some meetings and make your decision.

3.) Mentoring other teams, I do it within different seasons FLL in the fall and FRC in the spring. I do know people that help out multiple teams very well, like I said its all about that first one Time Management.

If you have all of the above understood I say go for it I really enjoy mentoring to see kids faces when they achieve from something they have worked so hard on is quite rewarding to me(Makes me feel all warm inside).