Transitioning From Student to Mentor

[dcarr]

This is definitely a frequently discussed topic, and there is great material in several of the threads out there including the one you mentioned. However, I think this thread holds potential as a good discussion of the transition that takes place.

I started making this transition last year after graduating. As my university is a 1.5 hour drive in traffic during most weekdays from my team, I knew right away that I wouldn't be having an involved day-to-day role. Instead, I helped during the first week of build season to organize the chaos and help new students get on the right track (my winter break extended during the first week of build season). The rest of my mentorship, both in and out of build season, consisted of being an advisor to the awards and scouting teams and the team president/vice presidents. Most of this happened from a distance, via email, Google+, etc.

I think it's important to recognize, as you have, that it is a gradual transition that occurs over time. It must be treated just as any other extra-curricular activity would be that you are doing in college - school, and in my case, an internship, both come first. The other important distinction is to avoid "stepping on students' toes" and doing things that they should do instead. Even if you know you can do it better, it's more rewarding for you and the student to guide them through the process themselves.

To me, the role of a college mentor is distinctly different from that of a professional mentor both in terms of the practical time commitment and in what his or her role should be. I'm still learning as I go, and hopefully when I graduate I'll be equipped with both the technical skills and mentorship skills to truly be a good mentor.