Do you find school understimulating? Do you love in-depth exploration of varied topics? An academic mentoring experience, or Learning Partnership, may be just what you're looking for to stretch your learning beyond the walls of the classroom.
Mentors have played a significant role in the lives of many young people featured in Genius Denied. In Chapter 7, we met Wenyi. Wenyi's mentoring relationship not only provided challenging academic experiences, but also allowed her to experience the joys and challenges of being a part of a research team. Her efforts were so extraordinary that her work was even published. Of course, not every mentoring relationship needs to be as rigorous as Wenyi's to be rewarding.
If you decide to pursue a Learning Partnership, the experience should provide you with an opportunity to enter into a relationship that is based upon a shared vision, explores your strengths and weaknesses in a particular interest area, and results in the completion of a project.
Things to Keep in Mind when Seeking Mentoring Experience
1) Successful academic mentoring experiences are goal-driven
- A mentorship will be most beneficial and most productive if it is focused on a specific project.
- Once a project is determined, a blueprint should be developed that includes an overview of the project, details your responsibilities and those of your mentor, discusses what skills you hope to gain, outlines required materials, and has a timeline.
2) Each party has a specific role
- The role of your mentor is to provide direction and advice on achieving the agreed upon goals.
- Your role is to:
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- establish the relationship;
- make a conscious effort to learn as much as possible;
- have a plan for the partnership and how to complete the project;
- meet the deadlines for the project;
- ask questions and propose solutions.
Determining whether or not you want to pursue an academic mentoring experience is the easy part. It's creating and maintaining the relationship that is the most challenging and often the most rewarding part of the experience. The following steps are provided to help you get started. Remember to be persistent and patient. And, a little creativity can make all the difference.
Seven Steps to Establish an Effective Learning Partnership
1) Determine your readiness
- An academic mentoring experience that works takes work. If you are not in a position to put in the effort to find, establish and maintain contact with a mentor, this type of relationship is probably not what you need right now.
- Decide what level of commitment you - and your family - are willing to make. This requires that everyone be realistic about the time and resources they are willing to invest.
- Prepare yourself to make the same commitment to your mentor that he or she is making to you. Academic mentoring experiences can last from six months to a year.
2) Determine in what area you would like to pursue a academic mentoring experience
- What are you interested in studying? How could that interest translate to a project that would allow you to learn more? Make a list of the possibilities and what you hope to accomplish through your academic mentoring experience.
3) Research potential mentors
4) Determine your "top three" and implement your contact strategy
- Determine the three individuals you would most like to work with. Be sure to involve your parents in the process. It is important to have their support.
Develop a contact log that includes the person's name, organization, physical and email addresses, telephone number and areas of specialty. Use this log to document emails, letters and telephone calls both sent and received.
5) Prepare a query package
A query package should contain a short biography, a description of the project you wish to pursue and a summary of what you already know about the particular topic. The objective of the query packet should be to gain a face-to-face or telephone meeting with the potential mentor.
- Send a note to everyone who responds to your query, whether or not they are able to work with you, thanking them for their consideration.
6) Interview potential mentors
- Once you've learned that someone is interested in being a mentor, arrange to talk with him or her. Ask about his or her profession, work environment, previous mentoring experiences, and availability. You are encouraged to involve your parents in this interview.
- If your potential mentor is willing to work with you, begin the process of creating the project blueprint. If he or she is not the right person, keep looking.
7) Don't give up
- Finding a good match can be difficult. In Chapter 5 of Genius Denied, it took Allie and her mother a year to find the right mentor. Keep trying until the right person comes along. There is a lot to be learned just from the process.
I've Found a Mentor. Now what do I Do?
Getting off on the right foot is critical to a successful experience. Here are some tips for getting started with your mentor.
1) Start by agreeing on the rules
- Some mentors will expect a very formal relationship, and others will be comfortable being very informal. Establish up front what's appropriate as far as phone calls, emails and visits.
- Define responsibilities and a timeline.
- Decide who will pay for expenses.
- Incorporate this information into your blueprint.
- Take things slowly and don't be intimidated.
It is likely you have big ideas about what types of experiences you should have as a protégé. However, patience is critical. You likely will need to prove yourself by demonstrating your abilities before you can advance. Ask about specific opportunities, but be patient if they don't come to fruition immediately. Developing a relationship takes time.
2) Ask for feedback
- A core goal of this partnership is for you to expand your knowledge. Even if you are getting feedback about some things, you may want to ask for more input in other areas.
Final Thoughts
Most mentoring experiences are extremely positive, however, if your experience is not working out the way you'd hoped, talk to your mentor. If the experience is still not a good match, thank the mentor for his or her time and explore other opportunities.
At the close your mentoring experience, take time to evaluate the experience honestly. Thank everyone who was involved. And remember, if you stay in this particular field, these individuals will become your colleagues. Make sure to leave them with a positive last impression.
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