To help you get your mentoring relationship off to a good start, consider these first steps.
Determine Meeting Specifics
- Decide on an approximate meeting frequency (e.g. 2 times/semester).
- Decide on a typical meeting length (e.g. 1 hour).
- Decide on a meeting location.
First Meeting Essentials
- Review the Handbook on Student Rights and Responsibilities.
- Discuss the various student services available and how the mentoring relationship complements them.
- Discuss the purpose of mentoring and what each of you expects from the mentoring relationship.
- Don't be afraid to ask your mentee questions about why they want a mentor and what they hope to learn through the Program.
- Review the resources.
- Sign the Mentoring Guidelines and undergrad.mentoring [at] mcgill.ca (email us) a copy.
Conversation Starters
It will be easier to initiate conversation if you have a starting point. Consider these conversation starters:
- The first-year experience so far and adjusting to McGill
- Common interests and hobbies
- Shared academic interests
- Academic fields of interest beyond one’s central focus
- Career exploration and goals
- Personal skill development and related goals
- A typical day at school/work
- Personal accomplishments
- School-work-life balance
- Montreal life
- Travel