How Does a Mentee Get the Most Out of Their Session?

Being a mentee provides a sense of community and belonging, and is a beautiful step towards personal, academic and professional growth.

You’ll create life-long memories, bolster your employability skills and take charge of your own education and development.

To help you prepare, here are a few tips that will enhance your experience as a mentee.

Before you book

Pour adequate time and energy into reviewing mentor profiles to make sure whomever you choose is a good match.
Look for someone approachable with a set of skills, qualifications or experience you aspire to.
Read reviews written by other mentees to get a sense of each mentor’s strengths and weaknesses.
Feel free to send through a hello and some questions to see if a mentor is able to provide the support you need when you need it.

Clearly communicate your expectations and any special needs you may have to your mentor.
Setting goals is important, too – both for each session and long term.

For example, ask yourself, “What are three key problem areas that I would like to work on?” Once you have come up with an answer, send these goals through to your mentor using Vygo’s in-app chat feature.
If your session is on campus, consider booking a table at the agreed meeting place well in advance to make sure it’s available for you. If your session is online, be clear about when you will be phoning in and take into account each other’s timezones.
Finally, be prepared! Bring the relevant textbook, ensure you have the correct paperwork, write out a list of questions, take a copy of your assignment’s criteria sheet and get a hold of some practice exams – whatever is relevant and necessary to ensure both users get the most out of the session.

At the beginning of a session, set your expectations. What are you hoping to learn? What questions would you like to have answered? What would you like to better understand?
Ask your mentor as many open-ended questions as possible (remembering that open-ended questions require more than just a yes or no answer).
Do not rush – if you are not grasping an idea, it is better not to book another session until you have gone over all of your other content