How should I initiate contact with students, and how often?

Send an e-mail or phone the student and ask when they would like to meet.  You can suggest meeting at the “Bienvenida,” but feel free to arrange another time if it is more convenient.  At the first meeting you can discuss with the student how often they would like to meet with you.  You may suggest once a month, or twice a semester.  We encourage all peer mentors to check-in with their student at least once a month.

What type of advice should I be prepared to give to students?

How long it usually takes students to complete a degree, what steps are necessary to complete a degree, things you have learned along the way towards completing your degree (perhaps things you might have done differently), how to deal with graduate faculty, etc.  You may also be asked about the more personal side of graduate school, like how to keep your sanity, doubts about staying in grad school, balancing relationships with work, how to live on a graduate student budget, etc.

What do I do if the person I’m mentoring says that they think that they will quit grad school?

Try to ask them why.  If it is something you have been through before, talk about your experience.  Find out if it is actually the program, the field of study or the profession that they dislike, or if they are having emotional difficulty.  In the latter case, a referral to counseling services may be most appropriate.

What should I do if I find that I may not be the best one to be the mentor for a given student?

If you feel like you just don’t click with one of your mentees, contact the project assistant.  Explain your concerns to them, including why you think you are not the best match.  (Remember to obey rules of confidentiality here, though). 

Hopefully, you will be able to generate some ideas on who might better serve the students.  You can then introduce the student to this new peer mentor and explain why the new mentor might be a great person to see to ask about a given issue, (advisor, transition to grad school, etc.).  It is probably best not to “officially” drop the student from your mentoring altogether, however, and to just let the transfer process happen as naturally as possible.  If mentor/student problems are more severe, contact the project assistants for a referral.

In brief, what type of time commitment will this involve?

Beyond the mandatory meeting once a semester of all peer mentors, the time you invest in peer mentoring is up to you.  We strongly encourage mentors to check in with their students regularly throughout the semester.  Otherwise, you will be the better judge of how much time each students needs or wants.  There will also be many opportunities for you to check-in with your mentee at ongoing PNMGC activities.

What type of support network is available if I find that I am being asked questions I don’t have ready answers for?  Also, what should I do if a time-sensitive problem comes up that I find I just don’t have the time to deal with at the moment?

If you find yourself confronted with issues beyond your time demands or expertise, whether personal or professional, there are people you can go to (see project assistants). For issues of a more personal nature, such as depression, emotional difficulties, contact the project assistant or call CATS directly (see “Resources” page).  Before referring a student to any of these people, however, remember to follow the rules of confidentiality and obtain the student’s permission. 

For how long will I be assigned to mentor a particular person?