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 potential meeting locations
First Meeting Essentials
- Review the Handbook on Student Rights and Responsibilities
- Discuss why you wanted a mentor and your objectives for the Program
- Have an open mind - you never know what you may learn
- Sign the Mentoring Guidelines
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