New at School? Find a Mentor to Show You the Ropes!
I didn’t receive my acceptance letter to Texas A&M until May 7th, I had no idea where I was going to live because dorm rooms had already been filled and on top of that, I was working 40 hours a week that summer. I was in a not-so-ideal situation for a soon-to be-freshman in college and knew I was going to need some advice to have a successful year. I was going to need a mentor.
Having a mentor or someone who can show you the ropes is an incredible advantage at the beginning of your college career. It’s what helped me through my first semester and really launched my success at A&M. Seeking out somebody with experience to answer your questions may seem a little awkward at first but I bet they’ll be more than willing to help you out. Lots of new students decide to go it alone; that’s fine if that’s your personality but in my own personal experience, college is about the people you meet and create unforgettable memories with.
Here are some tips for finding a mentor or someone older to show you the collegiate ropes:
- Put yourself out there. You can’t expect someone to find you, show you around campus and tell you which social club to join. Make the effort!
- Figure out who can help you. For me, it was someone who had gone to my high school but for you, it may be someone you meet at orientation or someone older than you in your major.
- Get involved. Being part of niche organizations and extracurricular activities are great ways to meet older students at your university and find advice for surviving college.
- Keep in touch. Sure, it’s nice if they show you around the week before school starts but it really helps to utilize your mentor’s expertise throughout the semester.
Cameron Pybus is a rising senior at Texas A&M University, where he’s majoring in environmental design. He plans to attend graduate school in the fall of 2012 and eventually pursue a career as an architect. Cameron has been involved in various activities at A&M including student government organizations and a service organization called A.M.C. He just returned from studying abroad in Italy and is looking forward to his last year as an Aggie.