Per Residence/PSO & Welcome Period Topic
Do you think you were successful in providing newcomers / mentees with support and assistance in the adjustment and transition in their new university environment?
I'd like to think that I was successful in providing the newcomers with support and assistance. This is because they had no hesitations or fear to approach me and ask deep meaningful questions. They felt comfortable enough to ask at any hour of the day and had no problem with greeting me in public. Often our interactions were mutual which I personally enjoyed a lot because it came across that they saw me as their friend instead of in a personal capacity. I think I was successful because I saw them grow from the first week at the university to where they are now. They have clearly made themselves at ease and slotted into the community without any problems. I was also able to give them the correct information they needed in a timely manner. Thus I believe I was successful as they have personally told me that they are enjoying every minute of the university experience.
)I believe that I was successful in the support and assistance for my newcomers was successful since I was very honest with them. I told my mentees from the beginning of welcoming that I believe that to give them the best advice I had to be honest with them with the difficulty of university in terms of academic achievement and time management. I also believed that honesty was the best option so that they can be properly prepared and not be fooled into thinking that university is simply welcoming week. In terms of feedback it was mostly positive in that my mentees said that they appreciated my honesty and that they would more prepared if I was honest with them. As such I believe that they were successfully prepared because of the honest advice I have given them.I was not afraid to say that university was difficult the workload could be too much or that this was time that they would make mistakes. I told them that what made them successful students and people was not simply about getting good marks but rising above the adversity which they faced and working harder towards their goals. I also believe I was successful because of the amount of effort I put into my mentoring journey which also made them sufficiently prepared. I believe that I always made myself available for them. I took time to write messages consistently to check up on how they are doing if they were struggling and that I am always available if they have any questions. As such I think that they had sufficient mentor support and that if they needed anything they could simply ask me and I would make myself available. I also believe that I had given some of them sufficient material in terms of exam preparation and how to adjust in the university environment in terms of workload etc. Lastly I believe that I was successful because I had taken time to get to know them as people and not simply as my mentees. I believe that my journey went beyond academics and I always tried to make sure that they knew they had a friend. I would often check up on them in terms of mental health and I also took an interest in their personal lives in terms of giving advice when I thought they felt stressed anxious or depressed. I think that this is an important aspect of being a mentor because I believe that this phase in their life is important for them as growing adults as well. For some of the mentees I was lucky enough to get to know important aspects of their journey whether that be issues regarding identity or issues within their own household. I always extended a branch to make sure that they knew I was there.
I think I did as I have done my best to provide them with the necessary information that they need and I have equipped them on what to expect during their first and second semester. Some of them are really independent since they have taken a gap year and/or have friends who were already studying here or siblings who were doing the same course as them. But they do seek my advice and guidance and I have provided them a huge platform to seek out my help if they may need anything in any aspects of their lives and they do so but not as much as I would like them to because they have not been making use of the mentor sessions nor the availability of a mentor. However I am grateful to have met such strong-willed and independent individuals who have adapted so well into university and I am so glad I got to begin their university journey with them.
I would like to think yes I did because I have received some positive feedback from my mentees.
Yes I do think I was successful as there was many instances where Newcomers did not know anybody around them or at the activity during welcoming and would feel safe and comfortable to come and talk to me which was my goal making people feel welcome and accepted. There was a time when my one mentee came late to the orientation week and felt lost and overwhelmed but the moment I told her that I will help her sort out everything a sigh of relief was let out as she felt like she didn't have to worry and could trust in me. Later she sent me a lovely message thanking me for everything which made my heart happy. Just for my mentees to have my number to phone or message when they were unsure about things was very helpful as I did all the admin and they just had to pitch up at the time and place indicated. After Orientation week my newcomers stated that work was a lot and my one mentee asked me to help her with her time management. I send t her a list of Do's and Don'ts and things I learnt that I wish someone had told me to make my transition easier. I told her to give it a week or two and report back. She told me that she has had time to complete what was needed for the days' academics as well as time to make new friends and this news made me thrilled for her part. The newcomers often did not know who to contact to get certain information so I would step in and refer them to the right people which assisted them in a way that they had to sort their own things out after they knew who to contact.
Yes I believe that I really tried my best to ensure that they were equipped with as much information as possible. Seeing as I did not studying accounting I wondered how I was going to be able to ensure the transition academic-wise. However I made contact with one of my friends who is studying Accounting and sat down with her to ensure that I knew as much as possible about the field and what they might want to know heading into it. So I truly believe I tried to inform myself the best I possibly can regarding their academic field in order to help them and assure them. Not only along those lines but I also applied my own knowledge on simple questions I needed when I was in my first year which was guides to using mysun how to use your timetable how to navigate sunlearn and even drawing up their Van Der Sterr building to ensure they could find their way on the first day. I made it my mission to check in and clock in with them regularly through WhatsApp and through mentoring sessions to see how they were progressing socially and mentally with the transition. A message or a one-on-one coffee was crucial in building those relationships and ensuring them that they are always welcome to text call or see me. I truly believed that these little bit of extra guides and advice from my personal experience helped them to navigate the best way forward for them in all dimensions whether it be social occupational or academic.
I feel that I could have tried a lot harder and done more to make it an even better transition but id like to believe that I was somewhat successful in helping them transition into their environment. I think the wellness sessions during welcoming especially really had a massive impact on them because I address a lot of the information and tips and tricks i wanted to address with them during that time before the actual starting of classes and during classes helping them by answering any questions or giving advice regarding similar modules I had sending some encouragement.
Yes By answering the many questions they have had to the best of my ability, sharing my advice and knowledge, and in general just being there for them, I do believe that I have provided them with enough support and assistance in order for them to have successfully transitioned to university
I think I managed support and assist my mentees into adjusting into the university environment due to I would send messages to the group to check up on them as well during our sessions, I saw that my mentees were adjusting well into the new university environment and I always tried to help them when they would message me about any concerns or queries that they may have Some of them have told me that showing them around campus helped a lot due to they were able to find their in person classes I would also try to keep them up to date with what CUAs were open so that they had different places to go to during exams to study before we entered level 4 I also made sure to keep them up to date with what was going on in the university I really do think my mentees manage to transition well into their new environment and that makes me feel glad
Yes, I was definitely successful in helping my mentees with support and assistance I was always there for them if they needed to chat or wanted to now something I bend backwards for them if they needed something or needed help I made sure that if they had something to ask me they could and that I was available to them
Yes, I do feel like I was successful in providing the mentees with support and assistance during their adjustment and transition to Stellenbosch University During the third wave of Covid-19 it became hard to meet up with the newcomers in person, but that did not stop us from trying to help one another with our struggles and to keep in touch We regularly check in with the group through WhatsApp which became the main resource for communication Although we could not physically help each other, we still had regular discussions about our troubles or situations we found ourselves in Everybody chipped in by giving their opinion towards the troubles or situation which led to some very good advice!
yes, I think i was able to provide newcomers with support and assistance in the adjustment and transition in their university environment I had a mentee who struggled at the beginning of the year from moving far from home and not having friends I invited her to a social group and she gained intentional friends She has learnt how to be independent and is adjusting wellMost of my mentees have become friends and adjusted to university life well
Yes, I do think I was successful in providing newcomers with support and assistance in the adjustments and transitions in their new university environment I have made myself available to them not only in person throughout the Welcoming period, but also online through WhatsApp I have utilized the Welcoming period in a way that the newcomers can become more comfortable with me and towards each other and I have used as many oppertunities as I possibly coulod to intigrate applicable circumstances and or examples of how things should be and possibilities of how to cope with certain circumstances that they might face I have given them all the needed information for their journey at their faculty and I have given them ideas and tips in order for them to be able to cope with this new change I have also given the advice as to what to do if they were not able to cope and made the necessary resources available to them in case of emergency I have also made sure that the newcomers have found comfort amongst each other
During the adjustment and transition period for the newcomers, it was difficult to communicate with the newcomers but I was able to provide them with all the information that they needed and as much assistance as they needed and more Whether or not they used what was provided to them or actively asked for assistance was dependent on the individual newcomer I think I was successful in helping my newcomers have a more realistic and positive attitude towards university and helped them to understand the workload and difficulty difference between high school and university
Yes as stated previously I definitely encouraged independent thinking and problem solving. I tried my best to explain to them that they are liable for their own successes or lack thereof. I constantly attempted to create such an atmosphere where they would feel comfortable enough to ask my anything at anytime (whether in person or via social media communication).
What has been the most challenging part of being a mentor? What will you do differently? What will you advise prospective mentors?
The most challenging part about being a mentor is being able to accommodate everyone's time schedule. This is because despite most of them being in the same degree programme the lessons still differed and thus finding a suitable time for a session was very complicated. Multiple times myself and my mentor partner were scrambling back and forth trying to find a time and day to accommodate the majority of people. I would reach out more to my mentees telephonically over the phone if they could not attend meetings and be more open to the idea of virtual meetings. I advise prospective mentors to be open about the idea of virtual meetings and not to take it personal if a lot of the mentees cannot attend the session. I would advise the mentor comming up with dates and times as early in the year as possible to optimise planning to help with attendance.
The most difficult aspect of being a mentor was time management. When speaking about time management I do not mean making time for my mentees but them making time for me. I often felt isolated in my mentoring journey in that they didn't reply or read my messages which I consistently sent to the group or replied to my mentor session suggestions. Giving advice to the new mentors I would say that they should not be anxious about things that they cannot control (which I often did) and that they should not blame themselves. No matter how much effort which you put in as a mentor I believe that it is the job of the mentees to be willing to accept your help which you give them and you cannot do more than you should.
The hardest thing was connecting with some of my mentees because I have made so many efforts of trying to reach out to them but they are always busy and I get that as private accommodation students they have the best platform to socialize with a lot of different people and it is always exciting to meet new people. I will try my best to just ensure that I build a better connection with the mentees who communicate with me and try to be more understanding and give them space to also grow and figure things out on their own because I tend to always want to help them with everything :) My advice would be to promote independent thinking towards their mentees and to also spend a lot of time connecting with them during welcoming and mentorship is so rewarding because you get to learn and grow so much as you meet different people from different walks of life so they should grasp every opportunity there is to learn from their mentees and from themselves. Mentorship promotes self-awareness as you work with different people and so you get to learn a lot about yourself one thing I learned about myself was that I tend to overdo it as I always want to help solve my mentees problems I did not know when to let them figure things out on their own until a friend of mine who is also a mentor pointed it out so I learned that about myself and reflected a lot on what works for me as a leader and as a person. I enjoyed every moment of my mentorship term and got to meet my wonderful mentees whom I am super grateful to have met through mentoring I would do it all over again if I had a chance to :)
The most challenging thing was getting the mentees to participate in the Equite events/meetings most of them showed no interest in non-academic activities.Prospective mentors should not put too much pressure on themselves when mentees are not engaging but that's obviously after doing all the best they could. They should also try collaborating with other mentors.
During this pandemic the mentees were reluctant to take part in activities and it was challenging getting the numbers to show up and participate. My advise would be you are not there for yourself it is nice having the mentor title and everything but you're there for the newcomers. Your kind smile and willingness to help them sets their minds at ease. You are there to help them with the transition and to give them first hand advise from personal experiences. Be the person that helps a newcomer pop their shy bubble and make friends. Be there to help give them the full orientation week experience and make memories with them. Don't be afraid to go speak to random newcomers because they are definitely more shy and overwhelmed at that moment then you are as a mentor. Be kind always you never know what somebody is going through. If I could do this all again I would definitely speak to as many newcomers as possible and get to know a lot more of them then I did. There are so many faces and so many people don't stick to the same people spread your greetings and let them know that you are there for them.
One of the most challenging parts has been communication through the WhatsApp group. A lot of the times I sometimes felt that I was putting in the work with minimal interest and participation. However I do understand these are uncertain times and some people may feel uncomfortable sending a message on the group. I think I personally needed to shorten my messages and kept it more to the point on the WhatsApp group. It was often long and contained a lot of information and I think this might of had an effect on participation. The other challenge is working on my own personal communication skills. I really had to push myself in order to engage my Mentees in conversation during Welcoming and I often felt I was running out of topics. I think I would be more prepared coming into welcoming. Having a little booklet with all fun sorts of get-to-know people questions and ask them. Another challenging part for me was to be aware of the communication through the phone during Welcoming. Sometimes things would change quickly and I would be late to relaying information because when in conversation with my mentees I don't tend to look on my phone. I need to work on shifting my focus sometimes. I would advise prospective mentors to plan well in advance for Welcoming to minimalize lengthy and daily messages on groups as this may be distracting to really get to know your group of mentees each individually. Really try to be there one-on-one as well.
Time management was the most difficult aspect for me making time for each mentee recording mentor session and writing reflections. The online method also made it difficult for the students to actually reach you because you much rather be at home and do your own thing than be on a call. My advice would be to be more involved in their lives be more involved with each mentee and message them once or twice a week at least. Set 5 minutes a day and pick 2 mentees and just send a how are you message. I honestly feel I could have done a lot better if i had better time management and balance between academics and mentoring.
The time that I felt challenged the most as a mentor was during Welcoming week, as it was a physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting time as a mentor having to do a lot of work behind the scenes in order for everything to run smoothly It was also challenging to deal with mentees not wanting to engage or rejecting the kindness and help you offer them Regarding these two challenges, there is nothing I would do differently, as I do believe that I gave it my all and did a good job in general, but I would advise prospective mentors to always look at the positive side of things- one out of the ten mentees pitched up? See that as a victory and focus your energy on making that one person's experience better
For me the most challenging part was organizing the sessions with my mentees since we all had different schedules and whether it should be online or in person This was challenging because my mentees would agree then not show up and this was really upsetting for me When it comes to the session, I would only make the session either fully online or fully in person rather than giving them a choice due to, I think that caused a lot of confusion I would advise prospective mentors not to worry if their mentees don't show up or if only a few do because it is not their fault but also be more clear and not give their mentees many options for dates and time so that there isn't really to much choice
The most challenging part was covid, my mentees not always being at the same place at the same time, so that made it difficult to get everyone together I would not stress as much if I had to do it all over again I would say, just enjoy every moment, don't worry about if you are going to say the rights things or that it won't be awkward, these things happen naturally
The most challenging part of being a mentor would be to accept that you will not always be able to help or assist in all of the mentees problems For example, when a mentee is scared that they would not be able to pay the full amount of their degree and has been denied for a loan I struggled to accept that I did the most I can to advise the mentee to discuss the problem with the financial office I will definitely change the thought I had towards what the duties of a mentor is and how to handle certain situations with some of the mentees behaviors The best advise that I could give to the prospective mentors of Equite is to always ensure that you keep the mentees feelings and personal life in mind Not all the mentees came from the same circumstances or background and will affect how the mentees react towards certain situations
The most challenging part was not becoming emotionally attached to my mentees To listen and to not give advice from an emotional state o not try and help them too much but to help them find solutions to the problemWhat I would do differently - I would definitely try to work on my emotional intelligenceAdvise prospective mentors- Self-awareness is so important Know your emotions and how to handle it
The challenging part of being a mentor is to be able to not take things personally Not everything that the mentees do or don't do is because of how you are towards them Another challenging part of being a mentor is being able to balance your professional and personal life in such a way that you are able to get to all your responsibilities and still be able to remain calm If I could've done anything differently, it would be not to take up everything so personally and I would also have communicated my feelings and worries more to my fellow team mates as they have told me to do For any prospective mentors, planning and communicating is key ! Learn to seperate the personal and professional and utilize your team mates if needed
The most difficult part of being a mentor was not being able to fulfill my mentor duties because my newcomers were not interested and did not answer me or contact me It has been close to impossible to have mentor sessions because newcomers do not answer or do not pitch to the sessions Despite having over twenty-five newcomers, I could not do muchIf I had to do something differently it would be to adopt a different attitude towards mentoring and be thicker skinnedAdvice I would provide to prospective mentors is to not put too much pressure on themselves and just do their best At the end of the day, you can only do so much and as long as you have put in your bit, that is all that matters
The most challenging part for me personally was by far enforcing COVID protocol constantly since I am a very affectionate person (and my more 'regular' mentees) just so happen to be affectionate as well. I would definitely try to encourage participation a bit more. Personally I do not think that it would have any effect on the attendance of my mentees concerning sessions however I would just be more confident that I did everything in my power to get them to the various sessions.
How do you think you think you refined and strengthened your "communication" skills during your term as a mentor? Please elaborate.
I believe I refined my communications skills by verbalising more about my thoughts and plans with my mentor group. This is because often we had the same fears and feelings and the need was evident to comfort each other in knowing we all feel or felt the same at some point in time. I also refined my communication by taking others into consideration. This is because I had to be aware of their feelings thoughts and time that was being used and spoken about. I also believed that I refined my communication skilled by learning how to ask for help in situations where I did not have the best answers to give. Here my mentoring partner and I often helped one another out and brought the best out of each other. As a team through communication we could easily come up with the plans for each session and come up with ways to help each other out while facilitating the mentoring sessions.
I owe the strength in my communication skills to social media and other platforms. Many of mentoring sessions happened over WhatsApp and Teams which I tried to make very active and engaging despite technological challenges. I appreciated this as it was a way to avoid the challenges of COVID-19 lockdown while still keeping up with and engaging with my mentees. I was also able to refine my communication skills by regularly sending messages and not allowing a dead-end in communication within the WhatsApp group or between my mentees and myself. I always tried to initiate a conversation with them or send new messages in the group. Even if they did not reply I made sure to write messages to them and tell them that I am readily available for them to communicate with about anything. I also made sure to check up on people who were going through particularly difficult periods within their lives whether that be academics or within their personal lives. I also refined my communication skills by taking time to speak in ways that were not simply formal or academic. I tried to be relatable in that I sent memes or jokes so that the conversations could be more informal. I believed that by doing this coupled with creating a warm environment I was able to refine my communication skills by instilling a space where communication could be open and engaging.
I am an upfront and honest person so I think I have learnt a lot about watching my tone when I speak because sometimes I tend to ramble so the message in my words tend to be misunderstood and some people take offence so I learnt a lot about the fact that my words do not matter if the tone is harsh. And I have also learnt that there can be a lot of miscommunications and misunderstandings so I have improved in relaying my true feelings in a respectful and empathetic manner of course. This does not just apply to my mentees but to my mentor team and the house committee as well. I have never been good at expressing how I feel as I have anxiety so it was great to get out of my comfort zone and it also provides a lot of clarity because others receive the communication so well and it also provides a learning curve. So mentorship has really equipped me to express myself without the fear that I will offend others or be perceived as complaining too much because everyone's feelings are valid the same goes for opinions. This also applies to me providing others with a platform to be able to communicate with me as well by being as honest and empathetic as I can be respectful as well as being a good listener which was a huge challenge for me but I have gotten so much better at as that is what my role as a mentor mostly involved.
I have learned to inform my fellow mentors and leaders in advance if I can't make it to any meeting or event. Being a mentor to a group of 11 newcomers taught me to always be clear and concise with the information I share with them.
Communicating when you can't handle the task given and need help from others in order to complete. This communication is important as you will burn out if you don't ask for that help. Popping your shy bubble and speaking to a bunch of random people has now become a skill as it was my duty as mentor to talk to people and make them feel welcome and accepted. Making conversation was a key aspect and assisted in the communication between my mentees helping them form bonds and forming the bond between mentor and mentee. You realize that people want to meet new people and make friends so I am now able to go to them and have a conversation.
I think during Welcoming communication was something I really struggled with in terms of checking my phone for the latest updates and where I could help. However I realised that this was one of my weakpoints. I had to make it a mission to move away from the crowd just to check that all of the information is getting to my Mentees. Now I have to say I have improved on this it has now become a distinct action. That every morning and evening I check the groups for the latest dates and information that needs to be relayed. In training I was also extremely quiet I didn't necessarily raise my voice in terms with what I thought about a situation and I rather listened. Although I still consider listening one of my greatest strengths I have learnt this year that I need to voice my thoughts and feelings. End of welcoming I felt like I was more open to share in mentor and hc discussion & briefs. I learnt how to organise meetings via google forms and how to communicate with my mentees via that if they wanted to meet up and what they wanted to do. Mentoring has forced me to use these platforms and to realise that what I say can hold wait and sometimes it is better to speak up than to sit back and listen. I believe that my communication in terms of truly getting to know my Mentees has opened up so much more opportunities for discussion and communication.
Personally I have bettered with communication skills in a sense that i felt more comfortable talking to people in any communicative way. Prior to the mentoring journey I would never call email or address people that I didn't know at least a little bit. I feel more comfortable with emailing and calling people and more confident in speaking to complete strangers. However my ability to communicate with my group did strain with the online version of mentoring especially with trying to keep a work life balance but as mentionedI really just tried to make them feel as welcome and valued as possible.
Having to have sealed with a big group of mentees, I realised quickly that one way of communicating would not fit everyone, and I had to change my approach as to suit each mentee individually If I realised that one mentee was chatty and wanted to know everything about everything, I would math their energy, but if another would get irritated by too much chatter and information, I would tone it done around them I developed the valuable skill of listening as the most important part of communication
I noticed that I would tell my mentees so much information at once and so I decided that I needed to be more concise and direct rather than spilling so much information on them In some of my session, I could see that some of my mentees were bored and so I decided that I must have more interactive sessions where it is a discussion rather than me speaking I think I strengthened my communication skills in terms of that I had talk and interact with different people from myself and so I realized, I had be more clear as well considerate of what I said so that I did not offend anyone I didn't think that I could improve my communication skills and I am glad that I did because it has impacted the way I communicate in my daily life
My communication skills was sharpened throughout being a mentor I had to adjust and with covid and find ways to get everyone together this took a lot of planning and communicating every time we wanted to meet and I had to learn to talk to anyone about anything and always be ready if one of my mentees needed to chat to someone
I most definitely strengthened my communication skills during my term as a mentor due to the effect of Covid-19 Because we were forced to move into hybrid or online communication it allowed me to become more technology friendly I became more knowledgeable about how to work with different sources such as Zoom and MS Teams We became creative about how to present a session as it can get boring to present all the sessions in the same manner I also learned a lot from my mentees and how to keep their attention during BeWell sessions
How i strengthened my communication skills: Because of COVID 19, I could not meet up with my mentees in persona but rather online Kept in touch on our group and individually I also realised the power of communication it most important on how we use our words I become more aware of the way o speak to my mentees and how important it was to have effective communicate skills
I think that I have refined and strengthened my communication skills during my term as a mentor I feel that as a leader I have always had the skill of communication, but since it was the first time that I have found myself in a leadership position within a large leaderships structure and within times of which everything is made a bit more challenging due to Covid-19 It was also the first time that I had been put in a leadership position within the University structure, so it took some getting used to Being open towards my team mates about how I was feeling personally and coping with this new structure aswell as being about towards them throughout any problems that we might've faced or conflicts that we might have faced was also something that I needed to work on to insure that everyone felt included and heard throughout this time period
I think that I have become a lot more diplomatic in my approach to communicating with my newcomers and fellow mentors I have not been able to do much with regards to being mentor due to the current situation and not seeing my mentees much, but I tried my best I have learned that less is more and I need to be very straightforward in my communication with others
My communication skills during the Welcoming period improved immensely (especially after the long period of being cut-off from society in first year and my social skills deteriorating). I learned how to express myself better and use 'to-the-point' vocabulary as I am aware that I do talk more than what is necessary sometimes. I wanted to avoid boring my mentees and having them miss important information due to them drifting off as a consequence of me not knowing when to stop talking.
How do you think you think you refined and strengthened your "collaboration" skills during your term as a mentor? Please elaborate.
Being able to collaborate is a very important skill that in needed in a mentoring team. This is because your help is needed not only in your small mentor group with your mentees but also in your big mentor group with other mentors. I believe my collaboration skills were strengthened as in the beginning of the mentoring term we had set goals for ourselves. Mine being to try and get over 15 mentoring sessions done with my mentor partner. It is safe to say I accomplished this. As a group our goal was also to help each other out wherever we can. It is safe to say we did this. Often advice was shared between mentors to give the mentees the best possible experience. My mentoring success would not be possible without the collaboration of my team. Through out the year we had to communicate our feelings and intentions. This strengthened my collaboration skills as now everyone knew how we all felt and had a clearer idea on how to approach things moving forward. This prevented anyone from feeling upset or lost. A key part to strengthening my collaboration skills is learning to listen to other and finding a compromise. This occurred often as I would have to listen to others and then try help them find their own solution to their problem or work together and find a mutual solution to our problem. Being open minded was also a key part of strengthening the collaboration skill. This is because we are all from different backgrounds and see things differently thus we have different ways of approaching things. Emphasising the need to collaborate together for the best possible outcome.
Collaboration was a very important aspect of my mentoring journey. When I received my mentoring faculty I was quite shocked because as a BA Law student engineering was not something which I had any knowledge about nor did I have any friends who studied engineering. Consequently I felt that I had insufficient knowledge on the degree (the difficulty what it entailed how to study etc.) and feared that I would not be a good enough mentor for my mentees. Despite my fear I felt that I needed to take action and work with others so that I could be a better mentor for my mentees. I sent a message to my mentor group asking if they knew any mentor students. When I had received a contact I messaged the engineering student asking for advice with regards to subject difficulty examination preparation etc. I think this experience was a true example of teamwork for my mentees and from the positive feedback I knew that the information I received was beneficial and relevant. I think that as a mentor it is important to listen to the wants and needs of my mentoring group. As such collaboration was an important asset that I used during my mentoring journey in order to understand what I need to do for them or what they wanted from me. Open communication was important in this regard and it was something which I tried to establish since day 1 of welcoming. Our teamwork has been shown in many areas for example when it came to study methods and examination preparation instead of simply giving information on what I thought was important I asked one of my mentees what they struggled with. They said study timetables so I gave them information about my hour-block method and how to prioritize time for certain subjects during the examination period.
Collaboration was so important during welcoming and I really would not have made it through if it was not for my mentor team and I was grateful for that. I mean everyone was willing to help one another and sometimes they would do things without you even asking and they also provided support which is what I took away from it the whole leadership was united and it was not just in front of the newcomers but it just was innate as we all wanted the welcoming week to be a success. That is what I took away from my term as a mentor that support and the willingness to help one another goes a long way and when you all have the same vision it comes naturally. I apply that in everything I do now as with the mentor session I also ask some of the other mentors for help and collaborate with them with the aim of just pouring into each other's cups to ensure that we give our mentees the best guidance. I could not have asked for a better mentor team.
I was not able to collaborate much with other mentors due to all the covid-19 restrictions.
Meeting the mentor and HC team you collaborate and form a unit that is strong and dependable. None of this could have been done if everyone had the attitude of every man for himself this is 100% a team effort and having all these people supporting and helping each other prevented a burn out. We were all tired by the end of O-week working as a team so I don't even want to imagine trying to pull it all off single-handedly. Realizing that you need the help of people and their ideas definitely improved my collaboration skills as knowing you have backup is extremely relieving. Fighting a battle with many people beside you will increase your chances of a victory.
As I have mentioned I am not studying accounting and this really forced me to walk the extra mile for my Mentees. In this way I had to collaborate with two friends of mine one who studies accounting and another who also studies accounting but was also a mentor. I often had to collaborate with them in my mentor academic sessions so that I can have the important information and answers that my Mentees may need. Collaborating with them has taught me so much about the field. With regards to my mentor team I often found myself collaborating with them to form new ideas and plans of action to encourage participation. It forced me to work with other people and hear how they have handled other situations so that I could better equip myself and also help others if necessary.
I definitely learnt a lot about working with people and building my network. Learning to be self aware and to implement that when dealing with different people in the teams. I managed to pick up a little something from each individuals I worked with to help build myself as a leader and I learnt how to communicate trust and work in unison with different people.
If it wasn't for the help and support of my fellow mentors and the House Committee, my term as a mentor would not have been successful at all I learned the skill of networking, and knowing who to go to for different things
I think strengthened my collaboration skills by listening to people's ideas and not dismissing them immediately in my head because I realized that sometimes what they were saying pointed out faults in what I said but also allowed me to open minded to the fact not everyone is like me With that in mind I had to make sure I was bouncing ideas of my team rather than just saying this is how we should do it I usually tend not ask for help when I'm having trouble but I noticed that expressing my worries and concerns about the mentor sessions I was having to head mentor and a few of the other mentors allowed me to collaborate with them as they had a different perspective from me This mentoring experience really allowed me to improve on my collaboration skill
One of the other mentors and I had to the same faculty group for mentees, thus we collaborate many times with our groups so that our mentees gets to know more people
I definitely strengthened my collaboration skills during my term as a mentor also due to the fact that it was during Covid-19 protocols I became more open-minded as we had to become more open to and accepting of new and creative ideas to fulfill our duties as mentors with all the protocols in line We had to become more adaptable towards our events and quickly think about solutions if we had to change the last minute arrangements to ensure that everybody can attend and is safe when attending
Collaboration skills- Because of COVID, it was so important for me to interacted as much with my mentees and HC We were all able to work together The Hc was always hepful when i struggled Also, other mentors were always willing to help out
Being put in this leadership position within the University structure has taught me how to collaborate with various different people Working with a lot of different personality types and learning how to communicate with each other was a challenge, because all of us have very strong personalities which is really amazing Working together to achieve a common goal, which was to insure that the mentees are fully equiped for student life has brought us all together in a different type of way Having to work together, create new ideas and to help each other has truly opened my eyes to whole new styles of leadership and work ethic Learning to co-operate and listen to one another within this collaboration has helped me improve in the way of me understanding these leadership structures and working together as a leadership team within the PSO aswell as with relevant organizers
I have become a lot more silent in the way that I work with others and have tried not to get irritable or funny with people when collaborating with them Even though there have been individuals I have not gotten along with, I have been able to be more understanding and to think harder before I speak or comment
Towards the end of welcoming the mentor group was still unified yet became slightly more divided as some mentors became less punctual in terms of session attendance. Once I picked this up I tried my best to form an even stronger bond with the individuals in this particular group since I did not want to make any snap-judgments or assumptions. This was different to what I would usually gravitate towards doing. I would usually just allow the situation to play out and make sure that whatever I would need to be doing gets done and that I fulfil all of my responsibilities as a mentor. I made more of effort to understand why it was that they were doing what they did and realized that they were most probably just exhausted like the most of us. They had just expressed the exhaustion a nit differently.
How do you think you think you refined and strengthened your "critical thinking" skills during your term as a mentor? Please elaborate.
I believe that I strengthened my critical thinking skills by becoming more self-aware. This is because I had to realise that mine along with each other person's thoughts and actions make them individually unique and thus one solution does not apply to all. But rather each person is unique and thus every situation must be personally tailored. I also had to understand my mental process. I needed to actively realise how I arrived at my thoughts and opinions to prevent offending anyone or making claims that are not factual based. I also needed to realise how my thoughts were affecting those around me and how I could come up with advise that is beneficial. By developing foresight my critical thinking skills were strengthened. This is because I had to realise that my actions and thoughts do have an impact on others and can change the future. It may not be a big change but it could change the way people perceive things. By actively listening and asking questions my critical thinking skills were strengthened as I fully engaged with the problem at hand. This allowed me to fully understand the issue and find a suitable solution to the problems I faced.
Critical thinking was important in instances when I needed to understand the approaches I took with certain mentees. For example I needed my critical thinking skills in order to understand if my mentees were introverted and extroverted and to adjust the approach to take with them. For example for my more introverted mentees I would often use WhatsApp and speak to them privately away from the group. For my more extroverted mentees I would often openly joke or tease them within the group and speak to them within the group. I think that understanding the personality types of my mentees is an important aspect of being a mentor in general. Another aspect of my critical thinking skills was creating feedback forms for my mentees to help them reflect on their first semester and first examination period. This was important for me to think about as a fun new way of engagement which they could do on their own to be honest with themselves about how things really went. This also came as a result of me not being able to organise many group mentor sessions with them due to them not replying to my messages or telling me they don't have enough time. I felt that in order to help them sufficiently without straining their academic or personal time giving them useful activities that they could complete in their own time would be best.
My critical thinking skills were also tested during welcoming as I had to think on my feet and that has never been my strong suit. I got to learn so much about myself and one thing that hindered my critical thinking skills was the fact that I realized that I am a peoples pleaser so problem-solving does not necessarily go with being a peoples pleaser and that was the biggest challenge. But then through organizing the mentor sessions finding the time that is suitable for everyone and also trying to reach an agreement with where to meet as some people lived far I really challenged myself to try and reach a common ground that benefits all of us and not just my mentees and the other problem was bias (as I spent more time with some of the mentees that would regularly come to the sessions) so I always strived to make decisions as open-minded as I possibly could.
Being a mentor has really impacted my personal growth because there have been situations with my mentees where I needed to analyze situations and reach an objective solution.
Having to solve all sorts of problems from decor fails to mentees asking for advise you need to think on the spot and be able to give correct and reliable information. It helped me think in the way a practical yet creative thinker would in order to get the best results. Critical thinking forces you to put your biases behind you and consider the consequences. Being able to admit when you are wrong and not overcompensate is important.
I believe I strengthened my critical thinking skills by trying to get an overview and take into account all of my Mentees' schedules and ideas and ultimately what session would suit the entire group the best individually as well as in a group. I had to be rational with regards to how much time all party's can put in during the COVID-time. I also had to be reasonable in terms that not all people would like to attend my sessions in-person and should give the option for it to be virtual as well. I also needed to be reasonable with realising that not all people can be in Stellenbosch because of being in another town/location or because of petrol or contributing to food. It has forced me to think about the benefits for the entirety of the group if I were to have certain sessions.
Being a part of a team really does allow you to develop your ability to think innovatively and to think outside the box. To consider the problem from all side and finding solutions from all possible areas; Being a mentor you were constantly being asked by your mentees to answer questions and your mentees constantly asking you things that put you in a postion to think openly.
In the same way that I developed my communication skills, my critical thinking skills were also strengthened According to the needs of each mentee, I had to apply critical thinking to the situation and come to a conclusion of what approach is best to follow, or what would be the most suitable way to answer their questions
There were many instances that I encountered and I needed to use my critical thinking skills Since this was my first time experience as a mentor, I feel that my critical thinking skills improved I had to use this skill when my mentees asked me difficult questions, I would think about what they asked first or ask more questions so I could understand what they're asking for This allowed me to help them get the information that they needed I also realized that my mentor sessions were not going so well and I thought about how I could make it better I realized that I needed to stop giving my mentees many options for when they're available This mentor journey has made me use my critical thinking skills more as there were times where one of my fellow mentors would have a problem and I would look at the situation of a different perspective to help them
my critical thinking improved a lot this term, seeing that I had to think of ways to get to know all of my mentees and to let them feel secure and calm
The strengthening of my critical thinking skills links with the strengthening of my collaboration skills As we had to collect information about the situation and pinpoint where we need to start evaluating the adaptability of the event or gathering As a mentor I also learned more about how important it is to listen so it allows critical thinking to take place When a mentee came to us with a problem we had to ensure that we make use of our critical thinking skills to allow us as mentors to give the best advice possible to our mentees This strengthened our problem solving skills
As a mentor, i had to critically think of creative ideas to keep my mentees in touch I had to critically think of ideas to help me menteesMy oone mentee struggled with a module so we had to meet up, sit together and have a strategy as to how she would excel in the module
As a mentor, you sometimes find yourself within circumstances where you are posed with difficult questions or situations within the leadership structure of with your mentees My critical thinking skills have definitly strengthened within this time period, because of having to solve new types of problems, having to prevent problems or having to adapt to new challenges and situations, in example Covid-19 Even though within the leadership structure everyone has their own roles, we still functioned as a whole team where everyone was welcome to add their opinions or help out So, by actively being part of the positive growth and change within the PSO, these critical thinking capabilities were refined in order to be able to keep this structure and team a well-oiled machine It helped me to think quick on my feet and out of the box with situations that needed quick and reliable fixes Whilst it has also taught me how to look and think from various perspectives during discussions and when ideas were brought up or needed improving on There is always space for something to be improved, and by this skill being strengthend I was able to add to this improvement
There has been no real difference in my critical thinking skills because there have not been many, if any, situations where I have had to use them or improve them
There were many situations where we had to improvise or think of a Plan B on the spot and be innovative. I definitely developed my critical thinking skills in this way as I found that (unlike in high school) I would take initiative and 'take one for the team. When solving a problem for a larger group of people there is more urgency since the affected party is way larger than just yourself or your friend - therefore the consequences of an unsolved problem or incorrect solution is much worse. Critical thinking is for sure developed in such situations )which there were many of during welcoming).
How do you think you think you refined and strengthened your "creativity" skills during your term as a mentor? Please elaborate.
I strengthened my creativity skills by coming up with solutions when I had no other options. This means that I was able to come up with the idea of having a virtual meeting instead of in person when the weather did not play along or the timing to get to campus was almost impossible. I also found the confidence to pitch my ideas to the group thus learning that no idea is a silly one and that it can set the brainstorm into motion to get others thinking of ideas too. I also learned to bounce ideas off of others thus each idea becomes more creative and more optimal until eventually it can be put into practice.
Throughout my mentorship I have used my creativity to try and create mentor sessions that are funny engaging and informative for my mentees. Welcoming period was filled with these as it was important to create an environment that is warm and engaging so that my mentees feel comfortable and can share their true feelings with me. For example two truths and a lie was an impromptu game that we played in order to get to know one another throughout the welcoming period. In addition I had to create sessions in order to understand how people were feeling; to know: whether they liked the main session or not how the academic programme was going and whether they were generally nervous worried or excited about their first year. This was usually after one of Equite's main sessions where we would sit together as a group again and I would ask group questions and people would volunteer to answer. These question sessions were very important to me as it helped me to connect with my mentees and also helped them as well. Another example of using my creativity for my mentor sessions was on the topic of exams. As a mentor I created a session on Teams where everyone could speak and I could help with certain examination tips. Teams were important so that I could engage directly with them for the session. I was able to prepare topics beforehand such as study timetables and help them create hour templates for certain subjects. Now that the examination period is over I plan on creating feedback templates for them in order to help them be better for the second examination period and the second semester coming up. I hope to present it in a word format and for them to answer questions such as What I can improve on in terms of my study methods? or What lessons have I learnt from my first examination period? or Did I use my time wisely and efficiently?
Creativity was applicable in how I conduct the mentor sessions and I feel like I did improve my creativity skills to make the sessions interactive and fun. And I love that each time I got to learn so much from my mentees and most of the time I would try to draw from my own personal experiences so I feel like that really helped as well-being as real as I can be with them and I made the environment to be friendly and I also gave them a platform to come to me with any concern that they may have. So it was all about simply being a friend who has gone through what they are going through now and ensuring that they know this. And I also strived for a more intimate relationship with them as to avoid the sense that I am doing this because I am hired to do it. So it was more like I love helping people and meeting new people and would love to get to know them than the sense of obligation and trying to force the relationship with them because it was my job. This was the approach that worked for me and I ensured that they are their best selves and I also provided them with the best support I can in different aspects of their lives.
Mentoring during a pandemic forced one to be very creative. I have hosted most of my mentor sessions using online platforms like MS Teams and online games.
Being able to think on the spot when outside companies don't deliver what you are waiting for on time. Come up with activities when the weather takes you by surprise and keeping mentor sessions interesting. You learn to be creative when it comes to asking questions so that the people don't ask the same questions over and over again. Making observations is key as it gives new sparks of conversation. I learnt to use alternative thinking due to all of the above mentioned.
I believe I refined and strengthened my creativity in my term as mentor by making each wellness session special. I wanted to think outside of the box and I even thought of the idea of Goal-agami where each mentee writes down their goals on a piece of paper and they fold it into a butterfly as a keep-sake. Because the levels in COVID also changed I had to think of how I could be creative in my session online - I had to make powerpoints and add my own personal flare to it. I also had to learn how to be more creative in the WhatsApp messages to encourage more replies. Using original and unique ideas to make academic sessions fun and active - I had to refer to personal experiences in exam times just to keep it light as well.
This was definitely one of the most developed skills. I have never been someone that considered myself as creative at all but after the welcoming in designing the mentor name tags and coming up with cool ideas for mentor session and being involved in all the activities and coming up with creative solutions and ideas within our teams helped me develop that creativity skill to see the bigger picture.
I had to be creative in my approach to the mentees, and in presenting to them various house opportunities, or even just in running mentor sessions, as to catch, keep, and expand their attention Having had the objective of active participation in mind, I had to think of ways to achieve this goal in a fun and appealing way
My creativity skills were refined and strengthened through this journey as a mentor As I experienced two instances where I needed to use my creativity skills I had two mentees join my mentor group at the start of first semester and so I knew that it might be a little nerve wracking to be in new environment So I decided two plan a mini tour of the Stellenbosch campus but I wanted to make it interesting for them This was interesting for me to do because every stop that we had, I tried to make everything sound exciting and fun as well as informative I also used my creativity skill within the group chat when sending them messages about sessions so that they would be intrigued to come, although I don't think it worked out well as not many of my mentees pitched up
I think covid really challenge many of us to think outside of the box and to get creative by thinking of ways to still live life around covid
Our creativity skills were stretched beyond measures as we had to come up with innovative ideas on how we can present our sessions and meeting online Socials between houses were forced to be online and we had to come up with interesting, yet fun ways for the newcomers to interact with each other Without creativity the mentees would've gotten bored and retract from being a part of our social events Thus creativity skills is very important for us as a PSO to ensure that the mentees is enjoying their university years
Creativity_ Because of COVID, we could not intereact physically so i used social media as a way for fun and communication We had a games/quiz night on whatsapp which was fun and creative The mentees were able to participate and enjoyed it
Being a leader, when of the most important skills to have is to be able to be creative Life happens and is ever changing and you can be presented with situations that requires you to adapt and think out of the box As said before, Covid-19 most definitely posed new challenges that leaders have to be able to adapt to and creativity will enable them to do so This holds a close link with critical thinking, but most definitely supports problem solving within these tough situations My creativity has definitely always been one of my strongest skills, but during this time period it has become more refined due to my active response to the change and challenges that we faced I had to use this skill to think of various ways in which things within the PSO can become better, new and better additions to the PSO and problem solving Creativity brings new and exciting things to the table
I have had to become more creative in the way that I have had to interact with newcomers and get them involved in certain activities I have also had to become more creative in the way that I have interacted with them and provided them with information
There were many situations during welcoming that called for us to be creative such as assisting our welcoming leader Tayla Fourie with coming up with ideas for the welcoming program concerning sessions and what these sessions would entail exactly. This called for us to be creative and think outside the box mainly because we wanted to planned fresh new sessions that were seen as original by the rest of the house but also because we had to work around covid regulations.
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