MIS for BeWell 2016

Throughout the welcoming period delays happened and we as mentors have to think on the spot to keep our mentees both informed and entertained. This meant I had to learn to be more flexible and critically think during situations which I usually wouldn't put myself into.

Feedback from Nerina

I believe that mentoring is a very personalised experience and it is with complete honesty that I can say that I learnt as much about my mentees as I did about myself. Mentoring is not necessarily about solving your mentee's problem it is about being an ally to them engaging with and guiding them in order to allow them to help themselves and to better understand what it is that they are feeling and why. This form of 'active listening' when a mentee was talking/sharing I believe refinded my critical thinking skills as instead of listening to respond I was listening to understand and it is through understanding that I was then able to think critically about whatever the situation and help my mentee better analyse said situation by asking them questions which triggered them to think about the issue is a certain way/reach a conclusion by themselves instead of wanting me to give them the answer (which obviously I- nor anyone else- could do as we are all unique individuals and what would be right for me would not necessarily be right for her).

Feedback from Equite

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.

Feedback from Nemesia

It was important for me to understand that every mentee is different and everyone thinks and behaves differently possibly even differently to me.This meant that I had to work hard to critically evaluate my beliefs thoughts and actions and make sure that they were relevant to the specific Mentee I was dealing with.My experience and my understanding of welcoming or first year might not be relevant to all of my mentees. The mentees who were different to me definitely challenged me. But also developed my critical thinking skills as I learned to adapt and change my approach according to my different mentees and their different needs.

Feedback from Nemesia

I had one pair of roommates that had a bit of a fallout but I believe it was because of exam stress and bottled up emotions that a small problem became a larger one. obviously their relationship is not going to be were it was but I believe if they continue communicating with each other it will get better. I had to think critically to resolve the problem and find ways to identify the real problem at hand.

Feedback from Lydia

With covid we had to think outside the box. This really challenged my critical thinking skills because I could not just do what has been done in the past. I had to find new and creative ways to communicate with my mentees. I also had to consider factors this year which was not even present last year and I really had to critically analyze the current situation to make sure that I had meaningful relationships with my mentees.

Feedback from Equite

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.

Feedback from Hippokrates

I believe I have always been a critical thinker which I feel is a euphemism for 'over thinker'. I sit for hours on end just thinking. So as a mentor I felt this one skill was only sharpened. It had always been there but by strategizing on how to approach certain topics I became better at it.

Feedback from Equite

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.

Feedback from Nemesia

I learnt to have a more objective analysis when issues arise. This was difficult seeing as you need to empathize with people so different to yourself. This journey wasn't easy but it sure was fun & helped me develop areas I am definitely not strong in.

Feedback from Nemesia

Feedback from Equite

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.

Feedback from Equite

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.

Feedback from Osler

I think my problem-solving skills increased during my mentoring year as my mentees brought me questions and concerns that I had never even considered before and I was forced to think of practical and effective solutions. I think I became less rigid in my thinking and came up with better discussion topics as time progressed. I also think the diversity of my group allowed me to become more open-minded as some of my mentees came from areas I had never even heard of and it was really interesting finding out about their various backgrounds. My lack of knowledge about a lot of their backgrounds made me less judgmental.I think I have better rationale and a clearer though process as being a mentor gave me the opportunity to think critically about situations and problems which my mentees presented. I was able to analyze questions better and come up with better solutions as the year went on due to the practice from mentoring.

Feedback from Nemesia

I think my critical thinking skills definitely improved. When there was a problem and the mentoring team had to solve it we would all analyse the situation and give suggestions o how to solve the problem. This was nice as I was able to see how to solve a problem in different ways.This skill came in handy with my mentees as well. They would ask me certain questions that I would not know the answer to or they'd ask me to help them solve a problem and I would have to think quickly on my feet and help them come up with a solution.

Feedback from Silene

Critical thinking is still a confusing term to me. I am naturally a problem solver so i always want to provided a solution. I think our critical engagement sessions which encourage critical thinking showed me that sometimes you don't need a solution you just need to discuss all aspects first

Feedback from Equite

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.

Feedback from Equite

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.

Feedback from Serruria

I refined my critical thinking by constantly having to think on my feet when dealing with situations regarding my mentees and having to come up with a rational clear and rapid response. This definitely strengthened my problem solving skills too as many a time I was thrown into the deep end and needed to solve problems alone without having time to ask for advice. This also strengthened my confidence in my own decision making skills I feel so confident about my decision making skills as I know now I have the capability to come up with a good response after considering each opinion/view/angle of a situation and asking relevant questions before coming forth with an answer. This all requires critical thinking and I am grateful for being placed out of my comfort zone and head on into a situation as these skills were refined in the process.

Feedback from Equite

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

Feedback from Equite

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

Feedback from Equite

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

Feedback from Minerva

As a mentor I faced many unexpected challenges which I had to deal with immediately, having to approach these challenges and trying to figure out a way to handle it in the best way possible allowed me to think critically to the way I will respond to the situation Every decision I had to make had an objective and identifying exactly what that is, what I actually want out of it, gave me a starting point to work with the situation, which allowed me to strengthen my critical thinking My critical thinking got developed further by allowing myself to look at the bigger picture in every situation

Feedback from Equite

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

Feedback from Equite

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

Feedback from Heemstede

This is definitely the skill which I think has improved the most Being a mentor forced me to put myself in my mentees' shoes and consider situations outside of my own frame of reference and way of reasoning Having this skill is very important to me and this experience has helped me developed it to a large extent However, as previously mentioned, I have sometimes failed to think critically about situations since I became more emotionally involved with some mentees than with others which kept me from thinking completely objectively

Feedback from Equite

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

Feedback from Equite

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

Feedback from Nerina

I'm going to be very honest and say that I don't think my critical thinking improved or refined I felt that I was very focused on the connection I have with each of my mentees and didn't spend much time thinking critically about our relationship or situation

Feedback from Metanoia

In order to help facilitate an efficient welcoming week during difficult circumstances with regards to safety and the COVID-19 regulations - we needed to be able to think critically and make decisions quickly and decisively I personally feel that our welcoming week was successful mainly because of the ability of the HK and mentor body to be critical thinkers I have once again learnt from the leadership around me in terms of critical thinking I have been able to incorporate the way others think critically with the way I do so, and thus I have gained a valuable skill

Feedback from Metanoia

A lot of the bewell sessions made me really think as well about what I could talk about and share with my mentees I had to do a lot of preparation and thinking because the bewells sometimes and even when they came to be with questions

Feedback from Metanoia

This is similar to the previous question, which talked about collaboration skillsThe key critical thinking skills are: analysis, interpretation, inference, explanation, self-regulation, open-mindedness, and problem-solving I have improved these skills through the mentor camp in which we had to think of a vision for our leadership body, through the meetings we had as a mentor body as well Problem-solving , as well as open mindedness certainly improved through the critical engagement sessions we had in welcoming week where we talked about very sensitive, but very necessary topics in today's society

Feedback from Metanoia

Throughout our term, I was at times presented with brand new dilemmas As time went on, I learned how to adapt faster, find the most amicable solution quicker, observe and analyze situations better and began to think about my reasoning for actions and decisions more critically I usually think before I act, and thus mostly have what I feel are justifiable reasons for my actions, but this year I started to really think if my reasons and actions would be justifiable to others before acting

Feedback from Metanoia

As a mentor there was a lot required that i have never had to deal with before This includes decision-making as well as helping others with problems i am not familiar with it I found my critical thinking improved as a lot as a lot of thought had to go into what i decided on or said at times I saw myself more comfortable in taking on new challenges by realizing there is always a solution that can be thought of if one considers things from all angles

Feedback from Metanoia

A time where critical thinking was really used was when the mentors needed access to the Big doors of Metanoia in order to efficiently assist with the arrival of the First YearsWe came up with the strategy of recording every time we had to ask for one of the house committee members to open the big doors as evidence To cut the story short we were granted our request

Feedback from Metanoia

Once again, the app really helped with this as it provided questions which helped provoke thoughts at time when utilised

Feedback from Serruria

By seeking advice. It was important in order to get the best outcomes was to actively listen to the other mentors' views and opinions in order to open my mind.

Feedback from Equite

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).

Feedback from Minerva

I was put in situations where I had to think critically for example when my mentee could not work and was having mental health problems I had to think critically and I did this with the help of fellow mentors and my head mentor if it wasn't for their guidance this skill would not have been refined.

Feedback from Serruria

I think I learnt this through knowing how to approach each mentee is very important. Many of my mentees are different and they need different things. I also think that knowing how to help each mentee is different so you need to think whether to refer them to someone else or advise them differently. This area is one that I feel I didn't have a very big growth in because I didn't feel like I had to use lots of critical thinking. I had the resources available to me and I knew in some cases I just had to listen and not think what to say.

Feedback from Nemesia

I strengthened my critical thinking skills through the tasks that we had to complete as mentors. I learned how to overcome a issue by looking at all my possible solutions and trying to work out which would work best. I had to think of things that we could complete together as a group and with others. I had to use critical thinking whenever a issue or concern was brought up by my mentees and I had to think of a solution. I learned to not just say what I think but to first think before I speak to ensure I do not offend or exclude someone.

Feedback from Nemesia

Being a mentor pushed me to really see things from everyone's perspective. I tend to be quite idealist but being a mentor has shown me that you must work at the level that is possible and needed and not the level that is ideal. I have had to really workshop complex problems with my team and these situations would never have challenged me as just a normal resident.

Feedback from Nemesia

The way I think I refined and strengthened my critical thinking skills during my term as a mentor was by analyzing situations more in depth to get a better understanding of what I would be dealing with and what it would require of me.

Reflections 2021

Submissions/Reflections from Mentors per Residence and PSO

Topic: How do you think you think you refined and strengthened your "critical thinking" skills during your term as a mentor? Please elaborate.

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