Thing 11: Mentoring

With no 'task' as such to do this (last!) week I just thought I would reflect on my experiences of mentoring. During my final year at high school I mentored a student in the year below me, to help him prepare for his Physics AS Level exams. From this I know how rewarding it can be to mentor, especially when the guidance you have provided yields results. The only people I feel have 'officially' been my mentors were my supervisors and tutors at university who I am still in contact with from time to time, but things have moved on and my work today is very different from the lab work and mathematics I needed guidance with back then. Working at St John's College I talk to a range of different people about my work and where I hope to go next, but I guess I am usually the kind of person who likes to go it alone and doesn't talk about these things perhaps as much as I should. I agree that is definitely based on the thought of wondering if you are good enough to be where you are, and go further. I think I need to think more carefully about this, especially as I have met so many people over the last 12 months who are in positions that I aspire to.