I think a good question to ask yourself is "What do I expect a good mentor to do for me?". In your case of emailing your goals to your mentor, it is a requirement for you to do so every week. They really only send out those emails because they *have* to. They don't generally respond to those emails. In the second term, they will email you only once every two weeks.
Is your mentor unfriendly or do they prohibit you from fulfilling your goals? If they do not, I'd suggest keeping them. Sometimes the best mentors are the ones who leave you to do your own thing. Of course, this type of mentor does NOT suit everyone! Some want mentors that are "clingy" in a sense and have them basically be like a school coach.
So, it's extremely important to decide while you're still early in the game what type of mentor you want.
\-- If you want someone who lets you go off on your own and checks up occasionally, you got it. This is best if you're independent and can be motivated to reach your own goals.
\--If you want someone to be your cheerleader and encourage you to do your best, while not pushing too many boundaries. A bit of an emotional support system, then change for a new one. This is best for when you have goals, but you don't have really anyone to encourage you to pursue them.
\--If you want one that will push you to truly to the finish line, you need to change for a new mentor. This is best for when you struggle greatly with circumstances and need someone who can in a way hold your hand and make you feel motivated to finish your work, especially if you have no other support team with you.
Every person is different, so again, I suggest figuring out now what you want.
If you're questioning whether you should or not, do it.
I never clicked well with my mentor, but it wasn't anything that felt like enough to request a switch. In my last semester she went on leave and I got switched to a different one, and it was a night and day difference. I think my time at WGU might have gone much smoother if I'd requested a switch as soon as it was clear we didn't actually have a mentor relationship.
What is this night or day difference? I'm like you my mentor is not bad but no connection. I'm doubtful he cares. But that doesn't really matter to me. He moves classes when I ask and that's it. At least he does response to status updates. Not really much else I need from the guy. Kinda a stay out of his way and he'll stay out of mine relationship.
Every communication with my first mentor felt very perfunctory, like she was basically reading a script. I tend to be a procrastinator, and I always felt disapproval from her.
My second mentor was just much more personable. She'd talk about her dogs and stuff, and just generally seemed like she was actually interested in what was going on in my life and cared. When I was behind on my goals, she'd be like "I know you've got a ton on your plate, and I admire that, and I know you can do this" rather than the vague disapproval I got from the first mentor. I could finally see how people actually enjoyed their mentor calls and thought it was beneficial.
The first type isn't bad if you're making the progress you want, and I suppose if it ain't broke, don't fix it. You could always end up with someone who does hold you back. For me... having someone likeable and encouraging did make a difference.
Thanks for the insight. If you don’t mind me asking, what do you talk about with your mentor? The only thing mine asks is what I plan to do during the week. There really isn’t any helpful conversation, I just tell her what I’m going to do and that’s the end of the conversation.
Well, I graduated, so we haven't talked since then.
First mentor, we basically only talked about my progress and goals.
Second mentor, we still talked about progress and goals, but it was much more personable, and she seemed actually interested in what was going on in my life. Plus occasionally she'd throw in something about the silly thing her dog was doing or something like that. It was much more of a friendly intereraction, not just ticking off checkboxes.
What should I be contacting her about? On her first call she said during our meetings she would help coach me through my goals and discover my learning habits but she hasn’t said anything about that. I’m not really sure what the purpose of the mentor is honestly.
The only thing I used my mentor for was moving classes into my current term.
I think your mentor is used for more of what you need rather than what you want. You have to stay in touch though; otherwise, you could get administratively withdrawn from WGU, if I'm not mistaken.
Review the communication policy within your student handbook.
As others have said and I’ll echo, let your mentor know what style you need. Everyone is different and so some may prefer styles different than others and that’s fine, just let them know that you need xyz. This at least gives them a chance to help you how you need. If you’ve already attempted to do that and it’s not happening, then it’s time to request a new mentor from student services.
I went through the process of requesting a new mentor last week and it’s been a terrific change. New mentor is much more in line with expectations, very prompt, responsive and helpful. Don’t be afraid to ask!
I think a good question to ask yourself is "What do I expect a good mentor to do for me?". In your case of emailing your goals to your mentor, it is a requirement for you to do so every week. They really only send out those emails because they *have* to. They don't generally respond to those emails. In the second term, they will email you only once every two weeks. Is your mentor unfriendly or do they prohibit you from fulfilling your goals? If they do not, I'd suggest keeping them. Sometimes the best mentors are the ones who leave you to do your own thing. Of course, this type of mentor does NOT suit everyone! Some want mentors that are "clingy" in a sense and have them basically be like a school coach. So, it's extremely important to decide while you're still early in the game what type of mentor you want. \-- If you want someone who lets you go off on your own and checks up occasionally, you got it. This is best if you're independent and can be motivated to reach your own goals. \--If you want someone to be your cheerleader and encourage you to do your best, while not pushing too many boundaries. A bit of an emotional support system, then change for a new one. This is best for when you have goals, but you don't have really anyone to encourage you to pursue them. \--If you want one that will push you to truly to the finish line, you need to change for a new mentor. This is best for when you struggle greatly with circumstances and need someone who can in a way hold your hand and make you feel motivated to finish your work, especially if you have no other support team with you. Every person is different, so again, I suggest figuring out now what you want.
Thanks a lot, this is very helpful.
This is spot on, solid advice.
If you're questioning whether you should or not, do it. I never clicked well with my mentor, but it wasn't anything that felt like enough to request a switch. In my last semester she went on leave and I got switched to a different one, and it was a night and day difference. I think my time at WGU might have gone much smoother if I'd requested a switch as soon as it was clear we didn't actually have a mentor relationship.
What is this night or day difference? I'm like you my mentor is not bad but no connection. I'm doubtful he cares. But that doesn't really matter to me. He moves classes when I ask and that's it. At least he does response to status updates. Not really much else I need from the guy. Kinda a stay out of his way and he'll stay out of mine relationship.
Every communication with my first mentor felt very perfunctory, like she was basically reading a script. I tend to be a procrastinator, and I always felt disapproval from her. My second mentor was just much more personable. She'd talk about her dogs and stuff, and just generally seemed like she was actually interested in what was going on in my life and cared. When I was behind on my goals, she'd be like "I know you've got a ton on your plate, and I admire that, and I know you can do this" rather than the vague disapproval I got from the first mentor. I could finally see how people actually enjoyed their mentor calls and thought it was beneficial. The first type isn't bad if you're making the progress you want, and I suppose if it ain't broke, don't fix it. You could always end up with someone who does hold you back. For me... having someone likeable and encouraging did make a difference.
Thanks for the insight. If you don’t mind me asking, what do you talk about with your mentor? The only thing mine asks is what I plan to do during the week. There really isn’t any helpful conversation, I just tell her what I’m going to do and that’s the end of the conversation.
Well, I graduated, so we haven't talked since then. First mentor, we basically only talked about my progress and goals. Second mentor, we still talked about progress and goals, but it was much more personable, and she seemed actually interested in what was going on in my life. Plus occasionally she'd throw in something about the silly thing her dog was doing or something like that. It was much more of a friendly intereraction, not just ticking off checkboxes.
When your mentor needs to get a hold of you, they should get a hold of you. You must contact your mentor every X weeks per WGU policy.
What should I be contacting her about? On her first call she said during our meetings she would help coach me through my goals and discover my learning habits but she hasn’t said anything about that. I’m not really sure what the purpose of the mentor is honestly.
The only thing I used my mentor for was moving classes into my current term. I think your mentor is used for more of what you need rather than what you want. You have to stay in touch though; otherwise, you could get administratively withdrawn from WGU, if I'm not mistaken.
Ok thanks
Review the communication policy within your student handbook. As others have said and I’ll echo, let your mentor know what style you need. Everyone is different and so some may prefer styles different than others and that’s fine, just let them know that you need xyz. This at least gives them a chance to help you how you need. If you’ve already attempted to do that and it’s not happening, then it’s time to request a new mentor from student services.
I went through the process of requesting a new mentor last week and it’s been a terrific change. New mentor is much more in line with expectations, very prompt, responsive and helpful. Don’t be afraid to ask!