10 REASONS A STUDENT NEEDS MENTORSHIP

1.                        MENTORSHIP IMPROVES THE STUDENT’S BASIC LEARNING SKILL

Three major types of study skills are needed in the student’s educational learning process:

           a.     The calculation (or math) skill

           b.     The reading skill

           c.      The creative expression skill.

Every student requires a certain dose of these skills to excel in a particular field of study. For example, while the science student requires much of the calculation (math) skill, his counterpart in the arts and social sciences requires much of the reading skill. The creative skill which stems from the power of imagery is the key requirement of the student of the creative arts such as fine art and creative writing.

A mentor identifies the student’s major skill requirement and assists him/her in developing this skill. He adopts certain measures which provides enabling environment for the student to consciously or unconsciously crave to acquire the skill. A long exposure to a mathematical game, for example, can go a long way in developing the math skill in the child. Tours and picnics will enhance a child’s power of imagery and thus build his creative skill.

2.                        MENTORSHIP IMPROVES STUDENTS SELF ACCESSMENT POWER

Mentorship activities help the student to access himself and expose his weak and strong skills. Based on career interest, the student can work hard on himself, to improve on the areas of weakness. Great men who have excelled in their careers have told their story of how they went the extra mile improving themselves in some subject areas. Those who ended up being a lawyer, for example, will tell you how they developed interest in reading so many books especially novels. They may be doing this unconsciously – sometimes being motivated by their role models. Mentorship programmes are designed to consciously help students assess themselves and improve their skills.

3.                        MENTORSHIP HELPS STUDENTS IN MATCHING THEIR CAREER WITH THEIR TALENT

Each person born on earth comes with a mission to the world. The creator has imbued him from the point of creation with some talents required to fulfil his mission successfully. Scholarship is about giving a person the formal training required to excel in his life-given mission. Education planners have designed academic training in such a way that for whatever mission (or career) one is set out to pursue, certain school subjects are essential in assisting him in the pursuit of his career. So at a point in his scholarly quest, a student is required to choose his subjects. It is expected that a student’s choice of subjects depends on his career mission. However, experience has shown that most students choose their subjects not based on their career choice but on how easy they are finding the subjects. As a matter of fact, most students know very little about their life mission or what some call career mission (where they have strong potentials or interest). Some follow their peers, others follow the detect of their parents/guardians. The result is what we have today – engineers ending up as broadcasters, medical doctors ending up as musicians, biochemists ending up as creative writers, political scientists ending up as traders, etc. These are somewhat lucky ones who discovered their talents some years after graduation. So many could not discover their talents and end up in frustrating careers all through their lives. Mentorship would help a student avoid this long search of one’s mission or life career.

4.                        MENTORSHIP HELPS STUDENTS ACCESS NECESSARY STUDY OPPORTUNITY

Several opportunities are created by the government and non-governmental organisations to assist students seamlessly in their academic pursuit. Unfortunately, so many students are ignorant of these opportunities. Not many students are aware of some scholarship schemes provided by government organisations and NGOs. Not many students know that they can freely access the various national and state libraries provided for their use. Not many know about the alternative learning platforms provided by the federal government to assist students in advancing their studies – the Open University system, the e-learning system, etc. Not many are aware that several foreign countries have scholarship opportunities for developing countries. The mentorship programme would avail the benefitting students of these opportunities, and several others.

5.                        PROVIDING STUDY AIDS TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ LEARNING PROCESS

Mentorship programmes recognise the huge advantage of student-centred learning process over the teacher-centred learning process. In the student-centred learning process, the student takes the lead while the teacher provides the guide. On the contrary, teacher-centred process makes the teacher the lead while students play more of observatory role. The former has the advantage of making the student take responsibility of the learning process. It is a kind of role-play for the student which makes learning fun.

Mentoring programmes provide various opportunities for students to benefit from this Learning As Fun process. This process makes copious use of study aids such as educational games and other instructional materials.

6.                        LOCATING RELEVANT PREPARATION COURSES

Students no doubt need certain examination preparation courses in the pursuit of their career. Certain foreign examinations such as ACT, SAT, GED and even our local examinations like UME and SSCE need special preparations. Mentorship programmes not only encourage students to participate in such examinations but also assist them to be successful in those exams. Members are given study and success tips that encourage them to get adequately prepared. Again, other motivational gifts are given to them.

7.                        MENTORSHIP DEVELOPS READING CULTURE IN STUDENTS

Nigeria and other African countries are rated very low in the reading culture. Several mentorship programmes are planned to support improved reading culture among the mentees. Programmes like essay and spelling bee competitions encourage students to read. Motivations like gift of books and award of scholarships are found very useful in this bid.

8.                        PROVIDES NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES AMONG STUDENTS

Mentorship activities targeted at students involve programmes that encourage positive peer and group events that build camaraderie, teamwork and a sense of belonging. Membership often comes across states, regions, tribes and nationalities. Positive exchange of cultures and values are encouraged and unity and oneness is the watchword. Invaluable benefits accrue from this and members end up building better global community. Mentees also turn out to become mentors and role models among one another. Mutual benefits are the end result.

9.                        HELP STUDENTS TO OVERCOME VICES ASSOCIATED WITH NEGATIVE LEARNING

Examination malpractice, cultism, drug abuse, truancy, school dropout syndrome, etc are some vices which mentorship discourages. These are negative psychological influences resulting from complexes – inferiority or superiority complex.

Mentorship entails building of positive attitudes for greatness. Thus, students’ mentorship works towards discouraging such negative vices as students are trained to discover their inborn virtues and explore them to become world class citizens who will be useful to themselves, their society and country, and positively impact the world at large.

10.                HELP STUDENTS DISCOVER USEFUL TECHNOLOGIES FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT

Technologies impact on the society in two ways – negatively or positively. Mentorship encourages positive exploitation of the gains of technology. Telecommunication and the internet are modern communication systems that are very useful in diverse human endeavours. Mentorship programme shall avail members the opportunity of exploiting these technologies maximally.