One of the best choices I have made in my life is to be both a student and a mentor.The student life and mentor life are two different dimensions, but when you get a taste of both, it does wonders.

I have been a student all my life, but I have also taken on the role of being a mentor in my own capacity. I believe that the knowledge we come to possess isn't meant to be hoarded; it must be shared. Being a mentor taught me how to be a better student. It gave me a perspective about learning that I would have otherwise been oblivious to.

You develop many new skills as a mentor. The first of these is proper communication. Mentorship philosophy is all about communication. This is the process by which students and mentors understand one another and provides a foundation for the reception of knowledge and experience students are able to attain throughout the semester. You learn to communicate with students not just a mentor, but as a classmate. You negate the atmosphere of superiority by allowing students to relate their mentors not as high-ups, but as peers. This removes the barrier that typically exists between students and mentors, creating a comfortable atmosphere that allowed students to openly ask questions and engage in discussions.

But like all experience, mentoring also has challenges. One of the big ones is time management. To ensure that you are committing enough time to being both a mentor and a student, you need a serious time management schedule. This was one of the most challenging parts of my semester. After planning out my time for the rest of the semester, I found that I was able to complete my responsibilities with punctuality and much more efficiently. And it made the experience much more rewarding.

As part of becoming an effective communicator, there are quite a few qualities to work on. The first is patience. Mentors have a responsibility of educating students. I came to realize that this process can be both tedious and time consuming. The value of proper communication as a mentor comes from being patient throughout the whole process of educating students.

You also learn to be appreciative. We are often unaware of the time and energy put into teaching us what we learn on a daily basis, but by stepping into the shoes of a mentor, you truly come to realize what it means to educate.