Brand College Consulting offers a supportive network of mentors and advisors for current college students.
Advising and mentoring are critical parts of retaining students in college programs and producing graduates who are ready for their next step, whether it be transitioning to the workforce or going on to further study. Students, particularly those from non-traditional backgrounds, may be discouraged from continuing in a program if they encounter barriers to their progress without strong guidance for how to go through, over, or around those barriers. Academic advising and mentoring provide support and coaching to encourage students to persist, connect them with opportunities in their discipline, and help them identify support systems to enable them be successful.
It is important to note that advising and mentoring are not the same. As Schlosser and Gelso (2001) put it:
“Advisors and mentors are not synonymous. One can be an advisor without being a mentor and certainly one can be a mentor to someone without being that person’s advisor. It appears that far more students have advisors than mentors.”
In addition to our 1-on-1 coaching services, Dr. Jolyn Brand offers a program designed to support the individual needs of our students. From our highly-rated student sessions regarding career prep to time management, our programs are individually tailored to help each student succeed in the classroom and beyond. College advising and mentoring sessions can focus on:
- Summer Starter Sessions for incoming college freshmen to discuss how to “do” college, including getting familiar with campus resources (library, writing centers), understanding college policies (credit, GPA)
- Project Management Sessions to help students build a system for assignment due dates, exam preparation, and calendar management
- Semester Sessions at the end of each semester to review grades, GPA, and next semester’s goals, along with course planning for following semesters
- School/Life Balance Sessions to discuss food habits, exercise, sunshine, and social requirements
- Study Abroad Sessions to help guide students through selection of programs and credit hours to graduate early, explore the world, and be more competitive employment applicants
- Career Navigation Sessions to help students understand on-campus jobs, internships, career fairs, and future employment opportunities
- Graduate School Sessions for students who are considering grad school, med school, or law schools after college graduation
If you have more questions, feel free to Contact Us to schedule a time to discuss.
