For many, beginning a new relationship can be awkward or uncertain. Many students may not know what being a mentee means! If your initial conversations need some direction, consider using one of the optional tools listed below to get the discussion going!

Getting To Know Each Other (Your first meeting)

Ask the student to tell you about themselves. What are they studying? What do they do other than school? Do they have a career plan or still searching?
Ask the student to consider what they hope to get out of this mentoring program.
Consider offering the Wheel of Life assessment tool if mentees are not sure initially what they want to work on. This can help student identify areas that they may want to resource or build skills in.

Goal Setting

Ask your mentee about their short and long term goals.
Introduce them to SMART goals to help them make practical, achievable goals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0QfCZjASX8
Encourage mentees to articulate why achieving this goal is important to their values or future success.

Money Management

Ask your mentee about how they are keeping track of their spending in college.
Share budgeting resources available to them through the Center, including Meal Plan and Student Monthly budget templates as well as access to one on one meetings with Center staff booked via Starfish.
Share your experience paying for education and troubleshoot creative ways to spend less/earn more while they are in college.
Pick a video from the Center's Youtube Channel [ https://www.youtube.com/@FinLitPSU ] to both watch before you next meeting, then discuss.
Together with your mentee, encourage them do some financial health calculations to see where they are financially. Use these as a conversation starter and make a referral to one-on-one coaching, if necessary.

Skill Building

Ask your mentee to pick a life skill they would like to develop (you can share the list from the next page if they need help picking a skill).
Encourage them to identify obstacles that they need to overcome in order to improve this skill.
Help your mentee develop a plan for strengthening that skill over the next several months.
Research resources to share with your mentee about how others have obtained, improved, or honed this skill.

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