Advisers and Mentors: How to Get Started

Establishing a positive and productive relationship with your adviser is a critical step in achieving graduate school success. You can begin this relationship by planning your meeting(s) ahead of time so that you can discuss the topics that are important to you. Here are some ways that you could foster a strong relationship with your adviser:

1. Ask your adviser if they have an advising philosophy and ask to discuss it at your first meeting.
2. Develop a shared sense of accountability and trust.
3. Don’t wait for your adviser to initiate a conversation about expectations. Take responsibility for getting your relationship off on the right track.
4. Talk to your adviser about work styles, expectations, and how to make the most of your time as a graduate student.

Additional questions to ask your advisor at your initial meeting include:

1. What are your expectations of me as your advisee?
2. What can I expect of you as an adviser?
3. How would you like to be contacted and how often should we meet (i.e. email, phone)?
4. What can I do to make the most out of our advisor/advisee relationship?
5. How do I know if I am off track?

The discussion around these topics will help you learn whether this person would be a good match for you as a mentor. You can use a similar approach when trying to find mentors. The questions are similar for mentors and advisors but the answers will be different because mentors and advisors have different roles.

 

Seek Out Your Faculty Adviser Early (0:27 seconds)