Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2012 - (Page 41)

planning ahead for college Finding a Mentor if you are eager to work on a high-level project of interest (possibly with an eye toward submission to a science fair or other competition), or wish to explore a possible college major or career field in the real world, a mentor or an internship may help you achieve these goals. Unless your school has a formal program to help students, you may be on your own to find one. While this may seem like a daunting task, high school students manage to do it all the time. But it takes work, and summer is a good time to start. by linda E. brody, Edd Mentorship or internship:What’s the difference? Working with a mentor involves interacting with an adult who can nurture your learning in some way. if you are mainly interested in learning content, such as exploring advanced mathematical topics, or if you have an idea for a science project and mostly need guidance to carry it out, you will want to find a mentor with the content knowledge to help you achieve these goals. an internship focuses more on placing you in a particular work environment, though an individual in that environment may take on the role of a mentor. if you are less focused about your needs—for example, if you want to explore the field of genetics research but aren’t ready to do a specific project—you might seek an internship in a research lab and not necessarily be assigned to a specific mentor. there are internships that you can apply for, but many are for older teens and highly competitive. if you are younger, if there are none in your area, or if you can’t find any that meet your specific needs, you may have more success approaching an individual to mentor you. neuroscientist, for example, have you taken enough biology courses or should you take one this summer? have you kept up with news in the field and read journal articles? What specific computer, writing, research, or laboratory skills should you be getting that will help you impress that potential mentor and also help you be successful in your work? it’s possible to work with a mentor by phone or e-mail, but face-to-face is better. once you know what type of mentor you are seeking, investigate work going on at universities, corporations, and other workplaces in your community. talk to neighbors and your friends’ parents to find out who they know that might be doing the kind of work you want to do. identify mentors who have worked with students in your school in the past. once you’ve found people or placements that might meet your needs, send carefully crafted e-mails or letters describing yourself and your goals, your understanding of their work, and why it might be a good match for you to work with them. Convince them that you are well prepared to take optimal advantage of the experience you are seeking. don’t be discouraged if the first person you approach is not receptive, you might ask if they can recommend someone else. if it’s not a good time for them (perhaps they aren’t available due to travel plans), try to keep the door open to work with them in the future. if you receive multiple rejections, evaluate whether your letter might be improved or whether you need more background for the work you want to do. if you are being told you are too young for what you want to do (many labs are reluctant to take on students under age 16 for safety reasons), postpone that goal until later while you focus on enhancing your knowledge and skills in other ways. many high-achieving professionals and scientists were helped to achieve their own goals by caring adults, and they are now eager to give back by mentoring high school students. so, if finding a mentor in the near future is your goal, use this summer to prepare to be able to make the case that their time is best spent specifically mentoring YoU. Examine Your needs and investigate options You will need to convince any potential mentor that their time with you will be well spent. give careful thought to what you hope to get from working with them. What are your short-term (i.e., what do you hope to learn?) and long-term (i.e., is it related to your career plans?) goals, and what type of mentor can help you achieve them? once you’ve identified what you want to do, evaluate how prepared you are. if you want to work with a For a listing of organized internship programs, see the Imagine website at www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine/resources/internships. www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine imagine 41 http://www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine/resources/internships http://www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2012

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/june 2012
Contents
Big Picture
In My Own Words
Building Green
Learn and Build
Tinkerer’s Dream
The Healing Touch
From Jupiter to the Moon
Building a Better Landmine Detector
Designing the Future
27 Pipes
Better Than Wikinotes
Selected Opportunities & Resources
Exploring Our Political Legacy
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2012