If you live or study in Boston, Cambridge or the surrounding suburbs, you can work with a Blackburn mentor by video. Our team is in Los Angeles; clients here meet their dedicated mentor online in Eastern time, weekly or several times a week, and stay in touch by text and phone between sessions.
A region that runs on the academic calendar
Few places are shaped by the school year the way Greater Boston is. Colleges and universities fill Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and the neighborhoods along the Green Line, and when students arrive in late August the whole area changes pace. September 1 is the big apartment turnover day, with moving trucks on every narrow street. By December, finals and early darkness arrive together.
That rhythm creates predictable pressure points:
- September: new students far from home, new roommates and the first stretch of independence
- October and November: midterms, the first real grades and the urge to drop or withdraw
- January to March: cold, short days and a spring semester that can feel longer than it is
- May: finals, leases ending and decisions about summer jobs or internships
For students at colleges in and around Boston
Many of the students we hear from came here from somewhere else. They did well in high school with structure built around them, then landed in a place where nobody checks whether they went to class. A mentor for college students helps rebuild that structure in a way the student owns:
- A weekly schedule that blocks class, study, meals, exercise and sleep
- A plan for office hours, advising appointments and deadlines before they become emergencies
- Talking through a change of major, a transfer or a semester away
- Keeping parents informed, with the student’s permission, so calls home are not interrogations
First-year students often benefit most. See our page on college transition mentoring and our guide to homesickness in the first year.
Getting through a Boston winter
Boston winters are long, and by mid-December the sun sets before many students leave their last class. Snow can cancel plans and shrink a social life to one building. This is when routines quietly fall apart. A mentor helps keep a few things fixed: a wake-up time, daylight outside every day, regular exercise, and one or two commitments that get a student out of their room.
When the winter months bring a persistent low mood, anxiety or trouble functioning, a licensed professional is the right step, and a mentor can help a student schedule and keep that appointment. In a crisis, call or text 988.
High school students in Newton, Brookline and the suburbs
Families in Newton, Brookline, Lexington, Needham and the North and South Shore suburbs often raise students surrounded by the region’s academic culture, with high expectations to match. High school mentoring focuses on organization, follow-through and confidence, not test prep or admissions advice. A parent or guardian joins the intro call, agrees the goals and receives progress updates.
Staying in Boston after graduation
A lot of graduates stay for jobs in healthcare, life sciences, education and tech, often in Kendall Square, the Seaport or along Route 128. The transition from student to employee is bigger than it looks: no semesters, no breaks, rent due on the first. A mentor helps young professionals set up a budget, a routine and goals that extend past the next deadline.
Where a mentor makes the difference
Boston gives students access to a lot. What many lack is one person who sees the whole picture and checks in every week. That is the role of a mentor, by video, with sessions after class at 4:00 pm Eastern (1:00 pm in Los Angeles) or in the evening. Learn more about online mentoring.
Related
- Online mentoring in New York City
- Online mentoring in Fairfield County, CT
- College burnout: signs and next steps
- Mentoring for young adults
- Online Mentoring in Providence and Rhode Island
Common questions
Can my student keep the same mentor over winter and summer breaks?
Yes. Because sessions are by video, the mentor stays the same whether the student is in a Boston dorm, at home or at a summer internship elsewhere.
Do you meet in person in Boston?
No. Our team is based in Los Angeles, and Boston-area clients work with us entirely by video, with text and phone contact between sessions.
Is a mentor the same as an academic advisor?
No. A mentor does not replace the advising a college provides; they help the student use it, keep appointments and follow through.
How do we get started?
Take the five-minute assessment on our Get Started page. Our team reviews it personally and sets up a free intro call.
Get started
Looking for a mentor in the Boston area? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.