Mentoring for University of California Students

Blackburn Mentoring gives University of California students one mentor who meets with them every week by video, wherever their campus is, and in person in Los Angeles when they are home. The mentor helps the student plan each term before it gets ahead of them, keep academic standing and unit progress on track, and recover quickly from a bad midterm or a bad term. The first step is a free 20 minute intro call; the student, a parent or both can join.

Mentors do not tutor course content or replace campus advisors. They work on the habits that decide how a UC term goes: planning, starting early, using office hours, and asking for help before a problem shows up on a transcript.

The UC system at a glance

UC enrolled a record 233,272 undergraduates in fall 2023, and 194,571 of them were Californians, according to the University of California. Many arrive straight from high school; many others transfer in: 29% of UC graduates started at a California community college, according to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

Students who did well in high school are often surprised by how different the experience is. Lectures are large, feedback is sparse until the first exam, and nobody checks whether the reading got done.

What catches UC students off guard

• The pace of the term. Depending on the campus, terms are 10 week quarters or 15 week semesters. On a quarter, a first midterm can arrive in week three or four, before a student has found a rhythm.
• Major prerequisites. Some majors require specific courses with minimum grades before a student can declare. Missing one can delay a degree by a year.
• Academic standing rules. Every campus publishes rules in its catalog on the GPA that leads to probation and the units a student must complete each term. Read them in week one, not after a bad term. Our guide to academic probation explains what usually happens next.
• Hidden struggle. A student who falls behind often stops answering texts about school. By the time a parent hears, the term is half over. See when a college student hides grades.
• Drop and withdrawal deadlines. Each campus sets its own. Knowing them early turns a crisis into a choice. See dropping a class.

Home in Los Angeles: summers, leaves and fresh starts

Many UC students from Los Angeles come home for summer, and some come home mid year after a leave of absence or a hard term. Summer classes at a local community college can keep a degree on schedule, but always check how a course transfers on ASSIST, California’s official transfer course database, and confirm with the UC campus before enrolling. Our guides to taking a leave of absence and being back home from college in Los Angeles walk through the first weeks.

How a mentor helps a UC student

• A plan for the whole term in week one: every exam, paper and deadline on one calendar, worked backward into weekly steps.
• Weekly accountability by video, with short check ins between sessions when the student wants them.
• Office hours and advisors. The mentor helps the student prepare questions so campus resources actually get used.
• Getting back on track after a bad midterm or a term on probation, with a written plan the student can show an advisor.
• Returning after time away, including a semester or quarter at home in Los Angeles.

A note for parents

A note for parents of students 18 and older: under the federal student privacy law FERPA, rights over college education records belong to the student (see the U.S. Department of Education student privacy site), so a parent may not see grades or standing unless the student shares them. Mentoring works the same way. The student owns the plan, and with the student’s written consent we can keep a parent informed about how engaged the student is.

If what is going on is more than structure and follow-through, such as anxiety, low mood or trouble coping that keeps getting in the way, Blackburn Clinical Services, our sister practice, offers therapy and psychiatry for college students. In a crisis, call or text 988.

How to start

1. Take a short assessment. Tell us about the student and what is going on this term. It takes about five minutes.
2. Have a free 20 minute intro call. The student, a parent or both can join. We talk through fit, the academic calendar and how sessions would work.
3. Meet the mentor. New clients are matched with one mentor within two business days.
4. Start the plan. Sessions by video wherever the student lives, or in person in Los Angeles, with check ins between them.

If your student is staying home for winter or spring term, see home from a UC or CSU campus for a term for a week by week plan.

Related

• Mentoring for college students
• Academic coaching for college students
• College student mentoring in Los Angeles
• Returning to college after a leave
• Community college to UC transfer
• Mentoring for CSU students
• School and college systems hub

Common questions

Can you work with a student at any UC campus?

Yes. Sessions are by video, so the campus does not matter, and students who are home can meet in person in Los Angeles.

My student is on academic probation at a UC. Is it too late?

No. Probation is a warning with a path back. A mentor helps the student understand the campus rules, build a term plan and meet with an advisor prepared. Start as early in the term as possible.

Will I get my student’s grades?

Only if your student shares them. College records belong to the student under FERPA. With the student’s written consent, we can keep a parent informed about how engaged the student is with mentoring.

Is this tutoring?

No. Mentors work on planning, routines, follow through and confidence. If a student needs help with course content, campus tutoring or a private tutor is the right fit.

Get started

Looking for a mentor for a UC student? 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 20 minute intro call.