Blackburn Mentoring gives California State University students one mentor who meets with them every week by video, at any CSU, and in person in Los Angeles when they are local. The mentor helps the student hold a realistic weekly plan, take enough units to graduate on time, and handle the pressures that make CSU life different: commuting, working, transferring in and competitive majors. The first step is a free 20 minute intro call.
The CSU at a glance
The CSU enrolled more than 470,000 students as of fall 2025 across 22 universities, with two campuses set to integrate in fall 2026, according to the CSU at a glance fact sheet. Transfer students are central to the system: 94% of new undergraduate transfers come from California community colleges, and 51% of CSU graduates started at a community college, according to the CSU and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.
That mix means many CSU students are balancing more than classes. A student who commutes, works or helps at home needs a plan built for the week they actually have.
Where CSU students lose time
- Light unit loads. Dropping a class here and there feels harmless, but each one pushes graduation back. A mentor helps the student plan unit loads they can actually finish. Try our graduate on time credit planner.
- Impacted majors. At some campuses, popular majors are impacted and use extra criteria. Switching into one later can be harder than students expect. See CSU application and impaction explained.
- Work schedules. A job that grows from 15 to 30 hours a week can quietly sink a term. A mentor helps the student see the trade off early and talk to an employer or advisor.
- Transfer shock. Students arriving from community college often see a first term GPA dip. See transfer shock.
- Academic standing. Each CSU publishes its probation and disqualification rules in its catalog. A mentor helps the student read them early and act before a second hard term.
How a mentor helps a CSU student
- One weekly plan that includes classes, commute, work and family, so study time is scheduled rather than hoped for.
- A semester map built in week one from every syllabus.
- Registration and unit planning, with questions prepared for the student’s advisor.
- Back on track plans after a bad midterm or a term on probation.
- Confidence for students who are the first in their family at a university. See mentoring for first generation college students.
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 a CSU student is dealing with more than structure and follow-through, such as ongoing anxiety, low mood or burnout, Blackburn Clinical Services, our sister practice, offers therapy and psychiatry for college students. In a crisis, call or text 988.
How to start
- Take a short assessment. Tell us about the student and what is going on this term. It takes about five minutes.
- 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.
- Meet the mentor. New clients are matched with one mentor within two business days.
- 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 sitting out a term, see home from a UC or CSU campus for a term for what to settle before winter break ends.
Related
- Mentoring for college students
- CSU application and impaction explained
- Mentoring for transfer students
- Academic probation mentoring
- Mentoring for UC students
- Mentoring for California community college students
- School and college systems hub
Common questions
Do you work with students at any CSU?
Yes. Sessions are by video, so the campus does not matter, and students in Los Angeles can also meet in person.
My student works a lot of hours. Can mentoring still help?
Yes. Mentors build the plan around the real week, including work and commute, and help the student decide what to change when the load is too much.
Can a mentor help my student graduate on time?
A mentor helps with unit planning, registration questions and finishing the classes a student starts. Advisors confirm degree requirements; the mentor makes sure the student meets with them prepared.
Will I hear how my student is doing?
College records belong to the student. With the student’s written consent, we can keep a parent informed about how engaged the student is with mentoring.
Get started
Looking for a mentor for a CSU 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.
Free, by video, 20 minutes, with a member of our team. Weekdays 9 to 5 Pacific.