I have not had a direct opportunity to mentor and advise students in an official capacity. However, I would strive to ensure that I provide the same skill set that my mentors and advisors have shown me. I have seen first-hand the difference a good advisor and mentor can make, and the difference it can make in a student's success. Time and time again I have seen from undergrad to graduate that mentoring and advising is crucial.

I feel that advising and mentoring should honestly be the same. However, I realize that advising often tends to helping students navigate their college career, understanding various requirements and other nuances a student will encounter during their education, while also helping to ensure the student takes the courses and path necessary for them to transition to their next step effectively. While mentoring would be more personal, ensuring the student is learning the skills necessary for their future and continued success. Perhaps a way that makes sense to me is that advising is more like building a path for a student, while mentoring is instilling the tools a student will use to become their own advisor.

It appears however that these terms can even be different at different universities as stated by Marcdante and Simpson [1]. However, I believe their provided interpretation very much aligns with my own prior experience with my mentors and advisors. That traditionally, an "advisor" would usually be more short-term questions and answers about navigating various classes. In my undergrad I had two advisors one for computer science and one for physics. My physics "advisor" became my undergrad mentor, taking the time to explain to me how to get into graduate school, offering opportunities for enrichment etc. While my computer science advisor, while genuinely caring about my future, was not very involved in preparing me for graduate school; most of our interactions were about which courses I should take for credit hour requirements, etc.

So for me, I would honestly side with my physics mentor, for any student, acting both as an advisor and mentor. Of course, there will always be students who may not need a mentor, but I believe that alignment should be worked out between the faculty member and the student, never just assume one or the other.

Therefore, I think they both share the same goals, for me, to ensure a student's success.

[1] Marcdante K, Simpson D. Choosing When to Advise, Coach, or Mentor. J Grad Med Educ. 2018 Apr;10(2):227-228. doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-18-00111.1. PMID: 29686766; PMCID: PMC5901806.

AI Notice: Google Gemini was used for review and provided minor text formatting and typos. The original text before editing is available upon request.