ABSTRACT
The role of a mentor as a strong role model is critical for a student’s development. Mentors provide students with a point of contact at the coalface of professional practice; someone they can relate to, and someone to help prepare them for life beyond their degree. Similarly, architects mentoring students can think of it as a long-term job interview, which can be priceless in engaging someone who shares their attitudes, values and approach to customer care. Architecture students develop languages that speak solely to other architecture students. Therefore, university education can only transport students so far along this path; nothing can replace real experience, but an engaging mentor can be a great start and instructor. For host practices deciding how to structure work for a visiting student, it’s important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the training inside universities.
