For a student’s future the role of either a mentor or practitioner is more pivotal than can be imagined, says columnist Saahil Waslekar
It is roughly six months to the date when most of us would proceed to the following academic year or have graduated from Lund University. Either way, a new calendar year or a fresh academic year, both call for subconscious resolution making.
The outcome of such resolutions is usually a step forward and in doing so it is best if we simply had access to either a mentor or a practitioner.
Most fundamental to recognising the importance of such an individual is simply realising their absence. The gift of having either one of the two in your journey as a student would have far reaching results.
A mentor is one who advises you through the wisdom they have gathered over years of experience. In doing so, he or she does not disclose the rules or formula for getting it right, instead will groom you in order to make you capable and wise enough to make a mature decision for yourself and those around you.
On the other hand, a practitioner is one who actively knows where you require a certain polishing and provides you with a direction. He or she is a person who has grassroots knowledge of the field you desire to pursue.
In effect, both would have words of wisdom although it is of importance to know, where you stand and which one of the two you seek. Of course, while it is best to know of the difference between these two individuals, it is not advisable to segregate them in any way.
A mentor’s role, ideally, is that, equivalent to burners in a hot air balloon. This person is simply the engine infrastructure that brings out the stored ‘propane’ or qualities within you in order to help you soar into the air.
A practitioner will show you and teach you to fly the balloon. Eventually, when it is time to graduate, not from university, but after having inculcated all that a mentor has to offer, it is your time to be a practitioner.
There is a certain fun in being a practitioner. Just when you realise that you are a practitioner, you have also become a capable mentor to several other individuals.
