Agree on a level of commitment

Like in any relationship, you should understand how committed you and your mentor are to the mentorship. Discuss with your mentor how much time and effort you're both ready to invest. Even if a mentor says they're always open to discussion, exercise restraint in contacting them during odd hours or at alarming frequencies — no one likes unscheduled phone calls or a flood of emails for minor issues.

Here are some helpful things to discuss with your mentor to establish a mutual level of commitment:

• Their availability for being contacted over messaging, email, or calls
• The rules for rescheduling meetings
• Personal topics that shouldn't be touched
• Your openness to constructive criticism
• If you're both okay with communicating on a first-name basis
• Plagiarism
• The duration of the collaboration

Mentors who devote a lot of time and effort to their mentees expect them to do the same. It's not as intense as college, but you should be prepared to break a sweat.