Getting frustrated, accepting students &not responding

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Zombirella

I'm really getting frustrated. I don't really like the limit of only being allowed to accept 4 students a month. That would be fine if people didn't request you, you accept, then they basically fall off the face of the Earth!
For the last 3 months I've had people bail on me. Write me once then never respond to me again. So I end up wasting my spots for students.

I just don't think it's fair to the mentors that are serious about this. Last month I cancelled two. And this month it looks like three more will have to be. I give them time, weeks, no response and there doesn't appear to be any activity going on with their account anywhere else around the site. I did notice that one person's icon had the green dot so they were on after I messaged them and they ignored me.

Has anyone ever brought this up? Can anything be done about how the program is setup at the moment with the amount of students we can have? I mean if we have to cancel someone that doesn't respond I think we should be allowed to accept someone else in their place and not have to wait for our month to be up to be able to accept new students. Now I'm kind of wondering if I should message the next person that requests me and ask if they are serious about this and plan on being active before I accept them because I've lost out so many times from people that come here once and never come back.

It's just such a bummer to get all happy that you have a request and then get your hopes up and someone not respond.

05/13/2012

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Ryuson

(Review Program Mentor)

I think that a lot of people just don't know what they're getting into or they find out that being a reviewer and working your way up to being able to request cool free things takes WORK! I wouldn't take it personally. I have a few that need to be cancelled (I currently have 12 active students and maybe 6 'active' students) but I just can't bring myself to do so!

05/13/2012

Ropey

I'm so sorry that you're having trouble with the program and accepting students that end up bailing! I never thought there would be such a thing, and I was also not aware that you guys had limits on the number of students you can have/month.

I hope things start working better for you, and I think it's an excellent idea that you contact potential students, that have requested you, and ask them if they're going to be serious. You can explain to them that you've had other people bail, so you're just asking them in advance to save yourself the headache, and not trying to be picky or nosy or anything. I'm sure people that are serious about being students would be willing to write you back and say that they are in fact serious.

I agree with Ryuson that there might be people that don't know what they're getting into, so maybe you could send them a general description of how the program works, maybe what you expect from your students, and ask if they're going to try to follow through with it or not. I am Ryuson's student right now and am enjoying it.

I would like to request you as a mentor perhaps next month, so long as I have more reviews to do, and if you're interested in proofreading vibrator reviews. I hope everything works out for you, and that you can come up with an easy screening process for potential students!

05/13/2012

Zombirella

I don't necessarily take it personally, like feel that it's ME being the reason they aren't replying. I'm just getting bummed out that I'm getting bailed on and my spots being wasted.

I think I am going to message the next person. I usually explain the details after accepting them but maybe I'll wait and do that first, then accept.

And it was hard Ryuson, for me to cancel them but after a month with a couple and no response I just went ahead and did it. I currently have 5 active students but really only two are responding and actually being active .

And I don't mind helping, Ropey I like doing it.

05/13/2012

js250

26 total students--8 cancelled.

I am feeling a bit frustrated as well!! I have had 26 students, total. I just had a student turn in 3 reviews and ask NOT to be graduated, the student wanted to do one more assignment. I did not graduate her/him and then they applied for an upgrade and GOT IT!! I had many, many hours into helping this student and even though I asked them not to do so, they upgraded anyway...there went my gift card I was counting on!!

I have had to cancel 8 different students, 5 within the last month and a half! These are students that I accepted in January and February, then nothing. No response to my messages for a couple of months. I agree, they probably do not realize that they need to put in a bit of time and work to be a reviewer. I also think some of these people are applying just for the points. I would not be so frustrated if the students would notify me and let me know they no longer want to take the classes.

I love being a mentor, and when I get a serious student, I am thrilled to pass on my knowledge. I am getting to the point though, where I almost prefer having advanced reviewers as my students. I know the staff at EF are wonderful about listening to the members and making needed changes to keep the site running smoothly and troubleshooting problems--they are most likely working on an update for the mentor program, we just need to be a bit patient.

05/14/2012

Beck

I've had 34 students and 7 I've had to cancel class on since I became a mentor in October. I feel frustrated too. You can tell within the first week who will actually graduate and who won't. I have 8 in class currently and only 2 are active.

I agree that some people don't realize what kind of work they actually have to put in. However, most of the ones I've cancelled on have been MIA since the request. They aren't following enough people, so there wall shows all their activity. I give you a month to come up with something. And a month from your message, review, or whatever if your still MIA; I cancel class. Though I have done it sooner because they were ignoring my messages and I know they were on. It's understandable that life gets in the way of things on the computer, but you should have enough courtesy to message someone saying you won't be around for sometime.

05/14/2012

Ryuson

(Review Program Mentor)

Quote:

Originally posted by Ropey

Ropey here's a superstar, I accepted them two days ago and they already got me two drafts hahaha! I know she's gonna graduate and become an advanced reviewer in no time flat.

I agree that it may be best to start sending them a message BEFORE they get accepted, just to see what they reply. It won't help the cases where people go MIA after doing one or two reviews (or after getting their one free product) but I think that it might help in the long run.

It's in no way you being the reason that they aren't replying, Zombie! You're a great mentor from what I've heard and you seem like you're always contributing. It's just them either thinking that it was an easy way to become an advanced reviewer/get points and realizing it was not or the person is just a flake.

I finally cancelled one that hasn't sent me a message since January. Bummer!

@ Js250- I always feel bad when I hear stories like this, you remember the post I made a few weeks ago about how I was cheated out of my GC for graduating a regular reviewer to advanced. I wouldn't care as much, but non advanced reviewers usually need a lot more work than advanced reviewers, so it makes sense why we get the extra compensation!

We mentors just have to keep our heads up and enjoy it when we get a student who is actually willing to work at it and wants to become a better writer.

05/14/2012

unfulfilled

I wish there wasn't a limit either. I really want to help those that want my help, but hate that I'm not able to when I'm out of slots and can't get requested until such and so date. We have no control over if the students we accept really want to work with us or are just requesting a mentor to get the points. So sad!

05/14/2012

Kindred

The limit was put in place because a few mentors were getting almost all of the students. Some students will simply look at the number of students a mentor has had and pick based on that, so the limit is actually a good thing.

As has been mentioned, the best thing to do is to be more selective when you accept a student. I will not accept a student that simply writes "Help me write better reviews" or something similar. I know we have all gotten them. I don't tend to message beforehand because I tend to be selective, but that's also a very good idea.

I think all new mentors are eager to take on students and accept anyone that submits a request. In time, we all learn to be more selective because in the long run it works out better.

05/14/2012

Total posts: 9 Unique posters: 7

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