Mentoring Yourself: Unlocking Motivation Without a Mentor

Our guest blogger, Christine Kinnear is the CEO of With Insight Education, here she shares her advice on what to do if, like a lot of us, you don't have access to a mentor. 

In the many years that I have been running With Insight Education, one constant is that the majority of students who have mentors report feeling more motivated.  Getting a mentor might be outside of your reach at the moment, so with end of year exams just around the corner, here’s my advice on how you can harness the benefits of mentorship—even if you don’t have one right now.

​The Confidence Boost That Fuels Effort
Why do mentored students tend to work harder? One key reason is the boost in confidence that they feel from having someone believe in their potential. When you believe in yourself, you’re more likely to put in the effort. Mentors provide reassurance that struggles are normal and that overcoming challenges is possible. They share their own stories of setbacks and resilience, making success feel more achievable.
So ask yourself: What would a mentor say to me right now? Chances are, they’d remind you of how much you’ve already learned, encourage you to focus on progress rather than perfection and push you to keep going even when studying feels tough.

Seeing the Bigger Picture 
Mentors help their mentees understand the long-term impact of their efforts. It’s easy to lose motivation when you’re buried in revision notes, but a mentor would remind you that this hard work is a stepping stone to bigger goals—getting into university, securing a dream job, or building the future you want.
If you don’t have a mentor, try this: Imagine your future self looking back on today. What advice would they give? Would they tell you to stay focused and push through? Keeping your long-term vision in mind can make studying feel more purposeful.

Pushing Beyond Your Comfort Zone 
Another reason mentored students perform better is that mentors challenge them. A good mentor doesn’t let you settle for “good enough”—they push you to aim higher and step outside your comfort zone. This might mean attempting harder practice questions, seeking feedback on essays or developing new study techniques.
For those tackling exams, push yourself like a mentor would. Set stretch goals—try an extra past paper, study for 30 minutes longer or teach a friend a topic to reinforce your knowledge. The best growth happens when you challenge yourself.

Staying Accountable and Focused 
A mentor checks in on progress, helping mentees stay on track. Knowing someone else cares about your goals can make a big difference in motivation. Even without a mentor, you can build accountability by studying with friends, setting daily goals or tracking your progress in a journal.
Ask yourself: Who can I be accountable to? Maybe a friend, a family member, or even a study group. Just knowing someone will ask how your revision is going can keep you motivated.

Final Thoughts
Too often in life we wait to feel motivated before taking action.  But the drive to succeed is already within you—you just need to remind yourself why your hard work matters.
So, as exams approach, ask yourself: What would my mentor say? Then, take that advice and run with it. Your future self will thank you.

Author

Christine Kinnear is the Founder and CEO of With Insight Education, a charity with the social mission to advance the educational and professional prospects of black-heritage state school pupils through programmes that build their confidence, knowledge and soft skills to progress to top third ranked universities and into professional careers.

In 2023 she was listed as a WISE100 top female social entrepreneur and in 2020 was awarded the Warrior Women Changemaker of the year award. She is a TeachFirst Ambassador, a School for Social Entrepreneurs Fellow and sit on a number of educational and diversity boards including Causeway Education, City Lit and the AccessHE Race Equality forum.

Christine is also an experienced workshop facilitator and is happy to present or participate as a panel member at events about my work to increase diversity in higher education and the workplace.