I’m very excited to study and intern abroad in London this spring, but that adventure won’t come for another couple of months. Until then, I’m keeping myself busy right here in Claremont.

One of the promises I made to myself when I started my sophomore year is that I would be more involved in groups on campus. I want my time at Scripps to be as multifaceted as possible—not just defined by schoolwork, paid work, and play. So in an attempt to broaden the scope of my college experience, I’ve started volunteering through MoneyThink Claremont—the 5C offshoot of a national, youth-driven organization devoted to improving financial literacy amongst high school students. (Want to learn more or get involved? Email [email protected]!) This semester, I’m working with a fellow 5C sophomore, Daniel, to lead weekly personal finance classes at a local school. The structure and curriculum are provided, and we volunteers have the task of learning the material and explaining it to our students.

Now, I consider myself relatively well versed in personal finance matters. My mom taught me how to balance a checkbook in third grade, and I attended Professor Dillon’s Personal Finance Friday classes all throughout last semester. I also have plenty of experience helping students one-on-one at CP&R, and previously as a tutor in high school. But this preparation didn’t stop me from feeling extremely nervous during my first session as a mentor.

The most significant reason is that there’s a huge difference between working closely with a student during drop-in hours at CP&R and keeping a class of twenty-seven high school seniors engaged. With my position at CP&R, it’s very easy to engage a student in conversation and have her share her goals and interests. But when I’m addressing a large group of students with widely varying levels of interest, it’s much more of a challenge to help each of them find the material personally compelling. This opportunity at MoneyThink has renewed my respect for the teachers I have had in the past who worked so hard to lead their students.

Are you evaluating possible options for volunteer or paid work? Have you just started in a new position? MoneyThink has made me realize just how important it is to consider my workplace environment—not only in a physical sense, but also from a mental standpoint. Here’s a breakdown of the questions I asked myself:

Personal Accessibility How close of a relationship do I have with the students? May I correspond with them individually, outside of the class? May I invite them to an educational event at the Claremont Colleges? I’m sharing my email address; should I also provide my phone number?

Resources What physical resources do I have access to on-site? Are there computers and printers? If I’d like to share an online resource (an article on negotiating the terms of a contract lease, for example), how can I do this effectively?

Support Who can I go to if I need help? What sort of experiences have my partner(s) or supervisors had that would be illustrative?

Evaluation How will I receive feedback on my performance and improve it? How are the students I teach being evaluated?

Another challenge has to do with MoneyThink’s dedication to near-peer relationships. The seniors I work with are only two years younger than me; I remember being their age and going through the college application process like it was yesterday. Apparently I still look the part of a high school student, too—as I was biking to the school, a policeman flagged me down and asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be in school, young lady?” I had to explain that yes, I was heading to a high school, but no, I was not a delinquent student, just a volunteer, and yes, I am a college student and here’s my ID to prove it, thankyouverymuch. (I didn’t actually say that last bit, of course) That was not exactly a confidence-boosting moment. So how exactly does one establish the authority necessary to quell disruptions while remaining emotionally accessible to students? I’ll see if I have an answer after the next few weeks. If you have any advice, please post in the comments. I’ll appreciate all the help I can have. After my first day, I anticipate facing a (very!) steep learning curve.