How does this work?
If your goal is getting better at mapping, modding or storyboarding you're in the right place!
If you're new to the mapping community, engaging with the Ranking Criteria and getting someone to give you feedback can be overwhelming. This program tries to change that!

Originally started in 2016, our goal has been to give new mappers, modders and storyboarders access to experienced community members. It's a simplified classroom setting where the mentor / teacher gives feedback and exposes the student / mentee to new concepts, beatmaps or visuals depending on the area you're interested in.

None of this stops you from just reaching out to someone for feedback outside of this program. This community exists as a platform to give the process some structure and as a platform to make connections!

Cycle
A cycle in the context of the mentorship program is just 13 weeks during which the mentor and mentee are assigned to work with one another towards whichever goals the student may have. Goals in this context can be anything from making rankable maps, getting better at modding or learning the fundamentals of storyboarding

What form this interaction takes is highly dependent on the teacher and typically everyone has their own approaches towards the topic.

A cycle consists of the three major phases "Mentor Signups", "Mentee Signups" and the cycle itself. The 13 week cycle is also sub-divided into phases which last 4 weeks which is relevant for the rules regarding mentor and mentee pairings.

Mentors
The teacher in the student/teacher dynamic. We will host Mentor Signups in order to vet interested community members based on our own criteria to ensure a baseline standard within the program.
If you think you have what it takes and want to pass on some of your knowledge to someone else, feel free to apply below!

Mentees
The student in the teacher / student relationship. We host Mentee Signups after figuring out our current cast of mentors for the cycle. More on this in its dedicated section.

Being and becoming a mentor

1. You can sign up once per cycle and apply to be a mentor for any gamemode.
2. If you need to leave the program we will do our best to find a replacement mentor to take on your existing mentees. This is usually not the best for all parties involved so please be mindful of your availability for the next 3 months when you originally apply.
3. You can choose any applicant from your area of expertise. To make sure you're not running out of material over the 3 months, please choose applicants who are mediocre. If you want to share knowledge with someone who's already experienced we will ask you to provide a lesson plan for the topics you want to cover over the cycle to make sure you don't run out of material.
4. Your mentee picks will be evaluated and can be vetoed by the organization team. This step makes sure that the program remains a place for new and aspiring mappers. If you disagree with the verdict you can always elaborate with more information to sway the decision.

Mentor commitments
Please consider these when applying:

1. Make sure you have enough time to talk to your mentees. Depending on how many people you mentor, we recommend planning with a commitment of at least 2 hours per week.
2. You should have experience with the ranking process. For many aspiring new mappers, ranking a beatmap is a major goal so relevant experience in this area would be good.
3. Knowing your schedule is a major benefit. This doesn't just avoid that you need to unexpectedly drop out of the commitment, but also helps prospective mentees plan around you.
4. Have a presence in the current modding ecosystem. This doesn't just demonstrate that you can give feedback properly, but also that you're up-to-date with the current systems and their pitfalls.
5. Please include relevant teaching experience if you have it. Whether you're in this area in real life or have mentored people in the past, mention these instances when applying so people get a better idea of what to expect from you. Alternatively, include mods that demonstrate your abilities in communicating abstract mapping concepts to new mappers.

Mentee limits for new and returning mentors
We distinguish between mentors who newly join the program and mentors who have been mentoring for a while.
For new mentors:

1. When initially joining you can choose one mentee in total.
2. You can add one additional mentee every 8 weeks. So, after 8 months you'll be able to take on 5 mentees.
3. You can't choose mentees with a timezone difference of more than 6 hours. If you've been a mentor for more than 8 weeks this is not required anymore. We may ask you for lesson plans in that case, though.

In general:

1. You can have up to 5 mentees in total across all sub-programs you're involved in. Having one-on-one sessions and exchange is time-consuming for both parties. This limit is in place to make sure no one bites off more than they can chew.
2. Per phase and application cycle, you can choose up to 5 new mentees and drop up to 5 existing mentees.

Mentor Overviews
osu! Mentors | osu!mania Mentors | osu!taiko Mentors | osu!catch Mentors | Storyboard Mentors

Modding Mentor Overviews
osu! Modding Mentors | osu!mania Modding Mentors
osu!taiko Modding Mentors | osu!catch Modding Mentors

The above will be filled as we accept people into the program.
Grayed out mentors are not eligible this cycle - they either already finalised their choice or are staying with their mentees from the last cycle.