Lani
MChem Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry (Study Abroad)
The importance of having a point of contact with a peer that has already experienced the year you are about to undergo can benefit a student massively and I wanted to be a part of that.
Being a Peer Mentor
I decided to become a Peer Mentor as I felt it was a valuable figure for new students to have when arriving at university. When I came to university, I didn’t know anyone in the city, let alone the university, as just like many others I moved away from my home town. The importance of having a point of contact with someone that has already experienced the year you are about to undergo can benefit a student massively and I wanted to be a part of that.
As a Peer Mentor you host meetings with your mentees, who are usually taking the same subject as you. In my first meeting, I introduced myself and explained a little bit about the university and my experience on the course as well as settling into the university lifestyle. I took any questions people had, for example, second year housing or tips on how to revise. I then proceeded to host a few more group and one-to-one meetings with those that had questions.
A mentee can expect to have a shoulder to lean on from their Peer Mentor, a senior figure that is there for support and can answer the informal questions about university from their first-hand experience.
Benefits of being a Peer Mentor
From being a Peer Mentor, I have learnt how to host meetings and increased my confidence in public speaking as well as the organisational skills to communicate with a large group.
Being nominated for Peer Mentor of the Year was such an honour and really made the whole experience worthwhile. It was great to read the lovely comments some of the students had left.
I think being a Peer Mentor is a very valuable experience as you gain great communication and teamwork skills, as well as developing leadership and being able to give back to others.