Philip
BSc (Hons) Marine Biology
Volunteering as a Peer Mentor is worth it. It isn’t too time consuming and it's extremely rewarding to know that your efforts are significantly helping someone who is likely nervous starting a new stage in their life.
Being a Peer Mentor
Peer Mentors have a very important role in creating a supportive environment to new students. I arrived at Newcastle nervous but excited and determined to succeed. Moving from a small village to a busy city where time management, balancing independent learning and time for hobbies, was a big change from home life. I wanted to provide help and guidance to the next cohort of students to help them integrate into the university community.
As a Peer Mentor your role is to support students, providing guidance and tips on how to make the best of their university experience by balancing independent learning, lectures, and hobbies. Your role is to listen to any issues they have, help them feel supported and try to help them to the best of your ability. Peer Mentors need to be proactive, regularly contacting mentees, letting them know they are there if needed. A mentee should expect a Peer Mentor to be thoughtful, respectful, and empathetic.
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Benefits of being a Peer Mentor
Being a Peer Mentor has advanced my organisational skills. Being able to arrange the most mutually beneficial times to have meetings requires time management and forward-thinking skills. My communication has also improved greatly as sometimes a great way to make mentees comfortable is to reflect on my own experiences to help them feel understood. Peer Mentors need to be able to communicate to groups of people and be able to listen to problems and advise how to deal with any issues that mentees may be facing.
I was thrilled to hear that I had been nominated for SAgE Peer Mentor of the Year! It made me feel proud that I had such a powerful positive experience for my mentees. My legs turned to jelly when it was announced that I had won Peer Mentor of the year. I am so happy I have been able to support my mentees and help them feel settled at Newcastle University.
Volunteering as a Peer Mentor is worth it. It isn’t too time consuming and it's extremely rewarding to know that your efforts are significantly helping someone who is likely nervous starting a new stage in their life.