Welcome to the ARU London Student Peer Mentoring Programme!
The Student Peer Mentoring Programme was introduced in September 2021 to support Level 3 and Level 4 students (mentees) who are either new to university life or returning to studies after an extended break from their studies.
Peer Mentors (level 5 and 6 students) are trained to provide support and guidance, to a mentee or to a small group of mentees and will provide informal advice and signpost mentees to any of the support services available across the university.
When you reflect on what university life was like for you, you can appreciate what adjusting to university life, and developing your lifestyle in an unfamiliar community was like. Your experience as a student means you have developed an understanding of university life and of the modules undertaken as part of your chosen degree programme.
This means you are in a much better position to advise mentees on how you approached overcoming the challenges of learning a new subject and how you used the recommended resources when researching for an assignment or preparing for assessments.
How does the ARUL Peer Mentoring Programme work?
If you are interested in becoming a Student Peer Mentor, you will first need to register your interest. You will then need to attend one of the scheduled training dates which will then be followed by a short interview. All meetings are held between 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on zoom.
Following your interview, you will be matched with your cohort. You will be invited to attend Welcome Week when you will meet with the Personal Development Tutor (PDT) for the cohort and your mentees.
Common activities peer mentors might do with their mentees include:
- Giving a group presentation e.g. on a particular area of interest
- Meet with mentees who need 1:1 support or in small groups
- Set up a WhatsApp group or email support
- Showing motivation ‘Leading by your example’
- Arrange a zoom meeting
Peer mentors are recruited at the beginning of the academic year, in Trimester 1 (September) and continue until Trimester 3 (May) of each year. In some cases, peer mentors will continue to support mentees for 2 Trimesters. This can be reviewed if required.
Why become a Student Peer Mentor?
As a Student Peer Mentor, you will gain access to a range of benefits:
- Skills development
- Participate in Skills and Knowledge Development training
- Develop evidence for your CV
- Engage with other student peer mentors
- Promote listening and communication
- Groupwork facilitation and planning
- Gaining leadership experience
- Leading by example
- Help students to settle into university life
- Demonstrate good standards of student behaviour
- Encourage and motivate other students to ‘be the best they can be’
- Get rewarded for your efforts
- Attend our Top Achievers Award Ceremony
- Receive a Certificate of Recognition
- University reference
- Get an exclusive ARUL Student Peer Mentor Badge