Mentoring is a partnership between two people (mentor and mentee). It focuses on helping a student to manage their own learning to realise their full potential.
The relationship is based upon mutual trust and respect. Your mentor is a guide who can help you with your:
- transition into university
- journey through your degree
- preparation for life beyond university
Each student uses the mentoring in their own individual way and this is encouraged.
Meeting your mentor
The mentor will contact you and suggest a good time to meet.
You can use this meeting to:
- get to know each other
- decide if you would like to work together
- talk about how mentoring might help you
- tell the mentor about your background and experiences before university
This will help you to agree what you would like to focus on in the sessions.
You'll also need to agree practical things including:
- how you'll contact each other
- when and where you'll meet
- the number of mentoring hours you have and how you'll use them
You need to:
- attend sessions on time
- give the mentor at least 24 hours’ notice if you cannot attend
- talk to your mentor or your Disability Adviser if you do not feel the mentoring is meeting your needs
During your sessions
You may talk about:
- your new environment and any concerns you may have
- university life and its demands
- how you'll manage your academic workload
- practical things like time management and planning
- how past experiences in a learning environment have affected your progress
- relationships and making friends
- how you'll manage personal things such as washing and shopping
- how to cope with anxiety
- who else can help you for example, the Counselling Service or Student Advice Service
Feedback
At the end of each term, your mentor will invite you to feedback on your experience of the sessions. You and your mentor will complete a form together to note your reflections. You can say what you do, or do not want to appear on this form.
Confidentiality
Each meeting with your mentor is confidential and personal issues are not recorded. However, your mentor may contact your Disability Adviser if they become concerned that there is a risk of harm to yourself or others. Your mentor will always tell you that they are doing this