Share your knowledge and experience to help guide other students through university life by becoming a peer mentor.
Mentoring provides a great opportunity for you to inspire another individual and share your experiences, giving other students a safe and confidential space to talk freely and ask questions.
Why become a peer mentor?
- Make a difference and give something back by helping other students and contributing positively to their university experience.
- Consolidate your own learning, improve your academic performance and grow your self-confidence.
- Develop real-life graduate attributes, including listening, communication, leadership, problem-solving, time management skills and the ability to think on your feet - all of which are skills that are often sought after in graduate jobs.
- Use your peer mentoring experience to show an employer that you’ve gone above and beyond your degree and that you’ve been interested in contributing to the wider University community. You get a University certificate to recognise your contribution to peer mentoring.
- Meet new people, improve your awareness of different cultures and broaden your horizons.
What training is provided?
All mentors will be expected to attend and complete the training sessions.
The training will cover what mentoring is, the mentoring process, how to foster a good mentor-mentee relationship, how to support and provide guidance to other students and addressing disclosure and confidentiality issues. The training sessions promote inclusive practice, mutual respect and self-reflection.
Types of mentoring opportunities
- Pastoral - to provide general support and signposting.
- The Believe, Achieve, Mentor and Empower (BAME) Programme - to provide support for students that identify as Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage or Minority Ethnic.
See below for details.
Pastoral mentors provide both online or face-to-face guidance and navigation to students who’ve already started their studies.
The pastoral peer mentoring process:
- A current student can request a pastoral peer mentor at any point before or during their studies.
- Students are matched according to their selection of criteria, or as near as possible.
- The mentoring relationship is flexible, so it fits around students' studies and other commitments.
- A student mentor can choose the amount of time they devote to mentoring and how many mentees they can manage.
- Both participants can change their mentor or mentee at any point.
- How the mentoring relationship works is for both participants to agree and decide. This will form the contract/boundaries for the mentoring relationship.
The Believe, Achieve, Mentor and Empower (BAME) Programme has been uniquely designed for students that identify as Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage or Minority Ethnic. The programme aims to improve the experience of Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage and Minority Ethnic students, enhance learning, celebrate success and support collaboration.
Mentoring provides opportunities for students to build a reciprocal relationship through empathy, listening, providing guidance and shared experiences. The Believe, Achieve, Mentor and Empower programme will support students from a range of different cultural backgrounds to create a sense of community and mutual understanding.
The Believe, Achieve, Mentor and Empower (BAME) programmes process:
- Under the Believe, Achieve, Mentor and Empower programme, where possible students will be matched up with mentors from similar cultural backgrounds.
- A current student can request a BAME peer mentor at any point during their studies.
- The mentoring relationship is flexible, so it fits around students' studies and other commitments.
- A student mentor can choose the amount of time they devote to mentoring and how many mentees they can manage.
- Both participants can change their mentor or mentee at any point.
- How the mentoring relationship works is for both participants to agree and decide. This will form the contract/boundaries for the mentoring relationship.
How to apply
To apply for any of the above peer mentor opportunities, please complete this application.
If you are interested in a course mentoring position please check with your course first to see if this is available, as you need to be recommended by the academic contact.
If you have any questions please email peermentoring@canterbury.ac.uk.
Course peer mentor
There are also course peer mentors.
These mentors facilitate subject-specific peer-assisted study sessions to help enhance student understanding of their course. They do not teach, lecture, or give out answers. Instead, they are trained in how to structure and lead flexible sessions, so everyone can participate. They are supported by their academic contact (a member of staff from their course).
To find out more please contact your course team.
Being recognised for your volunteering
As a mentor you have an opportunity to log your volunteering hours which can go towards a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum Award. You will receive an invitation to attend a yearly volunteering award ceremony and a chance to be nominated Peer Mentor of the Year.
After completing your training you will need to register with the volunteer website and log your volunteering hours. Please go to the volunteer website to create a profile and select the peer mentor position to apply.