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 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.
Are you interested in becoming a Student Peer Mentor?
First you will need to ensure that you have passed all of your modules across your degree. Next to register to become a peer mentor you will need to go on your VLE > ARUL Student Peer Mentoring > Register to Become a Peer Mentor > Fill out the "Student Peer Mentor Registration Form" > finally select the date of your training. You will then need to attend one of the scheduled training dates. All meetings are held between 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on zoom.
Following your training 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
Whether you are a Peer Mentor or mentee, you will have access to continuous support both face-to-face and online to enhance and support your learning opportunities. The ARU London Student Peer Mentoring Programme is available to you not just to provide you with guidance and support but to act as a community for students from all cultures to share their experiences and aspirations.
Charles O’Dean – Academic Director