During my third year of study, I volunteered for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures Peer Mentoring Scheme. This scheme matches first year undergraduates with second and third year peer mentors in the first few weeks of study. Mentors and mentees connect over term 1, meeting up regularly in a relaxed setting such as a café or study space.
Although nervous at first, I quickly found myself able to navigate the challenges of being a peer mentor and helping first year students settle in during such a scary transition. As a mentor I was paired with another student from my school, who I met through the scheme, which made the process a lot easier.
We were given a group of eight first year students who we got to really know as the scheme progressed. Each week, my peer mentoring partner and I would meet to discuss a list of topics we wanted to cover with our mentees, including things like how to navigate timetables, who to reach out to for academic support, general information about what the city has to offer, and how they were finding each week.
Our aim was to make the sessions as comfortable as possible, so the mentees felt able to honestly voice how things were going for them and ask the questions that were on their mind. Our final session reflected back on the first term, and it felt very rewarding to see how far our mentees had come, and that everything felt a bit more familiar and less scary to them.
Reasons to volunteer
I decided to volunteer because I had not done anything like this before. After reading up on it, I felt it was a great scheme to help first years adjust to university life. After two great years at Leeds, I thought I might be able to help any first years feeling nervous and intimidated about starting university, by sharing my advice, experiences and perspectives as someone who’s been in the same boat.
I have spent a lot of time during my years at Leeds exploring the city, getting to grips with the academic side and also the very fun, social side of Leeds. Through the sessions, I was able to share that knowledge with the mentees.
It felt very fulfilling when, upon catching up, they would share stories or experiences they’d had and actions taken following my recommendations.
It was also really pleasing to feel that the mentees felt they could approach me with their questions.
Confidence and communication
Volunteering as a peer mentor has had a huge impact on my academic and social life at the university. I have gained confidence in sharing ideas with new people, that I have been able to apply into my seminars and group discussions. I have engaged more with my course, and I want to get more involved in opportunities offered by my school.
As someone who came to university as quite shy and afraid to voice my thoughts, I now feel I am making the most of my time at Leeds. I threw myself in the deep end and learned skills that I will carry through my career.
One skill I have found particularly useful was developing my communication. As we had to arrange meetings over email, it was important to clearly communicate with the group to ensure all ten of us could find a time in between our busy university schedules to meet. Sharing our experiences and advice with the mentees also meant communicating in a way they would find accessible, inclusive and relatable.
Mad dashes to Common Ground
By far my favourite part of the scheme has been meeting new people. I have met and engaged with people on my course in different years that I would not have met otherwise, and I am extremely grateful for that opportunity.
After meeting on the scheme, my fellow mentor and I have formed a great relationship and have really enjoyed our time working together. A regular meet up point for us was Common Ground, and it was always a mad dash to get a table big enough to accommodate us all.
Advice for future volunteers
Volunteering for me has really changed my engagement with university life and I would highly recommend peer mentoring to anyone thinking of getting involved.
It is a very fulfilling role, and by helping out other students you really feel like an active member of the student community.
Learning how to interact with people from all different backgrounds and year groups helped broaden my knowledge and was something I really enjoyed doing.
Although it can be challenging to maintain regular contact around assessment periods, I was able to organise myself in a way that meant each week I had a specific time to focus on my peer mentoring duties, so it didn’t interfere with my studies. This time can also be challenging for mentees who feel they don’t have time to meet and are overwhelmed with work, but a reminder that you are available over email too really goes a long way.
I am extremely grateful for the experiences and thankful I pushed myself to get involved.
More information about volunteering
- Read more student profiles about volunteering
- Find out more about volunteering opportunities as a student at Leeds
- Find out about peer mentor and other peer support roles
If you’re a not-for-profit organisation in Leeds that would benefit from student volunteers, email the Volunteering Team at volunteer@leeds.ac.uk.