Mentors have been there, done that
- Author: Keeli Cambourne
- Posted: 10th January 2010
FASS Peer Mentoring featured in the Sydney Morning Herald
When Sarah Bowman arrived at the University of NSW, she felt anxious and a little lost. "I was the only student from my high school, Richmond High in Windsor, so I knew no one," Bowman says. "University is such a big place. It's a completely different environment from school where everything is interconnected and in one place."
With the help of a mentor, Bowman soon found her way around campus and made vital contacts and networks, which have helped her find her feet during the first year of her arts/ education degree. The UNSW mentoring program is designed specifically to help those new to university life settle in to the different lifestyle and expectations of university. Peer Mentoring @ UNSW has been running since 2002 and each year about 2000 new students are matched with a mentor who not only helps them to navigate campus and lecture theatres but also builds relationships and communities of support. The mentoring project has an impact on the student learning and teaching experience by quickly building social cohesion, supporting discipline adjustment and providing connection for ongoing encouragement and support beyond the mentoring experience," the director of UNSW counselling and psychological services, Annie Andrews, says. "We've found that first-year students benefit by just asking for a mentor - they feel more confident in their first weeks at uni even if they don't contact their mentor that often. They adjust to the new learning environment more quickly knowing there is someone to ask if they have a concern or a question."
Bowman says she found the mentoring program really useful and has recommended it to friends who are thinking about studying at UNSW.
Sarah's 10 Tips About Campus Life
- Study is mostly independent as opposed to structured.
- Your time is self-managed, not managed for you.
- There will be fewer contact hours.
- There is a focus on critical and analytical thinking.
- You have a chance to specialise study in your area of interest.
- You will meet people from all sorts of backgrounds from across Sydney, Australia and the world.
- You can pursue hobbies and interests through student clubs and societies. These range from the UN society to the Chocolate Society to the Photo Club.
- You can get involved with various volunteer groups.
- You can help produce student publications and online video channels.
- You can participate in uni sports and even attend uni games where universities from across Australia compete.
