Education Mentor Scheme
“...a safety net.”
“..Extra support when you are trying to settle in”
"..I was glad to have someone to talk to otherwise I would have been a nervous wreck"
“.. A positive experience which not only was (I hope) beneficial to the mentees, but has helped me to reflect on my time here. I have utilised my communication, planning and explanation skills which I believe will really help me in my future career as a teacher.”
“..I was able to ask someone questions who has gone through the same as me and therefore could give me advice”
“.. I felt supported especially as I’m a mature student and I had a long break from academic work”
What is the scheme?
The Education Mentoring Scheme was first run as a pilot scheme to support Mature Students taking the Childhood Studies degree . Due to the success of the scheme, it has been changed to incorporate all first year students taken either the Education or the Childhood Studies degree scheme. The scheme is a group mentoring scheme where a second or third year student (mentor) supports a group of first year students (mentees) during their first semester at University. The scheme offers an additional level of support that will help you to feel more confident in your studies, from a student who has already been through the experience. The mentors are there to offer support on a variety of issues, ranging from the Academic - Where is my lecture? How do I submit assignments? How do I write lecture notes? to the non –academic – Where can I get the best curry? What’s the best pub in town? etc.
What are the aims of the scheme?
As a mentee, the scheme aims to support your studies and the transition from school or work to university life:
“...without the scheme, I dreaded coming to university due to the big gap between leaving school and coming here. The scheme has stopped me feeling lost and I now feel more at ease with the course.”
"...settling into uni life is hard, so having someone who has been through it as well to talk to is great"
".. it helped me relax more when it came to assignments as I knew there was someone there to talk to"
“..it helps as it gives you a way of getting to know your surrounding as well as making sure that I’d understood assignment questions”
As a mentor, the scheme aims to increase your employability whilst gaining new perspectives on yourself.
“....it has really encouraged me to reflect on my own experiences of student life in Aberystwyth; in ways that I originally would not have though would have helped me.”
"... being a mentor is rewarding and its a great opportunity"
“.. Being a mentor has helped me reflect on my own skills and knowledge as I helped other people work on theirs. It felt really good to be able to help someone settle into the course and was a confidence boost when I helped answer their questions.”
“.. It has given me personal confidence in my ability to mentor someone and given on more of a focus on what I want to do in the future... being a mentor gave me great pride at watching the confidence of others grow just from a few choice words or a half an hour meeting.”
“.. Having been a mentee last year, I felt that becoming a mentor and having had the same anxieties as my mentee last year made it easier to build up a good rapport.”
As a department, we hope that the scheme will enable both mentees and mentors to develop personally from the scheme. The mentees will be given informal additional support to make the transition into University life and work as uneventful as possible, whilst the mentors will gain valuable people skills and experiences which will make them increasingly employable. Both mentees and mentors in the past have greatly valued the provision and have benefitted enormously from it.
“Becoming a mentor will provide you with key skills that will look excellent on your CV and enhance your employability after graduation. You will gain essential experience of providing support to students which employers in the education and children’s services sector look for when recruiting.” (School Employability Co-ordinator)
Contact Details: Mentor Coordinators Laura McSweeney (lam30@aber.ac.uk) and Megan Hartnett. (meh19@aber.ac.uk)