As a lead peer mentor, Nele has supported the organisation of the mentoring scheme in her department and supported her fellow mentors in their role. Here, she talks about her experiences as a lead peer mentor and why she wanted to take on the role.

"The best aspect of being a peer mentor is to see how relieved and at ease mentees become when you could help them with something or answer a question. Being able to put them at ease is very gratifying."

- Nele Gewert, B.Sc. (Hons) Psychology

What made you decide to get involved with the mentoring scheme?

I did not have a good mentoring experience myself when I started in my first year, so I wanted to make sure nobody else would have to feel unsupported by their mentors. This also motivated me to become lead peer mentor as this would enable me to ensure this support would not only reach my own mentees, but the whole cohort.

What has been the most positive aspect of being a peer mentor?

The best aspect of being a peer mentor is to see how relieved and at ease mentees become when you could help them with something or answer a question. First years often never experienced anything like university and start worrying about small things. Being able to put them at ease is very gratifying.

What has surprised you about the scheme/ something you were not anticipating?

I think being very motivated myself and having been super excited to be a peer mentor, it was surprising to me how many students would not take advantage of the opportunity to support new students and build on their skills. It is a very rewarding role to take and I was very startled to see that not more people took onto this chance.

How will being a peer mentor help you for the future?

I demonstrated interpersonal, written and spoken communication, as well as leadership skills throughout my role as a Lead Peer mentor, which will look incredible on my CV.

Why should other students sign up to be a peer mentor?

Being a peer mentor will allow you to develop an incredible asset of skills that are increasingly asked for in the professional world. Mentoring is a key aspect of leadership and will make you stand out. Apart from that you will meet some incredibly promising first years and gain a sense of personal achievement.

If you had to sum up being a peer mentor in three words

Insightful, fun, rewarding

If you are interested in become a peer mentor, you can sign up to your department-specific training session. Trained peer mentors can apply to become a lead peer mentor after their session.