My name’s Hannah and I’ve been part of the mentoring scheme throughout my time here at Bath! As a BBA3, I worked with a fellow mentor to help guide the first years through the very beginning of their university experience. Part of the reason I volunteered was for how useful I’d have found having an older, ‘more knowledgeable’ student to pass any weird and wacky queries too. And that’s what I tried to do for my mentees! Advising on questions ranging from placements and housing to societies and Bath nightlife meant the first years had a reliable point of contact to give some friendly guidance.

My highlight of my time in the scheme is for sure the series of advice sessions my fellow mentor and I worked to deliver. We let the mentees pick the focus of each interactive session (whether it be top tips for accounting revision or some inside knowledge into placement applications and processes) and found those that attended at the beginning returned for further sessions and gave very positive feedback. From this, I can confidently say how rewarding being a peer mentor is! Seeing the difference we made, be it through calming their pre-exam nerves or watching them make friends with one another within the group proved to us we made a positive impact.

As a top tip… both you and your mentees will benefit most from the scheme if you emphasise how willing you are to be there for them at the very beginning of your time together. It’ll help the mentees feel more comfortable coming to you with any queries and will make sure you can offer your best advice!

The transferrable skills have helped my employability and professional skill set for sure too. The presentations bettered my public speaking and adding the extra commitment to my university life improved my time management. The volunteering aspect highlights your friendly nature to future employers and shows you’re eager to help others. I’ve personally found the scheme extremely rewarding whilst benefiting my CV and LinkedIn achievements simultaneously.

If you are considering becoming a peer mentor or have any questions about the role, you can read more on the SU website or email peersupport@bath.ac.uk.