Peer mentoring
If you are a first year undergraduate and you're in your first term, the peer mentor programme can provide you with support and guidance from a current student.
You can receive 1 to 1 contact with a current student during your first term here, through our peer mentoring programme.
The programme runs from the start of the academic year in September and runs until January.
How the mentor can help you
A peer mentor is a current student at the university, usually within their second or third year.
They can help by:
- offering advice based on their experiences
- introducing you to relevant university services
- informing you of societies and events
- recommending you local facilities and attractions.
Mentors cannot provide academic or mental health support but will put you in touch with services that can. For academic peer support, see our PASS programme.
They also cannot do certain activities with you but this will be explained during your first meeting.
How to request a mentor
Complete the form
You will need to complete a form to request a peer mentor. You can request a mentor until Tuesday 31 October.
Where possible, we aim to match new students to mentors studying a similar subject to them. However, you may choose to be matched based on a protected characteristic, such as:
- LGBTQ+ identity
- faith, ethnic or cultural background
- care leaver or estranged student status
- mature student status.
After you submit the form
Once you have requested a peer mentor, you will receive an introductory email from them before starting your course.
You can decide with your mentor how you wish to be contacted. You will hear from your mentor every 1 to 2 weeks.
Conversations with your mentor will remain private. Confidentiality will only be broken in line with our safeguarding policy.
Before closing your mentoring relationship in January, your mentor will give you the chance to ask any final questions.
If your mentor does not contact you
If you do not receive an email from your peer mentor within 3 weeks of submitting your request form, check your junk or spam folder.
If you still have not received an email, contact us at student-peer-support@bristol.ac.uk
Questions
If you have any questions about peer mentoring, email us at student-peer-support@bristol.ac.uk
Become a Peer Mentor
We are not currently accepting applications for the role.
We expect to open recruitment in February 2024 to work in the academic year 24/25. When we advertise, it will appear on mycareer.