Ulster University Provides Peer Mentoring Support for First-Year Students

Get advice and support from a fellow student in your first year at Ulster.

Your first year of university is an exciting time, but it can also be challenging trying to adjust to new routines and expectations. Knowing that this is a time of transition for you, Ulster University want you to know about the Studiosity Student Connect Peer Mentoring Service.

This service gives first year undergraduates the opportunity to chat online confidentially with trained student mentors about their subject, assignments, and general university life.

What is Student Connect Peer Mentoring?

Student Connect Peer Mentoring at Ulster is a free online service for all first-year undergraduate students offering a safe space to chat and receive confidential support. The service is open for requests for help from 11:00am - 11:00pm every day.

Student mentors are usually final year students who have been trained to talk first years requiring advice on a range of topics, such as assignment and exam queries, general advice on university life, and signpost to further support resources.

Who are the student mentors?

All mentors are friendly, welcoming final year Ulster University students who have faced the challenges of being a first-year undergraduate themselves. They are all fully trained in how to help.

Once logged in, a student will be matched, where possible, with an older year student familiar with their course who can offer guidance and advice. If there isn’t a student available who is familiar with that specific course, they will be paired with the next best match who will try to help. If they are not able to assist with specific course questions, they will refer the mentee to a fellow student who can help.

How can mentors help?

First year students can talk to their mentor about anything they need support with — and on topics such as:

• Settling into university life
• How to manage your time at university
• Making friends
• Navigating courses, assignments, and exams
• How to take effective notes in class
• General university questions, for example: using the library, printing, Students’ Union
• Signposting on where to access further support for mental health and wellbeing

Student mentors adopt a “help, not answer” approach and are there to listen, chat, and offer advice. They will be able to provide direction, guidance, feedback, and support.

How can a mentor be contacted?

Firstly, you’ll need to activate your free Student Connect Peer Mentoring account. Once, logged in, then click on the “Connect to a Mentor” button to begin a mentoring session.

This is an online service so instead of face-to-face meetings, you’ll chat with your mentor online — there is the option to do this with or without the camera on, or if you prefer to contact your mentor by text that is another option — the choice is yours.

What other support is available to students at Ulster University?

The Student Connect Peer Mentoring Service complements other mentoring services available for students including the Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) scheme that is available for some programmes, buddy schemes, and other Studiosity services that offer on-demand study help from subject specialists to all students.

All Ulster University students also have free access to LinkedIn Learning courses to support their studies.