All Things About University: Mentorship Programs
Navigating your first year can be pretty scary and confusing, especially as a new student, in a new city. However, something that all universities offer is mentorship programs targeted to help junior students navigate their first few years of university.
A lot of these programs can either be generally offered to university students or be specialized programs that you can join coordinated by clubs. For example, at McMaster University, plenty of clubs offer mentorship programs pairing up senior and junior students. Clubs like the Biology Society, the Vietnamese Student Association club, etc.
What do these mentorship programs help with?
Mentorships can vary across universities and clubs, but primarily, mentors are there to help you with anything you might need and answer any questions you might have. For my first year at McMaster, I applied for the mentorship program run by the Biology Society and was connected with a third-year Biology student. For this particular program, my mentor sent out emails every few weeks to check in on me, her mentee. The emails included various advice regarding mental health, study tips, and reminders of upcoming events.
Along with these emails, I was able to email her about a variety of questions that I had regarding my program. Luckily, she was also in the same program I was back when she was a first-year — before specializing in a Biology program. I asked about spring/summer courses, bird courses, differences in the different specializations, why she chose to major in Biology, etc.
Is there any time commitment?
Personally, I was never committed to any time for this mentorship — my mentor and I would be able to reach out to each other any time we were free! This program was completely open to our availabilities. However, other mentorship programs at other universities might be different. You might be required to do meetings with your mentor or other members of the club/program, do special projects, or require independent check-ins with your mentor, etc. As for me, my mentor and I never got to see each other until a Meet & Greet event hosted by the Biology Society. It was a great conversation! She gave me so much advice about struggling through first-year and learning to fight through it.
Overall, I 100% recommend any mentorship program for all first-year students. Not only do you get advice and guidance, but you could even gain a new friend. Mentorships are always a great way of making your first year run a lot smoother and more exciting!
About the Author
Jenny Pham is a first-year McMaster Life Sci student. She is currently working as a tutor and an amateur writer looking to combine her passions for medicine and creative writing. Like others around her, she’s a first-generation student working towards a career in medicine and education, looking to continue advocating for underprivileged communities as a physician, through research, and education. You can connect with her on LinkedIn!
