We all know that starting a new school can be nerve-wracking. To help new English students find their way through the maze of university, we have set up a Peer Mentoring Program. By signing up, new students will be matched with mentors who will be happy to answer questions and help out with issues that new students might be dealing with throughout their first year.
Once the mentor and mentee have been matched, both will receive each other’s contact information - just like a dating app, but minus the stranger danger! From that point on, it’s up to the mentor and mentee to decide how and how often you communicate - you could go for a cup of coffee or you could discuss any questions via text, email, letter, fax, pager, wire, smoke signals, or whatever floats your boat.
This program is not intended to be a huge workload for either one of you and is not tied to any obligations; it’s all up to the mentor and mentee! Of course, should there be any problems, both the mentor and mentee are always welcome to contact FAVA for help.
Mentors are here to help out with issues and questions concerning things like ...
“Is it normal that the website crashed?”
“Should I have a plan B in case all the courses are full?”
“Is everyone else going to be avoiding those 8 AM classes, too?”
(Yes to all of those questions. Always.)
“Do all professors upload their slides?”
“Do I really need to take notes?”
“Should I be going to tutorials?”
“Do you have an old copy of Frankenstein that I can buy from you?”
“Is the Grill n’ Chill as amazing as it sounds?”
“How long is it ok to procrastinate on my LSC essay?”
“Where is the best place to get coffee around here?”
“Where are the best study spots?”
“Who does that cat belong to that hangs out around the English Seminar?”
… and really anything else you might be curious about! More than anything, having a mentor means that you’ll already recognize a familiar face around the English Seminar!
Please always keep in mind that your mentor is not an administrative expert or a tutor. All mentors are students who have volunteered their time and insider information. They may not be able to answer every question, but at the very least they can point you to the right person to ask.
Interested in signing up as a mentee to be matched with a mentor? Click here.
As long as you’ve been studying English in your major or minor for more than one year we’d be happy to have you as a mentor! Don’t think that you have to be an example of a perfect English student - sometimes a terrible warning can be equally effective. (BONUS: As a mentor, you get a free slice of cake each semester at one of our FAVA bake sales!)
Interested in becoming a mentor? Click here.
If you have any questions about our program, don’t hesitate to send an email to fava@es.uzh.ch.