Mentoring

What is Mentoring?

Mentoring is a process in which a more experienced person (i.e., the mentor) passes on their knowledge and experiences to a less experienced person (i.e., the mentee). Ideally, the relationship between the mentor and their mentee is based on respect, trust and friendship.

Who Can Participate in the Mentoring@WU Program?

In the Mentoring@WU program more advanced bachelor’s students mentor younger bachelor’s students (mentees). Most mentees are first-year students at the very beginning of their studies. However, the program is also open to more advanced students who have lost momentum in their studies or who wish to continue their degree after a break. Both parties – mentors and mentees – benefit from the Mentoring@WU program:

As a mentee you will receive personal support and guidance with regard to planning and organizing your studies thanks to your mentor. Your mentor helps you ease the transition from high school to university and shares personal experiences and useful tips with you. Being part of a group of mentees allows you to make new friends easily and to form study groups with other mentees to prepare for exams.
As a mentor youwill be in charge of a small group of mentees. You will offer regular mentoring sessions and pass on your knowledge and experiences on studying at WU to your mentees. By volunteering as a mentor, you will improve vital skills such as advising and guiding others, as well as managing and leading groups. These skills may prove very useful when applying for jobs and in your future career. At the end of the semester, you will get a written confirmation that you volunteered as a mentor in our Mentoring@WU program, and have the option of earning two ECTS credits counting towards a free elective (if free electives are part of your curriculum).

At the moment, the Mentoring@WU program is only offered in German! Fluent German skills are necessary to participate in the program, either as a mentee or as a mentor.

How Is the Program Set Up?

The mentoring sessions or meet-ups offered by mentors for their mentees are the core element of the program. Mentors offer these sessions on an (almost) weekly basis (but not during exam prep weeks and exam weeks or during holidays). In these meet-ups, mentors and mentees discuss study-related topics to help mentees:

ease the transition from high school to university.
get an overview of WU’s academic programs and find out if WU is right for them.
organize their studies.
strategically plan their studies.
form study groups with other mentees.
become familiar with WU’s service units.
improve their study skills to prepare for exams and use WU’s support services
pursue their studies effectively (especially after a break or if mentees have lost momentum in their studies).

Not all meet-ups are study-related. Some of the meet-ups are purely social to help mentees get to know each other and make new friends - in short, to create a social network.

In addition to these regular meet-ups as a group, there are events that are open to mentors and mentees from all mentoring groups. These include at least one information event (e.g., planning a semester abroad, finding the right specialization, applying for an internship) and a social event (e.g., a pub quiz, a guided tour, a scavenger hunt, or a sports event).