Become a mentor
Student Mentoring is a great way to give back to the LSE community while improving communication and interpersonal skills. Mentors act as a human signpost, stay in contact with their mentees throughout their first academic year, and represent the Scheme at departmental events when requested.
Application
Please note that the deadline for submitting an application for the Student Mentoring Scheme has now passed. Please check back in January 2013 for details on how to become a mentor for the 2012/13 academic year.
Prospective mentors who successfully completeded a Training Session and who have been selected to be a mentor in 2012/13 can expect to receive an invitation to become a mentor by early April.
Mentor requirements
All mentors must:
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Attend a Mentor Training Session
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Commit to the Scheme for one full academic year
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Agree to abide by all terms of The Mentoring Agreement
Have a look at the other tabs on this page for further details.
New students
Once you have a confirmed place at LSE, you will be allocated to a student mentor and a student mentoring group.
What is an LSE student mentor?
The role of a mentor is to act as a human signpost in order to help new students to get settled. Mentors are students like you, but with more experience of LSE. All student mentors receive training and are aware of the available support services for students around the LSE campus. Mentors know first-hand what it's like to be a new arrival at LSE, and so they can offer great confidential tips. Your mentor will make arrangements for your mentoring group to get together occasionally and is also available to help answer questions by email that come up throughout your entire first academic year.
Your student mentor is not a counsellor or adviser, and they may not be able to answer all of your questions. For example, they are unable to advise you on academic or legal matters. However, they can help by directing your queries on to the relevant LSE service.
What is a mentoring group?
Mentoring groups are typically comprised of up to 15 new students, sometimes from within the same department. Each group is facilitated by a second or third year undergraduate student mentor who acts as a human signpost both in person and via email throughout a mentoring group's entire first academic year. Your mentoring group is made up of new students like you, who may have the same sorts of questions about getting settled in that you are wondering about. The Scheme is a great chance for you to make some friends with similar interests.
When will I hear from my student mentor?
Your mentor will contact you via your personal email account in early to mid September. In their first email, your mentor will introduce themselves and offer to answer by email any questions you may have about preparing for your arrival at LSE. In order to avoid missing your mentor's introduction, be sure that you keep your personal email address updated in LSE for You. If you do not hear from your mentor by 15 September, then please contact the Student Mentoring Scheme at studentmentoring@lse.ac.uk|.
How often will I meet my mentor and mentoring group?
In their introduction email, your mentor will also set up a time to meet as a group during Orientation Week. This first meeting is your chance to get to know a few new students, and to ask your mentor any additional questions you may have about getting settled. Your mentor will also set up another group meeting in Week 1, and a few other times during the year.
Where will we meet?
When getting together in person with your mentor, it is always safest to meet during the day on the LSE premises and in public areas. Rooms are set aside on the LSE premises during Orientation week for mentees and mentors to get together, and your mentor may suggest that you meet in one of them. Check back in August 2012 for room locations.
Is my student mentor only available to help during Orientation?
No! Your mentor is available to help with any questions that come up throughout your first academic year. Just send them an email when you have a question and they will try to help.
What if I do not attend my mentoring group meetings?
If you would feel more comfortable meeting your mentor individually, just ask and your mentor will be happy to set up something one-to-one instead. Regardless if you meet your mentor in person or not, they are always available by email throughout the year to answer any questions that come up. Don't feel shy about getting in contact! Mentors tell us that they are disappointed when they do not have a chance to help, so be sure to utilise their knowledge.
The Mentoring Agreement
All mentors must sign up to the following Mentoring Agreement.
Student mentors are expected to:
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Provide crucial pre-arrival support to their mentees via their LSE email to help smooth the arrival on campus;
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Be present on campus during Orientation Week. The ability to be on the LSE campus during Orientation Week is a firm requirement of the Scheme. Mentors must contact the Scheme Coordinator right away if they will be delayed in arriving;
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Arrange and attend group meetings (or individual meetings when requested) with their mentees during Orientation Week and Week 1, and offer additional meetings at the beginning and end of the Lent and Summer terms at a minimum;
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Provide a friendly and informative introduction to their mentees and help them to get to know one another;
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Take their mentees on a Campus Tour and/or tour of the local area as a part of their first meeting during Orientation Week;
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Refer mentees to the appropriate support service within LSE where necessary (with the aid of the Mentoring Guide and their staff mentor);
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Keep confidential anything their mentees tell them. However, mentors MUST immediately inform their staff mentor or the Mentoring Team of any problems or difficulties they are experiencing as a mentor; for example, if they are worried that their mentee may be doing something illegal or harming themselves or others.
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Provide ad hoc guidance and information for their mentees via their LSE email throughout the entire 2011/12 academic session;
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Promptly distribute essential information sent to them by the Student Mentoring Coordinator to all of their mentees;
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Make themselves available for their Departmental Orientation and be prepared with something to say about the Scheme. Department will contact Mentors directly if they are required to attend. Details can be found on the Orientation webpages nearer the time. Check with departments directly for further details;
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Abide by the Terms and Conditions of the School, in particular those governing The Equality and Diversity Policy.
Please note that failure to do any of the above could result in deselection from the Mentoring Scheme.
In return, LSE will provide mentors with:
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An informative, targeted training session;
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Information on where at LSE to direct mentees for assistance (in the Mentoring Guide which will be issued with their list of mentees);
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A staff mentor, who will be their point of contact, guidance and support while they are a student mentor - the name of their staff mentor will be given at the same time as the list of mentees;
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A certificate of participation which will be issued to them on completion of a full academic session as a mentor, at the end of the Summer term 2012;
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Full support from the Scheme organisers, in the event of any difficulties.