Being a Peer Mentor counts towards the Exeter Award. Fill out your Exeter Award profile with your Peer Mentor experience and a brief description of duties.
I really enjoyed being a Peer Mentor as it allowed me to develop my listening and communicating skills, and really build confidence too.
Leo Webb
Find out more in Leo's blog post
Peer Mentors
Being a Peer Mentor is a fun and fulfilling role where you can help students in lower years whilst developing yourself.
Depending on the programme, you could be:
- leading activity-based peer learning sessions to a group within your discipline
- mentoring a student 1-1 with settling in to University
- offering online support to new students before their arrival
Enhances your academic performance
Mentoring students in your area of study consolidates your own subject knowledge from previous years resulting in a more well-rounded understanding going forward. It is often said that you fully understand something when you can help others to understand it, and Peer Support gives you the opportunity to recap on your previous course content and demonstrate this.
Improves your employability
Through planning, organising and leading sessions with mentees, you will gain excellent experiences to put on your CV and talk about at interviews. Employers are very interested in students who can show that they have leadership skills, can communicate confidently, can use their initiative and work in a team; all of which are skills that being a Peer Mentor will help you to develop (and many more!). Peer Mentors can also use the time spent mentoring (and at training) towards their volunteering hours on The Exeter Award.
Rewards and recognition
Peer Mentors who complete all stages of their Peer Mentor Workflow will receive HEAR recognition and a certificate. Your HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report) is an enhanced academic transcript that contains detailed information about your learning and achievements which, along with your degree certificate, will support applications for employment and further study.
Towards the end of the academic year, outstanding Peer Mentors are celebrated at the Academic Representation and Engagement Awards ceremony.
You may also have the opportunity to attend and present at regional and national Peer Support conferences.
Your online 'Peer Mentor Workflow'
Once your application to be a Peer Mentor has been approved, you can access your Peer Mentor Workflow on our website.
This is a stage-by-stage process that all Peer Mentors access to:
- book onto a Peer Mentor Training Workshop
- download the register template to complete and upload at the end of each term
- engage in developmental and reflective activities
Completing the Peer Mentor Training Workshop and Register stages are mandatory, but if you complete all stages by the end of the academic year you will obtain HEAR recognition, a certificate and more!
Getting started
Visit our Peer Support programmes list to find a programme that is relevant to you or your studies. You can then contact the Programme Organiser to see if they are currently recruiting Peer Mentors and if so, you'll be given a link to the online application form.
Once your application has been approved, you will receive an email and will then need to access your Peer Mentor Workflow to book onto a Peer Mentor Training Workshop and download the register template.
Can't find a programme?
If you can't find a relevant programme but feel there is demand for one and would like to find out about setting one up, please visit our Set up a programme page.
Have a question about Peer Support?
Email peersupport@exeter.ac.uk