Very soon, South Ural State University will welcome about 4,000 first-year students. For them to successfully blend into the university life and not get lost in the whirl of activities, a Student Mentoring System is functioning. This association aims at helping students adapt and figure out how to do their studies and what to do in extracurricular activities.
The Student Mentoring System is a project within which senior-year students act as mentors for academic groups of freshmen. In plain words, mentors are student guides willing to shepherd and help new students throughout their first year of studies. It is namely on them depends how successfully the student path of freshmen will begin.
Further development of a first-year student as an individual and as a future specialist depends on how the first month of his/her studies goes. The mentors share with students on all the university associations, prospects of scientific activity and grants-awarding contests; they explain the principle of the academic process, what the responsibilities of a group leader are, and what the conditions for getting paid a scholarship are. Also, the mentors introduce freshmen to the organizers of student communities and leaders of various creativity groups driving forth the university’s social life.
The mentors help adapt to studies and positively influence the process of building relationships among group-mates through trainings and workshops. All the mentors complete training at the Student Mentoring System School. This year, it is held at Olimp student camp as part of the “Star T” theme session headed by Ekaterina Fomina, who is also the head of the Student Mentoring System.
“The educational session aims at individual development. Our goal is to help students figure out their plans for the future, what they would like to do in life, which competences to develop and share those with freshmen. We’re sure that by the end of the session the participants will form a great background of knowledge,” shares session head Ekaterina Fomina.
The theme session participants are the future mentors, who already on August 31st will be meeting freshmen to introduce them to the university life. Currently, students are taking workshops and trainings, where they are learning who to make a tight-knit team out of an academic group and how to interact with students in a proper way.
“We wish our freshmen have no fear and be confident in pursuing their goals. The Student Mentoring System will help everyone overcome any difficulties they might face,” notes Ekaterina.
Learn more about the Student Mentoring System here: vk.com/kuratorsusu.