When you need a helping hand

Jennifer Jabalee and Nicole Crozier have volunteered to become peer mentors. (Danny Abriel Photo)

“It’s nice to have someone you are comfortable with to talk to about course load, future classes, majoring and honours, or just university life in general,” muses Nicole Crozier, going into the second year of her science degree at Dalhousie. “I want to be that person to a first-year student – the one they can come to with any question; the one they can trust to get an honest answer from.”

Ms. Crozier is one of several students who have signed on for Dalhousie’s Peer Partnership Program, an initiative to enhance the experiences of first-year students while providing upper-year students with the chance to develop leadership and communication skills.

First-year students are paired with peer mentors who are already familiar with Dalhousie and can provide answers to the many questions new students may have about making the transition to university life. They can give advice, for example, on how to approach assignments, talk to a professor, pick a major or simply where to find the best hangouts around campus. Students can connect with their peer mentor by phone, email or getting together for coffee.

“I know that if you have someone to talk things through about all the little things that make your first year of university tough, it helps a lot,” says Robin Mullen, who, as she says, has “been there and done that.”

“I have had a lot of experience balancing many activities such as sports and various
committees with my schoolwork and I have come to realize how important it is to manage your time,” adds Ms. Mullen, a member of Dal Tigers’ women’s varsity hockey team.

Returning Dal students in the Faculties of Computer Science, Engineering, Management and Science are eligible to become peer mentors. As a mentor, participating students will be matched with a small group of first-year students in their faculty.

The seed for the program germinated last October at a forum to discuss student engagement. A working group was assembled with participation from the Vice President Academic’s office, the Centre for Learning and Teaching, Office of Academic Success, the Registrar’s Office and the four participating faculties.

“This idea really took hold and exploded,” says Deborah Kiceniuk, associate director for the Centre for Learning and Teaching, who says she hasn’t seen anything like it since she began working at Dalhousie in 2001. “The program is the result of a huge effort on the part of many people in this university … it’s really amazing that all these people have come together to make it happen.”

Interested in being matched with a peer mentor? Simply fill out the application form.

For more information on the Peer Partnership Program, check out the website or see the Facebook group. You can also email the Peer Partnership Program team at mentor@dal.ca.

Jennifer Jabalee is a marketing major going into her fourth year of the Bachelor of Commerce Co-op program in September and a peer mentor. She is a strong supporter of the Peer Partnership Program and encourages all students to get involved in this fantastic initiative.