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Our Mentorship Programme is free for qualifying students.

Qualifying is simple. You only need to meet one of the following criteria:

First Generation

Students whose parents did not complete a university degree.

Care-experienced

Students who spent some time in the care system.

Estranged from Family

Students who have no contact with their family due to a breakdown in their relationship.

Displaced/forced migration

Students who have come to the UK for their safety due to dangerous situations at home. These students may be Refugees or Asylum Seekers, but can also be students on other visas who have come for safety reasons.

As our mentorship programme is facilitated by volunteers, we are unable to provide mentorship as a paid service at this time. We are able to offer paid coaching as a one-off or multi-session options on our services page.

Coaching Services

How our Mentorship Programme Works

Getting a mentor is a simple process, here’s a quick breakdown to help you understand how it works.

1

Complete the Student Registration Form

As soon as you have accepted a university offer, you are eligible to be matched with a mentor. At this point you should complete the Student Registration Form for the Mentorship Programme.

Student Registration

2

Onboarding Modules

The next step is to complete the onboarding modules. This helps ensure you and your mentor are on the same page regarding how the Mentorship Programme works and what to expect.

3

Mentor Pairing

Once you fill out our Student Registration Form and complete the Onboarding Modules, we can begin the process of pairing you with a mentor.

4

Monthly Meetings

These meetings enable you to discuss any questions, issues, or topics related to your university studies with someone who has successfully completed their own university degree. NB: while it is likely that you will discuss study strategies and classroom expectations with your mentor, they are not expected to provide you tutoring for course content.

5

Access to Our Discord Community

My Academic Family has a Discord channel that you will be able to access that will allow you to communicate with other students involved in the Mentorship Programme.

How having a mentor helps

Reduce your stress/anxiety

A mentor can make your transition into university less stressful, and can continue to help with stress and anxiety throughout your studies

Increase your confidence

A mentor can help build your confidence in navigating the university environment and feeling a deeper sense of belonging on campus

Get a better outcome

Having a mentor can lead to better outcomes in completing your degree and can lead to improved career options after university

Get the most out of it

A mentor can help you become aware of the many opportunities available at university, and can help you make a plan to make the most of them.

Topics you can expect to cover with your mentor

It can be hard to know what the mentoring relationship will be like or what different kind of things you can or should expect to discuss with your mentor. Here’s a list of topics we encourage you to cover with your mentor.

Engaging Faculty Effectively

How to approach staff and faculty to ask questions or raise issues

Course Structure Insight

Understanding the framework that university courses are built on and how they operate, including the value of the syllabus or course document

Understanding Office Hours

How to make the most out of lecturer office hours

Academic Stress Cycle

The ebb and flow of stress/busy-ness throughout the academic year and within a single semester

Weekly Study Commitment

How much time a student is expected to spend weekly on their studies outside of class

Support Network Building

The importance and value of building one’s own support networks (through making friends in class and participating in campus societies)

Maximize Campus Opportunities

Identifying all the opportunities available on campus and making the most of them

Who are our mentors?

Our mentors are volunteers who have already completed their university degrees in the UK. Many of our mentors were first-generation students themselves and understand the extra difficulties associated with learning how to navigate the university environment on your own.

Susan (she/her)

BSc Adult Nursing and Graduate Cert. in Ophthalmic Nursing

Susan is an Ophthalmic Nurse Practitioner working in Greater Glasgow and Clyde with both clinical and surgical roles

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Daniel (He/Him)

English Language and Literature

Daniel has always been passionate about supporting people to be their best, and now works at Glasgow Kelvin College as their Organisational Development Lead.

View Bio

portrait of Gina Snooks Dunure Labyrinth with castle ruins in the background. Ayrshire, Scotland - by Gina Snooks

Gina, PhD (She/Her)

Women’s Studies and Feminist Research

Gina’s academic interests include arts-based research, Pagan studies, and life storytelling. Gina is a photographer who loves creating fictional characters inspired by fantasy, and feminist historical fiction.

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Fiona (she/her)

Accountancy (Honours)

Fiona is a qualified Chartered Accountant who has a true passion for helping others reach their full potential.

View Bio

See All Mentors

The Mentorship Programme expects mentors and students to meet at least once per month for at least 30 minutes. Mentoring Relationships last one academic year, though it can continue if both the mentor and student both indicate they want to.

Register with My Academic Family