Ines, Buddy Scheme Mentor

I’ve really enjoyed my time as a mentor. Mentoring was a special opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone and a close circle of friends and communicate with different people who I would never have met. 

I think what was most important for me when applying to become a mentor was being able to be someone to talk to during difficult or stressful times. First-year of university is a hard, especially during a pandemic, in terms of finding your place and making friends, so even if I was able to make one person feel safe and comfortable it was worth my time.

Through my time as a mentor, I was able to develop key skills such as listening, empathising and rapport building; essential in the real world when applying for jobs. Being a QM Mentor has given me a head start to become a better leader. This pandemic was a challenge for me because I had to think of different ways where we could interact, but it is so rewarding to finish a session, and everyone is happy.

Do consider becoming a mentor! Here are a few things my mentees have said about their experience:

1. “I found being a mentee very helpful for getting to know student life, and its an incredibly friendly environment, especially being in a group and making more friends”
2. ‘I felt very welcomed and learnt a lot of things that I would not have if I wasn’t a mentee”
3. “Super friendly environment and received so many tips such as how to write a good essay and referencing tips”

- Ines, Buddy Scheme Mentor & Volunteer