Frequently asked questions
If your question hasn't been answered below feel free to contact us at: buddyscheme@qmul.ac.uk
No. All mentor positions in the Buddy Scheme are voluntary.
To become a mentor within the Queen Mary Buddy Scheme, you must be an undergraduate in either your second, third or fourth year. Should you wish you take part within the Scheme as a post graduate student, please contact us directly at buddyscheme@qmul.ac.uk for further guidance/information.
No - the Buddy Scheme is a pastoral role. We’re looking for students who are sociable, confident, and, most importantly, able to make everyone feel welcome and included. Academic attainment isn’t taken into consideration. However, your School’s Student Support Officer will need to approve your mentor application to confirm that your attendance and degree progression are on track.
In order to become a mentor on the Scheme you must have attended one of the 90 minute mentor training sessions.
Due to the pandemic these sessions are currently being delivered online via MS Teams, and there are around 30 sessions running over the course of the summer for you to choose from.
The Buddy Scheme works best when mentors are able to meet their mentees in person at the beginning of the cycle; however, students who are studying abroad are still welcome to apply. In these cases, it’s especially important that mentors are reliable and available at the times they commit to, as all mentoring and communication takes place via our platform, Vygo. If you feel confident you can stay engaged and responsive while abroad, we’d love to hear from you. The scheme is open to second, third, and fourth-year students, so there’s plenty of opportunity to get involved at a time that works best for you.