Peer mentoring
How to get support and guidance from a current student in your first term, through our peer mentoring programme.
Peer mentoring programme
You can get one-to-one support and guidance from a current student if you are in your first term and a:
- first year undergraduate
or - Gateway or Foundation student.
The programme runs from the start of the academic year in September until January.
You will be able to request a peer mentor once you have confirmed your place here.
How the mentor can help you
A peer mentor is a current student at the university, usually within their second or third year.
They can help by:
- offering advice based on their experiences
- introducing you to relevant university services
- informing you of societies and events
- recommending you local facilities and attractions.
Mentors cannot provide academic or mental health support but will put you in touch with services that can. For academic peer support, see our PASS programme.
They also cannot do certain activities with you but this will be explained during your first meeting.
Pairing students and mentors
Where possible, we aim to match new students to mentors studying a similar subject to them. However, you may choose to be matched based on a protected characteristic, such as:
- LGBTQ+ identity
- neurodiversity
- faith, ethnic or cultural background
- care leaver or estranged student status
- mature student status.
How to become a peer mentor
Applications to become a peer mentor for 2025/26 are closed. We will reopen applications in January 2026.
Questions
If you have any questions about peer mentoring, email us at student-peer-support@bristol.ac.uk