Peer Mentoring
What is peer mentoring?
Peer mentoring is when new students are paired with more experienced students to help them settle into university life. It facilitates the transition to university and improves students' sense of wellbeing and belonging. It has benefits for both mentors and mentees!
For mentors, it is an opportunity to provide the support they wanted earlier in their student journey at the same time as boosting their own employability. For mentees, it is a chance to learn new skills, network and shape their university experience.
At King's College London, peer mentoring is delivered within faculties, departments, and sometimes individual courses. Peer mentoring schemes are also run by student groups and by KCLSU. Peer mentors can be referred to as mentors, buddies, parents, or other terms - these all mean the same thing!
Peer mentoring is often focused on helping students navigate university life while other types of peer support like peer-assisted learning (PAL) programmes and peer support groups focus on academics or mental health and wellbeing.
Peer mentoring programmes within the university and students’ union along with key contact details for their coordinators can be found below.
Undergraduate Peer Mentoring Schemes
1st Year Buddy Scheme (Physics)
Contact: Anna Chapman, anna.1.chapman@kcl.ac.uk
School of Global Affairs (SGA) Peer Mentoring
Contact: Francesca Auchterlonie, francesca.auchterlonie@kcl.ac.uk
Geography Postgraduate Taught Peer Mentoring
Contact: Liz Ryder, elizabeth.ryder@kcl.ac.uk
BSc Psychology Buddy Scheme
Contact: Julia Ouzia, julia.ouzia@kcl.ac.uk
Arts & Humanities Buddy Scheme
Contact: Tamara Kwofie, ahset@kcl.ac.uk
You can find the Arts & Humanities Virtual Student Hub here.
Postgraduate Peer Mentoring Schemes
International Postgraduate Researcher Buddy Scheme (iPGR Scheme)
Contact: Edward Mushett Cole, edward.mushett_cole@kcl.ac.uk
More information can be found here.
HSDTC PGR Buddy Scheme
Contact: hs-dtc@kcl.ac.uk
This buddy scheme is open to doctoral researchers in the health science faculties. More information can be found here.
Specialist Peer Mentoring Schemes
Careers Mentoring Programme
Contact: careers-mentoring@kcl.ac.uk
This peer-to-peer mentoring scheme is specifically for underrepresented groups and has a careers focus. More information can be found here.
King's Student Money Mentors
Contact: money@kcl.ac.uk
More information can be found here. You can also view our Instagram page and our blog.
Other Peer Support Schemes
KCL PhD Peer-Support
Contact: Xenia Stieger, xenia.stieger@kcl.ac.uk
King's College London's Faculty of SSPP is setting up mental wellbeing peer support sessions for PGR students only. It is designed as a space for PhD students to come together, talk about our mental wellbeing, combat PhD isolation, share advice and support one another. More information can be found here.
School of Bioscience Education Peer Assisted Learning scheme
The Peer Assisted Learning scheme in the School of Bioscience Education is led by students for students. Students run workshops and tutorials that are optional to attend, informal sessions to help you make the transition to university study and assessment. They are also a great place to ask questions and build networks and friendships with other students. More information can be found here.