Lesson in mentorship
Prof Adekunle (right) joining an ice-breaker session with the participants
Ridge View Residential College (RVRC), one of NUS' residential colleges, conducted a five-day boot camp in May for its undergraduate and graduate students where they learnt how to mentor, and offer effective and timely advice and support to Year 1 students. Although peer mentorship is not novel, RVRC is the only residential college organising a camp tailored for this purpose.
Twenty-four Student Fellows from diverse disciplines and backgrounds attended the camp from 11 to 15 May. They were carefully selected for their effectiveness and enthusiasm in helping Year 1 students adapt to university life.
RVRC's peer mentorship programme was designed with three objectives ' to prepare Student Fellows for their roles; provide guidance and feedback on their progress; and further develop their capacity and leadership potential.
It included a profiling exercise for participants to learn more about themselves and the team; intensive sessions on making an elevator pitch and facilitating effective tutorial and discussion sessions; a theory-cum-hands-on session on safety and crisis management, as well as managing stressful individuals and situations; and an information literacy session. A variety of instructional formats were employed, ranging from workshops and small group discussions to bonding activities.
College Master Professor Adekunle Adeyeye was impressed by how Student Fellows have embraced the programme enthusiastically and stepped up to the challenge. "Peer mentoring is a critical and integral part of the RVRC Programme. Besides enhancing Student Fellows' potentials and talents beyond the classroom and for their future endeavours, what they have learned will have a positive, cascading impact on the first-year students who are their mentees, he noted.
Prof Adekunle delivering his opening address
Feedback from the participants was positive. Aaron Hei, who recently completed his first year at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, said: "The skills we have acquired from the workshops will sufficiently equip us for our roles as Student Fellows. More importantly, the holistic nature of this Boot Camp shows that the responsibilities of a Student Fellow include not only promoting the welfare and ensuring the safety of students, but also journeying with the students in their academic and personal growth.
The Student Fellows will be put to the test in the new academic year, when RVRC admits its next batch of 230 Year 1 students. The participants can look forward to regular debriefing sessions at strategic points throughout the year, during which they will review and share their experiences with peers and RVRC staff.
