Transitioning into graduate school can be a stressful experience. That’s why the Texas A&M University College of Engineering established a peer mentorship program — to give new graduate students helpful advice and a support network during their first year of graduate-level study.
Peer mentors serve as a helpful guide, providing experience and advice about research, networking, time management, relationships with advisors and faculty, and much more. Mentors also support students socially by showing them around and attending campus or community events.
Who are the mentors?
Our peer mentors are upper-level graduate students who have completed at least one full year of graduate school in the College of Engineering. The mentors come from a variety of backgrounds, representing almost every department, as well as numerous countries around the world. They possess unique experiences that we believe will be useful to their mentees’ success.
To become a mentee:
Students must sign-up with the Engineering Graduate Programs office. After signing up, students will be invited to an orientation and welcome party where they will get to know mentors through a variety of activities. After the event, they have a chance to select which mentors they most connected with. However, this does not mean that students will be guaranteed that mentor. Once each student has been assigned a mentor, they are expected to meet once a month for the remainder of the school year.
To become a peer mentor:
Students must submit an application through the Engineering Graduate Programs office. If accepted, students must go through a training and attend an orientation and welcome party. Each mentor will be matched with three mentees following the welcome party, pending a selection process.