Student Mentor Program

Introduction

The mission behind the Mentoring Program is to support our freshmen to learn the meaning of university education and adapt to the university learning environment as fast as possible. "First Impression Lasts" : if we can manage the first moments of our freshmen in a positive, imitative, and participative atmosphere with ample support from both staff and senior students, the learning culture can be further polished in the same direction. Besides through the preparation of different activities, mentors have enhanced their leadership, organization and communication skills, which are important for their life-long development.

Summary of Activities

Year 2000

Year 2001

No. of Mentors Recruited : 26 Year 2 to Year 3 students

Activities : 1st Mentor-Mentee Meetings Small Groups Sharing and Campus Walk Orientation Day Lunches with Dept Head and Academic Staff War Game Training for 60 Mentors and Mentees Individual Counseling

Both freshmen and mentors are very positive to the whole program.

...fruitful memories: building teams, giving directions, and counseling...

It is a valuable experience of my lifetime to be a Student Mentor and Committee Member of the Student Mentoring Scheme. Actually, what I really want to say is that it is a great Scheme to be launched by our University, which aimed at helping the freshmen through the enthusiasm of Year 2 and 3 students. It is our pleasure that we can contribute to our University other than just getting knowledge from our studies. As long as having the full support of our kind and outstanding coordinator, and the passion of the mentors and mentees, I have gained a lot of fruitful memories in the meantime.

At the beginning, I have tried to devote myself to help the freshmen, such as advising them to participate activities, telling them how to solve problems, since I felt helpless when I was a Year 1 student. But later on, I found that, as a facilitator to help them build team spirit and have better interrelationship is far more important than just helping them individually. Why ? The synergy generated by the mentoring group will help themselves explore what they need in the University, it can lead them to have better learning and experience than just being told by me. Moreover, different people have different goals and needs, what we should do is counseling, giving them directions, rather than just leading and informing them what they need to do.

Although, I have been called "Student Mentor", still, I am a learner when associating with the freshmen. Not only should I enrich my knowledge and interpersonal skills, but I also find that they have lots of merits that worth appreciating and learning. I do cherish our friendship, as I really think that we are in the same status and we are all willing to support and concern each other.

Wong Kit Yin, Emmy
Marketing - Year 3
Mentor and Organizing Committee Member of Year 2000 and 2001

...because this scheme can really help freshmen to get familiar with the university life...

It is my pleasure and honor to be a mentor of the Mentoring Scheme. I take part in this scheme because I would like to share my university life experience to freshmen and help them to be familiar with the situation of our university within a short period of time.

I believe that the Mentoring Scheme is not only give benefits to freshmen, but also to those mentors. From participating into various mentoring activities, I can learn how to communicate with my mentees, how to perform as a leader in leading a mentoring group, and how to cooperate with other mentors and our Mentoring Scheme Coordinator. This experience is so valuable to me because it is difficult to learn them directly from books. Moreover, I am pleased to give my contribution in building the cohesiveness and team spirit among students through the Scheme.

Although I will be graduated in this year, I would support the Mentoring Scheme activities. It is because this scheme can really help freshmen to get familiar with the university life.

Liu Wai Ming, Boby
Marketing - Year 3
Mentor and Organizing Committee Member of Year 2000 and 2001

...improve my communication and organization skills, which can contribute to my job...

After joining the mentor-mentee program, as a mentor, I think that this program is meaningful and I enjoy with my mentees. Through this program, I do not only share my past experience in year 1 with mentees, I can learn from them, such as their thinking and analysis. This experience also help to strengthen myself and improve my confidence.

To myself, I can meet more news friends especially the senior students, I can improve my communication and organization skills through this program. In the future, I may also have a chance to organize similar activities or campaigns in my job, so that I can apply what I have learnt to my job.

Leung Kit Ying, Joan
Marketing - Year 2
Mentor of Year 2000 and 2001

...gain a lot : review the past and do better...

I am glad to be a mentor of my department as I can share my success and failure with my mentees. Some may believe that being a mentor will be a burden. However, it is not the truth in my experience. We share our problems and happiness. During the sharing, I also gain a lot which I have not expected. As I reviewed what I have done, I can learn from this review and then do better in the future. In addition, when they have problems and ask for advice, it is time to enhance my problem-solving skills. I think the term "win-win situation" can be applied in this scheme. And I am sure our relationship will not last for a year only as we are friends forever.

Au Nga Lai, Elly
Marketing - Year 2
Mentor of Year 2000 and 2001

...enrich my experience in organization of orientation activities and broadened my network...

I think most of the students felt uncertain about the life of university when they started their year 1 in university and so was I. All were fresh and seemed difficult to me when I joined the CityU. This was one of the reasons for me to take part in the mentor-mentee program to help the freshmen to adapt to the new environment.

Joining the mentor-mentee program not only give me a chance to enrich my experience through organization of some orientation activities but also broadened my personal network by getting along with both mentees and staff of the department, which made my university life more fruitful.

Lam Siu Kwan, Karen
Marketing - Year 2
Mentor of Year 2000 and 2001

...because of my mentor, I love CityU much more. "Thank You"...

I can adapt to the life style in university quickly because when I have any trouble, I can find someone (my mentor) who is not freshmen to ask and seek her advice immediately.

Because of my mentor, I love City University much more. My mentor seems to be my sister and I would not feel lonely when I just entered into the university. My mentor always take care of me and asks for my recent life. She always offers a lot of invaluable help.

I learn how to care about others. My mentor spends a lot of her spare time to help me, so I will help those freshmen in the following year too.

Finally, I would like to say "Thank You" to my mentor, Elly. I really learn a lot from her!

Chan Kwun King
Marketing - Year 1
Mentee of Year 2000 and 2001