5 ways peer support can help you

Here are 5 ways that receiving mentoring and support from a peer can benefit you towards the start of your course and throughout your time as a student.

1. Guidance from someone who has been in your position

Talking to more experienced peers is a chance to learn more about student life and what’s ahead from someone who has been where you are. A peer supporter can be someone who you can ask the smaller, day-to-day questions.

They helped me get a head start. Having someone who can tell what it was like when they were in your shoes is really helpful.

2. Help with settling in

Peer programmes can help you meet people on your course, gain useful advice, and ease pressure during your studies.

Peer conversations can introduce you to opportunities and services you might not discover on your own. You can hear others’ first-hand experience of campus, the city of Leeds and being at University. A more experienced peer may be able to offer you tips on anything from getting around the city to finding societies that suit your interests.

Beyond that, they can be another friendly face you recognise around campus, which can help you feel more at home in your new community.

3. Assistance with navigating academic life

As the year progresses and deadlines approach, peer support conversations can offer tips on:

• managing your time and workload 
• preparing for assessments
• navigating library and campus resources
• understanding referencing.

“While academic staff were always available, having guidance from another student felt easier and more approachable, especially in stressful times like exam season.”

4. Reassurance and increased confidence

Talking to someone who has been through what you’re going through can help you feel more confident and connected in a new space.
Sharing questions and stressors with someone who has been where you are can help you to see the universality of these feelings and understand that most people experience similar feelings and emotions over their time at university.

“One of the biggest things I took from the experience was reassurance. When I felt overwhelmed, it helped to hear that what I was experiencing was completely normal and shared by others.”

5. An extra layer of support

While at university, you’ll build up a network of people who support you, including fellow students, lecturers, support staff and friends. You also have access to a range of support services, including mental health, counselling and wellbeing support.

A peer mentor can become an extension of your network, someone on your side who can offer encouragement and an extra layer of support.