Welcoming new students to the Environment community
During the first six weeks in fall term, all first-year undergraduate students are enrolled in the Environment Peer Mentor program for support as they transition to university life.
Students supporting students
First-year Environment students are provided an upper-year peer mentor to help them transition to University life. Peer mentors are a special kind of Environment student. They are equipped with knowledge and experience and can help new students with:
- Building lasting relationships with peers and upper year students in the faculty
- Managing workload and maintaining well being
- Learning campus and faculty resources, services, and supports
- Joining campus-wide clubs, advocacy groups and athletic teams
Program highlights
In-person sessions
First-year students are invited to attend weekly in-person sessions with other first-year students and their peer mentor to engage in fun activities as a group. At the weekly in-person sessions, first-year students can expect to:
- gather important academic information relevant to the week,
- meet peers and get to know their community,
- explore campus,
- learn the tricks to navigating university life and academics,
- have their questions answered by an upper-year student, and more.
Newsletters
Peer mentors send weekly newsletters to their group of first-year students. Newsletters are carefully crafted to address the common questions and concerns students have at each stage of their six week transition, covering topics like:
- Important campus resources
- Planning future terms
- Finding your community
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Preparing for midterms
- Overcoming obstacles
First-year students are always encouraged to hang on to their newsletters as a resource throughout university.
Online communities
Online communities are another way for peer mentors to support our new students. First-year students are invited to chat, ask questions, and connect with their peer mentor and other first-year students through their Microsoft Teams online groups.
Check your emails in September for an invite to your peer mentor Teams' channel!
Meet your 2023 peer mentors
Shrinidhi Elangovanneela
Alex Ferguson
Angela Ljepava
Farah El-Shayeb
Gia Liu
Nidhi Mistry
Harry Cheung
Mary Samson
Hannah Brunelle
Ben DePetris
Timurul Hoque Kazi
Mariam Dhorat
Russell Kho
Become a peer mentor
Are you knowledgeable about campus resources and the Faculty of Environment? Do you wish to pass on your knowledge and experience on to others?
The application to become a peer mentor opens every spring term. To learn more about what we are looking for in a peer mentor, check out the job description on the Environment Peer Mentor Application Form.
We hope to see you apply in the spring!
I became a peer mentor because I want help first years feel comfortable and make connections early, so they can live their Environment lives to the fullest.