With mentoring support you will learn techniques and strategies that you can use to cope with study issues. A mentor at the Student Services Office provides the mentoring support. You can only get support for the courses you study at Umeå University.
You will receive support in these areas
- how you can plan and structure your studies;
- to interpret and understand instructions, assignments and exam questions you have received from teachers;
- coaching to make it easier for you to handle, for example, your study situation or to get started with tasks;
- study techniques, for example when it comes to reading or taking notes.
Make sure that the time you meet with the mentor is used to work with the study-related areas covered by the mentor support. The more prepared you are before meeting with the mentor, the more effective the support will be.
Areas where the mentor will not provide support
- questions related to the course subject when writing reports or assignments;
- proofreading;
- attending meetings with or have contact with staff at your course or programme.
If you need any type of support that is not included in the mentoring support, your mentor will inform you of this. Contact your coordinator if you need support that is not part of the mentoring support.
How mentoring support works in practical terms
You and your mentor will make an agreement on what you will focus on during your meetings, with your needs and the framework of mentoring support taken into account. You will also make an agreement on how and when you are going to meet. Therefore, the support can differ from student to student depending on a unique setup of factors for each student. However, some factors are the same for everyone:
Start-up meeting
The first meeting is an introductory group session providing information about the support and useful tools and strategies to use in your studies.
- Choose if you participate in person on Campus Umeå or online.
- You can participate anonymously if you join online. If you have questions, you can pose them in the chat.
Mentoring sessions
After the introductory group session, you will meet your mentor separately and the support will be based on your individual needs.
- You can be offered booked appointments of 45 or 15–20 minutes, or to come during drop-in hours.
- The extent of your support is based on your specific needs.
- Your meetings with the mentor can take place in person on Campus Umeå or digitally via Zoom. Agree with your mentor what works best.
Ending mentoring support
Your mentoring support will be terminated in the following cases:
- If you no longer need the support. You and your mentor will evaluate your needs together.
- If you do not attend scheduled meetings without notifying your mentor or coordinator.
- If you use the meetings for other matters than what is included in the areas listed further up on this page, read under "You will receive support in these areas".
Drop-in and mentor workspace
Drop-in
A drop-in session is about 15–20 minutes long. You can get help with short issues or questions regarding your ongoing mentoring support.
When
Mondays and Thursdays
Where
Online via Zoom or on Campus Umeå
Contact your mentor for more information.
Mentor workspace
Mentor workspace is a calm workplace for those who have been granted mentoring support. You can also ask short questions to mentors.
When
Wednesday afternoons
Where
Online via Zoom or on Campus Umeå
Contact your mentor for more information.
