Study Buddies
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clair...@gmail.com
Dec 11, 2009, 12:29:22 PM12/11/09
to International Higher Education Disability Advisers
Does anyone know about Study Buddy systems and how to set one up?
Where are there good examples?
Claire
Where are there good examples?
Claire
Hayrunisa Pelge
Dec 14, 2009, 4:31:09 PM12/14/09
to internationalhighereduc...@googlegroups.com
Hi Claire,
In Britain we have what are referred to as "Mentors", say for those students with mental health difficulties and/or Asperger's. It depends on the university but I am to start working at Queen Mary's soon as a Mentor and I will be under the supervision of the Mental Health Co-ordinator. Some universities go through Randstad (an agency) for Mentors and they may be supervised by the Disability Adviser or the Mental Health Adviser/Co-ordinator. Although Westminster Uni. is quite unique in that the Disability Services works with the counsellors for mentoring - in that the counsellors put on their mentoring cap and mentor the students we refer on to them or who refer themselves. These systems have their advantages and disadvantages.
There's also a strategy that some departments at Westminster Uni. utilise, it's called "E-buddies". Whereby 1st year students' individual e-mails are given to 3rd year students who have opted to become buddies. They're all informed about this and the 3rd year sets off the process by e-mailing the 1st year. They then keep in touch via e-mail. The 3rd years are given training for 2 hours or so, e.g. if a 1st year student has a problem with funding they can refer them on to the Student Advisers in the Counselling and Advice Service etc.
Hope this helps.
Take care
Hayrunisa
University of Westminster
Disability Adviser
> Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:29:22 -0800
> Subject: [IntHEDA] Study Buddies
> From: clair...@gmail.com
> To: InternationalHigherEduc...@googlegroups.com
In Britain we have what are referred to as "Mentors", say for those students with mental health difficulties and/or Asperger's. It depends on the university but I am to start working at Queen Mary's soon as a Mentor and I will be under the supervision of the Mental Health Co-ordinator. Some universities go through Randstad (an agency) for Mentors and they may be supervised by the Disability Adviser or the Mental Health Adviser/Co-ordinator. Although Westminster Uni. is quite unique in that the Disability Services works with the counsellors for mentoring - in that the counsellors put on their mentoring cap and mentor the students we refer on to them or who refer themselves. These systems have their advantages and disadvantages.
There's also a strategy that some departments at Westminster Uni. utilise, it's called "E-buddies". Whereby 1st year students' individual e-mails are given to 3rd year students who have opted to become buddies. They're all informed about this and the 3rd year sets off the process by e-mailing the 1st year. They then keep in touch via e-mail. The 3rd years are given training for 2 hours or so, e.g. if a 1st year student has a problem with funding they can refer them on to the Student Advisers in the Counselling and Advice Service etc.
Hope this helps.
Take care
Hayrunisa
University of Westminster
Disability Adviser
> Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:29:22 -0800
> Subject: [IntHEDA] Study Buddies
> From: clair...@gmail.com
> To: InternationalHigherEduc...@googlegroups.com
>
> Does anyone know about Study Buddy systems and how to set one up?
> Where are there good examples?
>
> Claire
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Claire Ozel
Dec 14, 2009, 5:23:07 PM12/14/09
to internationalhighereduc...@googlegroups.com
Dear Hayrunisa,
Thank you, this is very helpful.
I know of a spontaneous pairing that has happened at a Turkish university: a 1st year student couldn't get support from her classmates - they too are so new, they are also trying to settle in. She has now made friends with several students in the year above her and now feels a lot 'safer' and more confident than in the first weeks - quite terrifying, in a new city, not knowing who could be trusted.
A question: What is given in the training for the E-buddies?
Mental health is just starting to get onto the agenda in Turkey; this could/should grow because there are definitely students in need. In time this will mature... with patience, information sharing, and suitable suggestions and proposals to people in positions of power.
Claire
Middle East Technical University,
Ankara, Turkey
Thank you, this is very helpful.
I know of a spontaneous pairing that has happened at a Turkish university: a 1st year student couldn't get support from her classmates - they too are so new, they are also trying to settle in. She has now made friends with several students in the year above her and now feels a lot 'safer' and more confident than in the first weeks - quite terrifying, in a new city, not knowing who could be trusted.
A question: What is given in the training for the E-buddies?
Mental health is just starting to get onto the agenda in Turkey; this could/should grow because there are definitely students in need. In time this will mature... with patience, information sharing, and suitable suggestions and proposals to people in positions of power.
Claire
Middle East Technical University,
Ankara, Turkey
Hayrunisa Pelge
Jan 3, 2010, 2:23:33 PM1/3/10
to internationalhighereduc...@googlegroups.com
Dear Claire,
Your welcome.
Am glad to know that things are happening spontaneously.
To be honest the training was a long time ago, but from what I can remember it was along two lines; one being the actual e-mentoring role and the other role involving referring the student on to others when need be. The latter was something like, "These are the student support services for students having difficulties that are outside of your remit as an e-buddy, e.g. Disability Services, Counselling and Advice etc.", then examples were given of what kinds of e-mails/situations we may be confronted with and how to deal with them (often referring students to support services or tutors). The former; our responsbilities were things like giving advice on questions regarding keeping to deadlines (e.g. prioritising according to dates that assignments were due), revision tips, how to hand in work through JISC etc. We as mentors also had two mentors (2 psychology PhD students at that time who had a psychotherapist in charge - who was a part of our Psychology department).
Hope this helps
Your welcome.
Am glad to know that things are happening spontaneously.
To be honest the training was a long time ago, but from what I can remember it was along two lines; one being the actual e-mentoring role and the other role involving referring the student on to others when need be. The latter was something like, "These are the student support services for students having difficulties that are outside of your remit as an e-buddy, e.g. Disability Services, Counselling and Advice etc.", then examples were given of what kinds of e-mails/situations we may be confronted with and how to deal with them (often referring students to support services or tutors). The former; our responsbilities were things like giving advice on questions regarding keeping to deadlines (e.g. prioritising according to dates that assignments were due), revision tips, how to hand in work through JISC etc. We as mentors also had two mentors (2 psychology PhD students at that time who had a psychotherapist in charge - who was a part of our Psychology department).
Hope this helps
Take care
Hayrunisa
University of Westminster
Disability Adviser
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:23:07 +0200
Subject: Re: [IntHEDA] Study Buddies
From: clair...@gmail.com
To: internationalhighereduc...@googlegroups.com
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