Sheffield 2013 applicants

Ah right fair enough! Do you know if we have a reading list? and have you done like anything to prepare? Feel like I should be doing something!

Sorry if this has already been asked but is anyone applying for a mentor?

I'm not sure if I should, on one hand I am worried about moving out but on the other hand I don't want it to be like I'm being babysat, especially if nobody else really goes for it.

I'm speaking as a mentor here, but literally, we will not babysit you. We've been told we are not allowed to do your work for you, and theres other stuff we're not allowed to do.
We can tell you that textbook X isnt any good for that module, get Y out of the library instead. If you just want us as help and support for settling in, we can do that, we can help with the best places to go on a night out - POPPY TEES FTW! If you wanted us to help with how to go about taking lecture notes, whats the best way of filing them away, which lecturers are amazing & who will put you to sleep, how to cope with all of the work you've got to do.

Basically, we've not been told by Emma that we HAVE to do X,Y and Z with our mentees. We've just been told, don't be a dick, and don't make your mentees feel like you don't care about them, and if in doubt, send them to SSID... If you just want us for a little while, thats fine - we won't be too upset, you'll probably find your mentor will send you an email/ facebook message around Xmas saying good luck with your exams. If you want us all year, again, that's completely fine.

Some departments operate an opt- out scheme, (I can't off the top of my head remember who Biomedical sciences??), i.e, you get an mentor unless you say you don't want one. Others go for you don't get a mentor unless you ask for one - this is what Chemistry does. Your mentor will be from the same department, and (usually) the same course, some of us were mentees ourselves last year.

Sorry if I was a bit rude in my earlier post

My mum made me apply anyway and your post has made me glad that I did. That seems like something really useful, so hopefully I'll get matched with someone (the application asked if you had any requirements for what a mentor should be like and I said I didn't mind so maybe?).

Thanks! One thing though is won't the mentor have their own stuff going on? If I do land in trouble I don't want to seem needy if they're busy

No, it's fine. I get what you meant. Like, I want one, but, I don't want one if it's not 'cool'. You'll get matched with someone in your department, I think you can ask for things like if you were an international student, for your mentor to be one as well. I think it's so they match mentors and mentees who have the same/ similar sort of background. I can't imagine that they'd say 'No, you can't have a mentor' if you'd asked for one.

We do have our own stuff on, but we'll fit you in - like, most of my friends, and myself can cope off 4 hours sleep a night, for an extended period of time. If everything seems to be going tits up, let your mentor/ tutor know before it gets to be a really really big problem.

Yeah, that's exactly what I was worried about. Is the mentoring scheme popular? I suppose it doesn't matter, I've applied now and I think usefulness will outweigh any embarrassment

I'm sure it will all go smoothly when I actually get there, I'm just worrying now it's so close!

I only know one person in my group of friends who has mentioned that they had a mentor last year, and she felt like her mentor didnt care about her as she found her mentor really difficult to get hold of. I think it might be more popular is some departments than others. I know dentistry put you into a 'family' in your first year, and I think medicine do something similar. I know in chemistry that its not the end of the world if you don't have a mentor, because 2nd and 3rd years will happily help you with lab reports, and problem sheets, and then get a little bit jealous that we get so many marks for a yield calculation, or that we've got a particular lecturer that they don't have.

It will be fine! You'll get a residential mentor if you're in halls - who's essentially a mother/father figure whilst you're here. It was quite common for ours to always give us the whole 'Right, I'm off, be good, try not to kill each other, don't do drugs and if you're having sex, make him wear a condom' lecture. If your flatmates are insane, you just have to put up with them for 4 weeks before you can move. Definitely join societies, idgaf which ones you choose, just join some. Even if it is the Chess society, tea appreciation soc and Knitting.

Ah okay

I'm doing psychology, I s'pose I'll see how they run things when I get there,

and I definitely have my eye on a few societies so I'm sure I'll have people to chat to

Thanks for all your help

Endcliffe, Froggatt F5, anyone?