MSE Peer Mentorship Program
The program pairs current MSE graduate students with incoming students for their first academic year. The goals of the program are to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety typical to new graduate students, to inform MSE students of resources and opportunities at BU and around Boston, and to build a stronger community within the MSE Division.
Mentees will meet with their mentor three times each semester and have access to a slack group. Details are below.
Get involved
Want to be a mentor? Apply here | We are looking for friendly, patient, enthusiastic, and supportive people who are current MSE students to mentor incoming MSE graduate students for the entirety of the academic year. Benefits to becoming a mentor:
- Support someone in a new and potentially confusing and stressful environment
- Help incoming students connect with BU and the Division, particularly those who aren’t able to physically come to campus
- Gain leadership skills and volunteer experience that can be put on your CV
- Learn about resources available in the Division and at BU as well!
To be a mentor, apply by 9/15/23.
For mentees: Sign-up Form | Please complete the questionnaire to sign up and so that we can better match you with a mentor.
Benefits of having a mentor:
- Get academic, professional, and personal support from someone who’s been through it
- Learn about resources available in the Division and at BU
- Make new friends in the Division
- Learn from the experience of older graduate students
This is an opt-in program. You must fill out the sign-up form in order to be paired with a mentor.
To be a mentee, sign up by 9/18/23.
About the program
Fall and Spring Mentor Training Sessions: Mentors will learn and practice important communication, interpersonal, and professional skills to facilitate leading a group and to help their mentees learn and grow. As a group, mentors will discuss and set expectations and goals for the year in the Fall meeting. In the Spring meeting, mentors will reassess goals and discuss professional development tips and resources to share with their mentees.
Kick-off Meeting: Mentees will meet their mentor, discuss expectations of the program, and socialize with other members of the program.
Matching Methods: Depending on the number of mentors and mentees that sign up, mentors will be paired with 2-3 mentees. Mentees are paired with their mentor so that they are in the same program (PhD, Masters, MEng, etc.) and so that they are in different labs, if relevant and possible. Mentees may choose to be matched with their mentor based on a few other factors, which they can indicate on their sign-up form.
Meetings: There are three organized meetings each semester. Each meeting has a suggested discussion topic that will relate to the mentee’s degree program. Some of the topics are adjusting to graduate studies, finding a research home, and coping with failure. There are also several socials throughout the year, including everyone in the mentorship program.
Program Directors
Matthew Geib (geib@bu.edu) and Jairaj Narendran (jairajn@bu.edu)