Peer Mentoring Programme – A Support for Freshman

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By Kow Kwan Yee

He had decided infirmly to travel far away from his hometown to pursue his new dreams. He was alone all the while. Nobody talked to him as well as he was not able to take any initiative to approach anyone.

Lonely and strange were the descriptions he constructed for the new campus. He faced depression, leading him to withdraw from the university and continue with an introverted life.

Eventually, he was acknowledged by the public when the newspapers reported that he had committed suicide.

“I felt sorry when I read the papers that he had left us,” said Liew Wai Yoon, UTAR counselor.

Liew said there are many freshmen struggling very much in adjusting to a new campus life, especially during orientation week.

“For those come to the university alone without any friends and companion, they really need guidance for direction,” she said.

Hence, Peer Mentoring Programme (PMP) was established in order to help freshmen to adjust to the new campus life during the first month of their arrival here.

PMP offers an effective connection and bridge between seniors and university freshmen so that they are provided with guidance in adapting to the new campus life.

The seniors in the campus, known as mentors, are grouped with numbers of freshmen in the program for a more focused communication and guiding.

“Two mentors and eight mentees are in a group. We will try to pair them up according to the same faculty and course so as for the convenience in academic guiding as well,” said Liew.

PMP is carried in the duration of the first month of every intake, consisting of four sessions with one session each week.

Liew said the ice breaking session is the first session conducted where the mentors and mentees will get to know each other in this session.

After the mentees know their respective mentors, confidence and trust between the relationships are built; the second and third session which is called mentoring will be carried on.

“Mentors will contact their mentees for some gathering, group activities and even having meals together. Meeting up sessions enable the mentees to share their problems with mentors,” Liew said.

The mentors are required to meet with mentees at least two times within the two-week time, and build up contact via email, SMS, MSN, and so on.

Liew received some feedback from the mentors, where they had a nice moment with mentees when they hung out in Westlake during the night for chit chatting and experience sharing.

“It is all up to the creativity of the mentors on how to cultivate a good relationship with mentees so that they can feel that mentors are good companion and source of support,” she said.

Frequent problems faced by freshmen include some personal problems such as relationships with roommate, housemates, course mates, loneliness, homesickness, and financial problems.

Some also faced difficulty in coping new patterns of academic which is different with secondary school, and also language proficiency problem.

“In UTAR, there is a common problem where the Chinese educated students hardly mix with English educated students; the same apply to English-speaking students who find it hard to make friends with Mandarin-speaking students.

“Another problem would be confusion on logistic manner such as how to buy tickets to get back hometown, location of clinics, post office, police station and transportation facilities,” she said.

Saw Jun Wei, a Foundation student who travelled alone from Kuala Lumpur to Kampar, was attracted by a group of mentor during PMP publicity session on orientation week.

“They were so cheerful and friendly and I am very sure that they can help me to cure my difficulty in knowing more about UTAR,” he said.

Saw who felt difficult to adjust to the new life especially during the first few weeks, got to know more about the university such as rules and regulation, facilities available, and so on.

“I still keep in contact with my mentors now and our relationship stay close even though PMP had ended,” he said.

As following the give and take principle after experiencing the true benefit of PMP, Saw plans to register to be a mentor in the future.

“I know the significant benefits of PMP, and I hope juniors can gain something helpful from me in the future,” he said.

Communication only works when the source is willing to share the message and feedback is given from the listener.

Some mentees were too shy and introverted to hang out in group, therefore they registered to join PMP but hardly turned up. This sometimes led mentors to have difficulties in calling up the mentees for a simple gathering.

“As long as the mentees are willing to share their problems, we are always ready to help,” Liew said.

For example, when a freshman can hardly cope with the feeling of loneliness, the mentors will try to help up by paying a hostel visit, invitation for taking meals, or even share their own experience in curing loneliness.

“Mentors are the mirror for mentees. Experience sharing is very useful in helping to sure problems. Mentees would also be introduced to see counselors if their problems and serious cases remain unsolved,” she said.

That is, mentors are supervised by counselors, and both parties will meet up to check on the mentoring progress. Counselors will check with mentors from time to time to make sure the mentee’s condition and problems can be solved.

The mentors serve as a trusted friend, counselor, teacher, or better to be called as more experienced and resourceful seniors, and play a role as a caretaker for freshmen.

They have to go through an interview session and if they pass, the mentors will have to complete the Peer Helping Programme (PHP) module one where they will learn basic communication skills, as well as learn about listening.

“Those who had passed the interview and PHP module one, they are basically ready to serve and help others,” Liew said.

The UTAR counselors are responsible to make sure that mentors are all well-equipped with some skills such as understanding people’s behaviour, enhancing confidence, and competence in commitment and skill in handling group.

To produce a qualified mentor, one-day PMP training is conducted, more about the program is conveyed, and the proper attitude to be a mentor is taught as well.

A final-year Journalism student, who is also a PMP mentor, Foong Cheng Cheng said becoming a mentor is to help up those juniors who are directionless in the new campus life, and mentors should be equipped with an ‘always-helping’ spirit.

“This is not an easy job. I need to spend time in building up a comfortable and good relationship with mentees.

“I always taste satisfaction when I see the mentees eventually cope with new-life adaptation successfully. Now they are enjoying campus life,” she said.

Starting since 2007, PMP is now moving towards a more stable pace and more freshmen are benefitting from it.

“Personally, I have a very special feeling in PMP. It is very meaningful when I do see freshmen struggling so hard initially and at the end manage to go through the obstacles,” Liew said.

PMP always ends with a last session, which is the closing ceremony. This is the time where freshmen are congratulated as they have solved their adjustment problems with the support of mentors.

Appreciation is highlighted as well, from mentees to mentors for being a true and sincere companion through the tough duration.

As for future prospects on PMP, Liew expressed her passion by mentioning the expectation in digging out more shy and quiet freshmen.

“There are more people who indeed need this program, especially those who come from far hometowns with an introvert personality. They are unable to approach people by taking initiative. They really need support from us.

“Those who came to us and registered themselves, they are not shy, and even proactive enough to adjust campus life. Beside this, those who came to UTAR with friends, they already have companion, they are not the actual group who really need PMP,” she said.

Proactive freshmen may just get to know more friends through PMP, but the benefit gained may not be as significant as the introverted one.

“The PMP committee is now finding a way out to approach those people. It is hard to find for them, because introvert group hardly come to us. However, we are still trying our best to approach them, hoping to bring them more comfort and help,” she said.

When one is trapped in darkness and facing obstacles in the progress of chasing new ambition in campus, the panic would be ceased as PMP is always opening the door to guide you.

Filed Under: English , Features , Freshie