Meet your UCL Transition Mentor

Every UCL first year undergraduate is matched to a Transition Mentor – a paid, trained second or third year student doing the same degree programme as you. They will meet you once a week in groups of eight throughout the first term. This year mentoring will be held online via Microsoft Teams, so even if you are not on campus for term 1, you can still use and benefit from the programme. 

So what do they do?

Their job is to help you settle in and feel comfortable and confident in your department. As you are in a group with other first years, it is also a great way to make new friends. Your transition mentor can give guidance on academic topics, such as how to use the library, referencing systems, and how to plan study time and select modules. They will give you a virtual tour around the campus and will arrange some socials with other mentor groups so you can meet more first years and mentors in your department. They can direct you to any UCL support services you might need, such as financial adviser appointments or disability services, and can answer administrative questions about getting started at UCL.

What others have said:

Many first years find their mentors invaluable, as these quotes from the 2019 Transition Evaluation survey show:
“They helped us with lots of our questions early on in the term, making the whole process less overwhelming as I knew I had someone who we could ask these questions to.”
“My mentor helped me greatly when it came to academic matters. They are very pleasant and likewise say hello when I see them around the university”
“My mentor was really helpful and I looked forward to our meetings. She made us all feel very comfortable and helped increase our confidence”

When will you meet your Transition Mentor?

You will meet your Mentor and other first years at an induction session scheduled by your department in the first week of term. The Mentors will introduce themselves and the programme, inform you how and where to find your mentor group and will run a fun first week group session, including ice breakers – so it is really important that you attend.

If you miss the first session and haven’t been able to meet your mentor, speak to your Departmental Administrator or your personal tutor to ask them to put you in touch.

If your mentor cancels sessions, or does a bad job of running the sessions, please contact the UCL Transition team as soon as possible and we will help you.

If you want to be a mentor yourself in your second year, make sure you apply at the Transition website in late Spring.

Click here to find out more about the Transtition Mentor Programme.

Last revised: 7 September 2021

UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services