CAS Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience
Peer Mentoring
Purpose
Peer Mentoring through the Undergraduate Program inNeuroscienceis designed for first year students to have a student mentor within the Neuroscience Concentration.Mentors are older students who have already completed the basic science requirements, and are either nearing completion of their major requirements, or have already done so. Peer Mentors have excellent academic records, and many serve in student leadership roles elsewhere on campus.
Although flexible in structure, the relationship between your Peer Mentor and you is a formal one. The role of your Peer Mentor is to serve, at all times, as a responsible student resource for you.Your role is to utilize the resources of the Peer Mentor Initiative in a responsible and respectful way.Please remember that your Peer Mentor is a fellow student with a demanding academic schedule.
Structure
Whenever possible, the Director will place first-year students with a Peer Mentor with overlapping interests within the program.If you are undecided about an area of focus within the program, the Director will match you with a Peer Mentor based on your responses in your Interest Survey.
Your Peer Mentor will assist you in finding resources at BU to help you with both general/holistic issues of time management and study skills, as well as with issues particular to your shared area(s) of concentration and pre-professional track (if applicable). The Peer Mentor will also help you access the many resources and advising options on campus.
A Peer Mentor is not an academic advisor; s/he does not have the expertise of faculty members, the Director of the Undergraduate Program, academic program directors, Deans, Directors of Undergraduate Studies in CAS Departments, or CAS 105 Advisors.
Specifics
1)The role of the Peer Mentor is to help you find appropriate resources for answering your questions and addressing your concerns.
2)The Program Director will make all Peer Mentor assignments and changes to those assignments.
3)Your Peer Mentor will meet/communicate with you at least once every two weeks during the semester to discuss the issues on which you would like to focus. You should bring to your meetings with your Peer Mentor a clear set of questions/concerns on which you will work together.
4)Peer Mentors in the Neuroscience Program are only one resource among many peer resources in CAS and at BU.
5)You and your Peer Mentor will keep a log of your questions and concerns so that you can use your time together wisely and efficiently.
6)If you experience a health-related issue, contact Student Health or your personal physician.
Resources
One of the most common challenges for first-year students is effective time-management. It is probably no surprise, but college is very different from high school, and you will have to learn how to study differently.This is a normal part of the learning process!
With regard to time-management and study skills, you should use the ERC (Education Resource Center) workshops, tutoring, and other options on campus such as the Writing Center.You should also plan to integrate faculty/T.A. office hours as well as any study groups associated with your courses as part of your normal academic routine.You should also set aside time each week to review the material in each of your courses.Although this involves a relatively small time commitment each week, it makes a substantial difference in your mastery of course material during the semester!
You may feel that support systems such as the ERC, faculty office hours, etc. are unnecessary; however, keep in mind that throughout your first year, you are assuming new academic challenges, learning new subject matter and methodologies, and developing new ways to learn. Drawing on your academic support systems at BU will give you valuable tools that will assist you in all your courses, both now and in future years.Finally, addressing problems and challenges you may experience as soon as possible will help you maintain a strong GPA.
Sometimes first-year students are reluctant to use faculty/T.A. office hours.Faculty office hours are an incredibly valuable way to get individualized attention regarding your specific questions.When teaching a course, a faculty member must teach to a class of diverse individuals.Meeting with faculty members in office hours allows you and the faculty member to talk about your particular learning process.Finally, remember that faculty members, not Peer Mentors, are the credentialed experts in their academic fields.
Notification
The Peer Mentor to whom you have been assigned will contact you directly in September.
Summary
* Your Peer Mentor is not your advisor but a fellow student with a strong academic background who can help you find resources on campus that supportyour learning experience. Furthermore, your peer mentor has already completed the courses in which you will soon be enrolled, and can offer very specific advice on how to do well in those courses.
*Your Peer Mentor does not have the expertise of faculty members, the Director if the Undergraduate Program, Deans, Undergraduate Advisors in CAS departments, or CAS 105 Advisors.
*Your Peer Mentor will assist you in finding resources at BU to help you with both general/holistic issues of time management and study skills, as well as with issues specific to your shared area(s) of concentration as well as pre- professional track (if applicable.)
*The Undergraduate Director will make all Peer Mentor assignments and changes to those assignments.
*You should plan to meet/communicate with your Peer Mentor once every two weeks in the semester.You should not rely on your Peer Mentor for
every question or concern; use your limited time with your Peer Mentor appropriately as a fellow undergraduate.
*Keep a log of the questions and issues you have addressed together.
*Refer all health and safety-related issues to the appropriate authorities.
- If you encounter difficulties and/or if you feel it would be best that you be assigned to another Peer Mentor, contact the Undergraduate Director,
Dr. Paul Lipton, at ; (617) 358-5150.
CAS Honors Program Peer Mentor Initiative
Interest Survey, Fall 2008 semester
Name: ______BU ID #: ______
1. I plan to declare the following Major(s) in addition to Neuroscience
(declared or potential major(s) if you are not sure): ______
______
2. I plan to declare the following Minor(s) (declared or potential minor/s if you are not sure): ______
3. I am or plan to pursue a pre-professional track (specify: pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-law, pre-veterinarian): ______
4. I am thinking about a BA/MA degree (specify CAS department): ______
______
5. I am thinking about studying abroad(specify where and when): ______
______
6. I am interested in an internship program(specify type): ______
______
7. I am interested in learning about opportunities for research (specify area, i.e. cognition, animal research, computational modeling, etc.): ______
______
Attach a short, typed description of what you would like to accomplish with your Peer Mentor and what you would like to gain from the experience. Please be as clear and specific as you can about what you hope to gain from participating in the Peer Mentor Initiative as well as about what you will bring to it (enthusiasm, follow-through, sense of humor, etc.) This will help the Director match you with the best Peer Mentor for you, and it will assist your Peer Mentor in learning about you.
Peer Mentor Initiative: First-Year Student Agreement
I agree to abide by the policies, responsibilities, and rules of the Peer Mentor Initiative in the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience.
Signature
Print name
BU ID#
Contact phone
BU e-mail address
Return this page with your attached narrative and signed Agreement by Friday, August 21, 2009to:
Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience
2 Cummington Street, Room 114
Boston University
Boston, MA 02215
Checklist
This checklist is for your use; do not return it with your materials.
Materials to return to Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience by August 21st, 2009
___Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience Peer Mentor Initiative Interest Survey, Fall 2009 semester
___Peer Mentor Initiative First-Year Student Agreement
___Short, typed description of what you would like to accomplish with your Peer Mentor and what you would like to gain from the experience
Maintain a copy for yourself for your Records
Your Peer Mentor will contact you directly in September
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