About Peer Mentoring

What is Peer Mentoring?

The First-year Experience Peer Mentor Program began in Fall 2006 to help new entering BYU students integrate into the academic, social, and spiritual culture of Brigham Young University. First time BYU students, including freshmen and transfer students, who participate in the program meet and interact in small groups (20 to 40 students) throughout their first semester at BYU. The peer mentor assigned to each group organizes discussion sessions, presentations, and activities that are designed to anticipate the needs of the students in their community and help make their first semester transition easy and successful.

This year, all peer mentoring sections are attached to freshman seminars.   Students will meet with the faculty instructor once or twice each week during their scheduled class time and once in a group discussion section.  Mentors will also meet with students one-on-one throughout the semester.  We ask that all students who are registered in peer mentoring sections make a good faith effort to be involved in their mentoring experience.

What is a peer mentor?

A peer mentor is generally an upper class student who began his or her college career as a freshman at BYU. Peer mentors are not academic advisers or tutors, but they are strong sources of practical information who draw on their past experience as students to help their first-year community navigate the sometimes overwhelming university culture. Peer mentors are carefully selected based upon their previous success as students and leaders at BYU. Since some first-year students are also international students experiencing an even more difficult time of adjustment at BYU, some peer mentors will also have a background in international studies or other relevant international experience.

If you are interested in participating in the Peer Mentor program as a first-year student, register online today through MyMap.  For more information, email frorientation@byu.edu or call the Office of First-year Experience at (801) 422-4243.