Being a mentor should be a conscious decision, as you are expected to have availability and communication skills. Contact with the mentees is very important and should be frequent! If you don’t know what to say, share your experiences as a 1st year student or as a mobility student. Take an active part in the activities of the Mentor Programme and try to promote them to your mentees. Finally, do not hesitate to contact the NAPE’s Guide responsible for your course – it is with him that you can clarify your doubts and solve problems that may have arisen (regular follow-up).

Competences of the Mentor:

• Promote team spirit, help and companionship;
• Provide information about Técnico, such as the location of classrooms, study rooms, laboratories, offices and other services of the Alameda campus;
• Advise about the most adequate study materials, places to buy, among other more specific questions about the functioning of the subjects;
• Assist the Mentor students in issues such as scholarships, social pass, residence, among others;
• To encourage participation in the NDA (Tutorate Programme);
• To raise awareness of the difficulties that may exist in the transition from secondary school to higher education, such as the increased workload, the pace of work, the potential lower average than in Secondary School, among others;
• Help with time management and planning for the assessment season;
• Guide a campus visit based on the itinerary presented in the Mentor Guide;
• Organise different and original meetings, for example in cafes/pastry shops or on walks around Lisbon
• Encourage the relationship with other colleagues, not only from your course, but also from the others;
• Encourage the practice of activities available at Técnico, such as sports, AEIST language courses, Tunas, Student Centres, competitions, among many others.

Advantages:

Being a mentor also brings you some advantages:

• Access to a solid and relevant Continuous Training Plan, with trainings on: emotional intelligence, personal marketing, pitching and CV building;
• Integration of the Mentored Programme in the Academic Curriculum of the Technical student (still under definition);
• Direct participation in the Programme’s activities and its dissemination;
• Support in the organisation of activities suggested by the Mentor or the mentee, contributing to the development of skills such as teamwork, leadership and time management.