S2S Mentor Programme
An S2S Mentor works with one or two others (from the same course wherever possible) to welcome a group of up to 25 undergraduate students arriving in TCD for the first time.
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Mentors meet with their groups during Freshers' Week, help everyone in the group get to know each other and host a question and answer session, a campus tour and a library tour. They then arrange for a minimum of 5 social meet-ups each term and maintain regular contact with their groups through email, and through social media.
Applications for 2025/26 are now closed. For information on applications for 2026/27 check our Instagram (@tcds2s) or this webpage for updates on when recruitment launches in term two.
If you are a returning S2S Mentor you can still apply up until July. Contact the S2S office for more information.
Is this role for me?
If you're planning to be a registered undergraduate student in the next academic year and you know first hand what it takes to survive and thrive throughout TCD's first year experience then Mentoring could be for you! You do need to make a few commitments though - you'll need to be available for orientation, able to arrange meet-ups with your group throughout the year, and regularly check and communicate through your TCD email. You'll also need to complete a 4 hour training session in the Hilary term before orientation (dates available on application) and to pass an online module over the summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mentor recruitment opens in January for the following academic year and runs either until all training spaces are filled or the day before the last training session.
Absolutely! Once you've completed the online Blackboard module, you'll be able to express your preference for a Mentor buddy/buddies on your volunteer profile.
We always aim to have Mentors for incoming students from the same course. Occasionally we may ask mentors to step in to help us fill shortages from other related courses but this only happens if we don’t have enough mentors for a particular course, and you always have the choice as to which you would rather do.
No, you don’t have to come to another training session (although you’re welcome to if you would like a refresher). However, if you’re returning after a year or more away, of if your score on the Blackboard module was previously low, you will be asked to complete the Blackboard module again. You are also welcome to complete the Blackboard module if you’d like to refresh your memory or improve on your previous score.
The Blackboard module is a refresher of your in-person training, that you complete online over the summer. It’s also where you access your Mentor handbook which will be invaluable to you during your time as a mentor. Your percentage score from the Blackboard module is reported on any references you get from us (but a close eye on the Mentor handbook makes it easy to get 100%). If you don’t manage it first time, have a look at the feedback, check your answers and try again!
Anyone who has signed up to be a mentor for the first time or who is returning to mentoring after a year or more away will have to complete the module to be a Mentor. Also, if you scored below a certain percentage (usually 75-80%) last year, you may be asked to complete the module again before continuing as a Mentor.
Yes, everyone must complete the module before being assigned a buddy and a group to mentor.
About Mentor Training
Yes, once you've applied to be a mentor you can log on to your profile at s2svolunteer.tcd.ie to change your selected training session. You can only change trainings up to 24hrs before the session is scheduled. If there is an urgent reason you cannot attend please email us at student2student@tcd.ie.
We're sorry, but that's really not an option. It creates disruption and isn't fair to the other attendees! You need to attend the full training session in order to be accepted onto the programme. If you really can’t make the full time needed for the session, please select a different session (there's lots of sessions with different time slots!) Find one that suits your schedule better and change it on your profile at s2svolunteer.tcd.ie or get in touch with us.
Mentor training takes place pm the 3rd floor of 7-9 Leinster Street South.
The building is a few doors up from the National Gallery, almost directly opposite Insomnia and the Lincoln Inn on Nassau Street.
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Competencies: Collaboration & Self Awareness
Learning Outcomes:
|
GOALS |
OBJECTIVES |
LEARNING OUTCOMES |
|
Familiarity with Mentor role |
Participants are aware of the different aspects of the Mentor role. |
Participants know what is expected of them and what they can expect in return. |
|
Accountable space |
Participants discuss and create an accountable space agreement as a group |
Participants can apply the principles of accountable space to their work in S2S and beyond |
|
Orientation in practice |
Participants engage with the skills and understanding required to deliver campus tours, library tours, icebreakers and Q&A sessions. |
Participants are comfortable delivering S2S orientation sessions, and know where to get more support as and when needed. |
|
Communication |
Participants engage with the skills and understanding required to maintain contact with Mentor groups over the course of the academic year. |
Participants are confident with email protocols, and know which other mediums to use in conjunction with weekly emails. |
|
Meetups |
Participants engage with the skills and understanding required to plan, organise and deliver inclusive group meetups. |
Participants have ideas for meetups they would like to arrange with their groups, and practical tips to support their success. |
|
Conflict resolution |
Participants practice negotiating difficult conversations with their peers. |
Participants are more comfortable using basic negotiation skills, including blame diffusion and use of "I" statements. |
|
Managing risk |
Participants learn major indicators of risk to a fellow student, and how to name and act on concerns for a peer's wellbeing. |
Participants know exactly what to do if they have any concern for a fellow student, including where to refer them and why to get support for themselves after the interaction. |
|
Active listening |
Participants engage in basic active listening concepts and skills, including:
|
Participants know how to hear somebody out and explore the scenario they are describing with them, without leaping to solutions. |
|
Signposting vs Referral |
Participants learn the difference between signposting and referral, and explore which response is appropriate in given situations. |
Participants are comfortable suggesting possible sources of additional information or support when appropriate, and know when to be more directive about who a student should speak to on campus. |
|
Boundaries |
Participants explore boundaries of their mentor role, and the rationale for these. |
Participants understand when and where to implement healthy boundaries, and how to protect their own wellbeing. |
|
Critical protocols |
Participants explore scenarios in which GDPR and Children First legislation are relevant. |
Participants understand how GDPR and Children First legislation applies to their role, and when to refer and issue to S2S staff. |
|
Hypothetical scenarios |
Participants explore common scenarios in which a mentoring role doesn't live up to expectations, and discuss how they would respond, and what support might be available. |
Participants have realistic expectations of the ups and downs of a Mentor role, and know the supports available for them, and how they can help. |
|
Activity logging and reflection |
Participants learn how to log Mentor activity on the Odyssey system, and why this is important. |
Participants are aware of the rewards and opportunities available to the as Mentors. They have a chance to reflect on their learning in the session, and the value of ongoing reflective practice. |
- There is a sign outside the door directing you to the training room. There is no assigned seating, you can choose where to sit. When you enter the training room, you sign in. The sign in sheet is at the top of the room.
- The capacity of the room can vary between 5-28 people. At full capacity, the training room can get noisy at times. The room is quiet while the trainers are speaking but volume levels will increase when in group activities. There are a lot of group work and roleplay in this training so the room can get noisy and you can expect a lot of social interaction.
- The room can get hot, especially when there is full capacity. We have a fan for the room and the door can be kept open to allow for some air in the room. The windows are also open, which means there can also be some outside noise that may be distracting.
- When the training is full, the chairs are close to each other so you may be sitting in close proximity to another person.
- The room has natural lighting and overhead lighting can be used.
Volunteer feedback
S2S Survey 2024
“Coming into Trinity, I felt quite lost and everything felt quite foreign. But the day of orientation, when our S2S mentors came and showed us around the place and introduced us to our peers- more than scared and confused, I felt excited and thrilled to start a new chapter of my life.” Anonymous 1st Year, 2022/23
“I found that whether or not you continually engage with your S2S group, the understanding that you get from attending S2S during orientation week is that everyone has the same questions and concerns as everyone else, something which made me much more comfortable when it came to engaging with others in the course.” Anonymous 1st Year, 2023/24