Often a freshman’s life becomes a tightrope walk between diving into various co-curriculars while chugging along with the daily ordeal of academics. In an effort to foster a healthy interaction with senior students, the institute has flagged off a Student Mentorship Programme (SMP). Still in its nascent stages, the initiative promises to reform the inhibitions to senior-junior interaction and constructive information flow, imposed by a plethora of reasons, both administrative and otherwise.

How is the student mentorship programme structured?

The Student Mentorship Programme consists of two units:

1. Institute Student Mentorship Programme (ISMP) - The aim of the ISMP shall be to help freshmen in adjusting to the new environment through fostering healthy interactions with senior students. This is to be achieved by allotting a “mentor”, that being a senior student, to a group of 10 freshmen. The mentors will be chosen after careful consideration and will be responsible for guiding the freshmen to make the most of their time in IITR, warding off some misconceptions and apprehensions that they have. The mentors are supposed to be go to sources for queries ranging from the trivial to the profound.

2. Departmental Academic Mentor Programme (D-AMP) - The D-AMP shall be a more specific unit of the program, and it shall focus on helping freshmen overcome academic difficulties they might face in the initial phase, be it towards a specific course, or inability to keep up with the general pace of the classroom.

How can I be a mentor?

While the primary round of accepting applications through e-mails has already begun, what follows shall be a close analysis of the resumes of the applicants. An initial requirement of having a CGPA in excess of 7.5 has already been laid forward. After short-listing students on the basis of their CVs, there shall be a comprehensive review of their academic, behavioral, social and overall acuity through a series of interviews and one-on-one interactions with an SMP representative. A peer-to-peer review system shall also be set up to make the screening of the applicants as effective as possible.

Who all are eligible to be mentors?

The SMP demands highly motivated 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students who have had enough exposure to successfully guide incoming freshmen through the tribulations of adjusting to life on campus. Students who have been contributors or active members of campus organizations, who have had stellar college academic records, who have had successful stints as interns in various reputed firms, or have, in any way, proved their mettle as extraordinary individuals are invited to sign up for the SMP. The SMP seeks students who can be positive role-models to freshmen and help them exploit the arsenal of academic and co-curricular resources an institution like ours offers.

Naturally, students from their final or penultimate year shall be given preference over sophomores. However, any student who believes that he can add constructive value to the vision of the SMP should definitely apply to participate in the programme.

How do the mentors benefit?

The SMP promises to help mentors develop strong soft skills, as they shall be interacting with the 10-12 mentees assigned to them under the programme. Building a rapport with the assigned juniors and trying to understand what problems they are suffering from shall definitely enhance the communication skills of a mentor. We also sincerely believe that a program like this shall not only help the freshmen understand the tricks of surviving at IIT Roorkee, it shall also help seniors gain a wider and refreshed perspective about opportunities and prospects at IIT Roorkee.

As far as resume points are concerned, the Dean of Students’ Welfare has promised to award a certification of appreciation to outstanding mentors, and a certificate of acknowledgement to every mentor on completion of a his/her tenure. Also, since a mentor shall be dealing with the responsibility of at least 10 students, including the details of your term as a mentor shall definitely serve as a decent testament to your sense of accountability, and hence serve as a valuable addition to your resume.

How do the mentees benefit?

The institute offers infinite resources in terms of academics, career-building, research, sports and cultural activities. As a newbie to the institute, the availability of so many prospects may seem intimidating. To have a mentor assigned to you, who has been through the carefully constructed vetting procedures, might serve as a reassuring factor as you wade through the many challenges and opportunities granted to you. The SMP is a very intricately structured effort that has constant overviews and is open to feedbacks and criticisms. A meticulously designed effort as this, in all certainty, shall make the life of an incoming fresher immensely easy.

Our two cents of wisdom

The importance of this initiative in bringing about a sea change in the campus dynamics cannot be overstated. With the campus ethos currently in place in Roorkee, it is extremely difficult to get in touch with willing and credible mentors from outlets other than a few campus groups. Arcane rules such as the initial freshmen curfew further inhibit interaction during the early months. The SMP promises to narrow down this rift and bring about a healthy interaction. As is not the case with a lot of other student initiatives, the ISMP enjoys the rare backing of the powers that be in the main building.

The programme has been wildly successful in IITB and IITD and is a vital cog in the campus machinery there. In terms of incentives, it is also seen as a credible and worthwhile PoR. Being the student driven initiative that it is, the success of ISMP indubitably depends on the student community to engage and take it forward, earning a resume point or two in the process.

For further details contact -

Sankalp Asawa: sankalpasawa@gmail.com, +91-8226805401

Vatsal Sanjay: vatsalsanjay2308@gmail.com, +91-7895940240

Interested students should draft an email with the topic “Mentorship Programme”, include their name, branch and year of study, enrollment number and phone number in the body, attach their resumes and send it to mentorshipiitr@gmail.com and dosw@iitr.ac.in.