Mentoring "first steps

Registration for the mentoring "first steps - starts again in winter semester 2025/26

"first steps" brings together expierenced students and first semester students. The mentoring programme is organised by the mentoring tandems themselves, i.e. you decide how often and when you meet and which topics you discuss together. Apart from the kick-off event, there are no mandatory appointments for mentees!

The next cohort of our mentoring pogramme "first steps" commences in the winter semester 2025/26. Application is possible via the website from now until October 2, 2025.

If you are a first semester student and missed the application deadline, please contact mentoring(at)oth-regensburg.de.

For students of the Faculty of Applied Natural and Cultural Sciences, the student council organises a separate mentoring program! Students of the master program Electrical and Microsystems Engineering please contact buddy-mem@oth-regensburg.de.
For students of "MEM" (Master Electrical and Microsystems Engineering) and "ICS" (Bachelor International Computer Science) there's a separate buddy programme! Please register via this website.

 

What is "first steps"?

Experienced students from the higher semesters (mentors) support students in their first semester (mentees) in regular discussions during their studies. The aim is to support them in all aspects of their studies and to develop their own personality and social skills.

The core element of the program is the direct contact between mentee and mentor in the mentoring meetings throughout the semester.

Who can participate?

As a mentor , you should be at least in the second semester of your stuidum.

As a mentee , you must be in your first semester of a bachelor's degree program and be interested in mentoring for an entire semester!

The program is also especially aimed at full-time students from abroad. Master students in their first semester can be considered as mentees in exceptional cases, please contact us for this.

Organization and time required

Depending on the number of mentees, the result is either a tandem relationship, in which one mentor supervises one mentee, or usually a group mentoring, in which several mentees are grouped together.

In total, the program extends over one semester.

The content of this mentoring relationship can cover all aspects of studying. The exact content and intensity of the mentoring relationship is determined by all participants themselves - depending on their needs and requirements. How time-intensive the mentoring is thus depends on the group. An exchange is possible within the framework of personal meetings or also digitally. We recommend at least one face-to-face meeting per month (regardless of contact via e-mail, messenger, etc.).

Registration Mentoring first steps winter semester 2025/26

registration form

personal details
Only for mentees (students in first semester)
Only for mentors (students in higher semester)

The following questions are only for mentors (students in higher semester)!

Are you willing to assist english-speaking mentees?
Complete registration

Your registration will be completed in the next step. You receive a mail about the complete registration. If you don´t get a mail, please contact us via mentoring@oth-regensburg.de. Please note that the registration is binding.

Dates

Registration for mentoring is open until Ocotber 2, 2025 at 12 noon.

Dates in the winter semester 2025/26:

  • Kick-off event: (room to be announced) Getting to know the tandems or group members: October 8, 2025 at 5.15 pm. Please make sure you can attend this meeting.
  • Mentoring meetings: to be determined individually in tandem or group. There should be approx. one meeting per month.
  • Mid-term review: to be determined individually in tandem or group. Joint reflection on the term so far approximately in the middle of the semester.

Additional dates for mentors who wish to take the associated AW subject:

  • Mentoring training: Monday, October 10, 2025, 5.15 p.m. - 7.15 p.m. (online): preparation for mentorship.
  • Mid-term review meeting: Thursday, November 13, 2025, 5:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.: Joint mid-term review, exchange between mentors, preparation for final report.
  • Closing event: Monday, January 12, 2026, 5:15 p.m. - 6.15 p.m.: Joint deliberation of the term

Tasks and opportunities

    • Preparing the meetings: You take care of arranging the appointments.
    • Advice and knowledge transfer: You advise your mentees in a solution-oriented manner and are the contact person for questions about their studies.
    • Support: You support your mentees in achieving their goals.
    • Networking: You open up your networks to your mentees and demonstrate their importance.
    • Sharing experiences: You address topics that you consider relevant.

    • Set goals and topics: You determine what you want to work on.
    • Being active: You actively contact your mentor and consider questions.
    • Reliability: You attend appointments in tandem or as a group.
    • Feedback: You give feedback to your mentor.

    • Participation in training: You may participate in mentoring training.
    • Enhancing qualifications: You can strengthen your professional skills and self-confidence.
    • Self-reflection: You can reflect on what has stuck with you from your studies and how you feel in a consulting role.
    • Improvement of soft skills: You strengthen your social and communication skills.
    • Fun and contacts: you will meet new people and expand your network.
    • AW subject: You can earn an AW certificate for your studies under certain conditions.

    • Support: You have a permanent contact person who is there to help you and answer your questions.
    • Motivation: You will be motivated, even if the start of your studies is difficult.
    • Improvement of soft skills: You strengthen your social competence.
    • Fun and contact: You get to know new people and can benefit from the mentors' network.

Requirements for obtaining an AW certificate

In principle, all mentors can acquire an AW certificate with participation in mentoring, but please inquire in advance in the respective study program whether the AW subject "Mentoring Qualification" is also recognized in the current study section .

The following requirements must be fulfilled for the acquisition:

  • Attendance: mandatory at the kick-off meeting, mentoring training, mid-term review, and final meeting.
  • Mentoring meeting: Accompaniment and support of the assigned mentees and continuous organization of meetings for them (approx. one meeting per month)
  • Mid-term review: organization and implementation of the mid-term review together with the mentees
  • Final report: basis for grading

These additional appointments are intended to prepare the the students optimally for his or her work as a mentor and to provide a brief theoretical basis on the aspects of "feedback" and "interviewing". At the end, a final report must be submitted that covers the entire term (consisting of pure description but also reflection), on the basis of which the grade is awarded. More detailed information on the final report is available in the additional events.

Contact

Miriam Kerl

mentoring@oth-regensburg.de