Program Overview

Mentoring Program for Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Students

Introduction

The mentoring program is a support service for students and applicants who are in a difficult socio-economic situation. A mentor, typically a student from a higher year, shares their experience with studying, helps with orientation in the university environment, and provides support at the beginning of studies or during preparation for them.

Target Group

The program is intended primarily for:

• Students in their 1st and 2nd years at Charles University
• Applicants to Charles University In cases where there is sufficient capacity of mentors, students from higher years may also participate.

Eligibility Criteria

Students can participate in the program if they:

• Have limited financial support from their family (e.g., their family receives social benefits)
• Are the first in their family to attend university and lack support in navigating higher education
• Study in Czech, which is not their native language
• Have had a significant gap since completing secondary school
• Are student parents
• Have previously unsuccessfuly completed their studies
• Have an individual study plan
• Face study difficulties
• Are from Ukraine

Program Structure

Mentoring takes place through regular personal or online meetings, according to individual agreements and needs. It is possible to have a one-time consultation if desired.

• The mentor (a student from a higher year) shares their study experiences and provides support to the mentee.
• The mentor helps the mentee with orientation in studies, overcoming study and life challenges, and preparing for studies.
• The mentee receives support in their new life situation (especially at the start of studies or during preparation), which contributes to better handling of study duties and preparation for entrance exams.
• Meetings usually take place once a week for about an hour, either personally or online.
• Mentors are financially rewarded for their work (currently 150 CZK per hour).
• The mentoring service is completely free for mentees.

Areas of Focus

Mentees and mentors can focus on:

• Orientation in studies and at the faculty
• Beginning of studies and adaptation to university life
• Administrative aspects of studies
• Study planning
• Study strategies and effective learning
• Preparation for entrance exams
• Studying in Czech as a non-native language
• Experience with studying at a specific faculty or in a chosen program
• Managing studies in a challenging life situation

Becoming a Mentor

To become a mentor, one should be willing to support new students and applicants while developing their own skills. Mentors share their experience, help others orient themselves in the university, and prepare for studies. The program includes special educational seminars, supervision, and a great community of mentors. Mentoring takes place according to agreement - personally or online - and is financially rewarded (currently 150 CZK per hour).

Testimonials

• "Mentoring helped me organize my studies, orient myself at the faculty, and reduce stress. Petra is a great mentor, and thanks to her, I feel more confident."
  • Sara, 1st-year student at the Medical Faculty of Charles University
• "The transition from the Ukrainian academic system to the Czech one was quite challenging for me - everything is different, from the structure of studies to how the faculty works. My mentor helped me understand what to expect from the entrance exams, how to plan my preparation, and what to study. She also showed me how to navigate the faculty's website and what to do when applying. Thanks to mentoring, I felt more confident and calm, and I didn't have to go through this process alone. I would definitely recommend mentoring to all students, not just those from Ukraine."
  • Oleksandr, applicant to the Faculty of Arts, Charles University

Contact

For more information or to express interest in the mentoring program, please contact:

• Mgr. Tereza Smejkalová
• Social Worker
• Coordinator of the Mentoring Program
• Coordinator for Students from Ukraine
• Administration of Scholarships for Students in Difficult Life Situations