The MSA mentorship program will help first years.
A MUSLIM Students’ Association (MSA) mentorship programme is helping first-year students by providing a support system that will assist them to adjust to the university environment.
According to the MSA Head of Student Affairs, Humairaa Hoosen, the programme launched in July 2017 and has had a “fairly” successful few months and hopes to draw more involvement from students.
“The programme is meant to provide an outlet and an informal means to gain advice from people who have been there [in first year],” said Hoosen.
Mentors, who are often senior students, undergo mentorship training facilitated by the Counselling and Careers Development Unit (CCDU) at Wits.
Students must be in their second year or further in their studies to become a mentor.
CCDU mentorship coordinator, Eileen Maleka, told Wits Vuvuzela that the training equips mentors with interpersonal skills on how to communicate and listen as well as an awareness on how to be mentors.
“Many of the students think because they are senior they can mentor but it involves a lot more responsibility. CCDU teaches mentors how to have a professional relationship etiquette,” she said.
One of the mentors, second-year BSc Metallurgical Engineering student, Zaynub Cader, said she felt the need to help first-year students to cope at university as it can be stressful.
“I wanted to help the first years adjust to university life and just be there when they need someone to talk to.
“You get into a new world full of new faces, it can be a bit overwhelming,” she said.
Anyone who wants to be a mentor should sign up on the MSA website.
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