PALS学术支持项目新体验|Exploring the PALS Programme: The Rewards and Insights of Being a Mentor

大家好!我是Frank,目前在萨里大学担任学生大使。今天,我想和大家分享一下我参与的Peer Active Learning Scheme(PALS)项目,以及在这个项目中的一些亲身体验。

什么是PALS?

PALS(Peer Active Learning Scheme)是萨里大学为预科、一年级和二年级本科生提供的学术支持项目。通过PALS,学员可以获得高年级本科生、硕士生和研究生导师的指导,发展学术技能,如研究、做笔记、学术写作、时间管理和考试方法等。这个项目的目的是帮助低年级学生更好地适应大学生活,提高他们的学术能力,并为他们未来的学术和职业生涯打下坚实的基础。

参与PALS项目的初衷

当初申请成为PALS导师时,我希望能在帮助他人的同时提升自己的能力。通过培训,我不仅学到了如何有效地指导他人,还深刻体会到教学相长的道理。作为一名导师,我有机会将自己在学术上的经验和技巧分享给低年级的同学,帮助他们克服学习上的困难,同时,我也希望通过这个过程提升自己的领导能力和沟通技巧。

我的PALS导师体验

帮助学员克服学术挑战

作为导师,我负责指导几名预科和一年级学生。他们在学术写作和时间管理方面遇到了困难。在我们的第一次会议上,我们一起制定了学习计划,并设定了短期和长期目标。看到他们逐步克服困难,取得进步,我感到非常欣慰。有一次,我的一位学员在写作一篇重要论文时遇到了瓶颈。我们详细讨论了她的论文大纲,并一步步细化每个部分的内容。最终,她不仅顺利完成了论文,还在班上获得了优秀的成绩,这让我感到无比自豪。

个性化辅导

每个学员的需求都不尽相同,因此我会根据他们的具体情况制定个性化的辅导计划。例如,有一位学员在参考文献格式方面有很多疑问,我们专门安排了一次集中辅导,详细讲解了APA格式的使用方法。另外,还有一位学员在考试复习方面感到压力巨大。我和他一起制定了一个详细的复习时间表,并教给他一些有效的记忆技巧。通过几次辅导,他的复习效率大大提高,期末考试也取得了不错的成绩。

建立积极的学习氛围

在PALS项目中,我不仅是导师,更是学员的朋友和支持者。我鼓励他们积极提问,分享学习中的困惑和心得。通过这样的互动,我们建立了积极的学习氛围,大家的学习热情都得到了提升。有一次,我们的小组还一起组织了一次学习分享会,大家各自分享了自己在学习中发现的有趣方法和资源。这不仅增进了我们的感情,也让大家在学习上互相启发,共同进步。

收获与感悟

在PALS项目中的这段经历让我受益匪浅。首先,我的沟通能力和组织能力得到了极大的提升。作为导师,我需要清晰地表达自己的观点,耐心地解答学员的问题,并根据他们的反馈不断调整我的辅导方法。其次,通过帮助他人,我也对自己的学习方法进行了反思和改进。最重要的是,这段经历让我感受到助人为乐的喜悦,以及教学相长的深刻内涵。看到学员们在我的帮助下取得进步,我由衷地感到骄傲和满足。

总结

PALS项目不仅为学员提供了宝贵的学术支持,也为导师们提供了一个成长的平台。如果你也即将来到萨里大学,我强烈建议你加入PALS项目,体验这段充实而有意义的旅程。通过参与PALS,你不仅可以帮助他人,还能提升自己的各种能力,为未来的学术和职业生涯做好准备。

感谢大家的阅读,如果你对PALS项目有任何疑问或想了解更多信息,欢迎随时联系我或访问学校的相关网站。让我们一起在PALS项目中成长,共同迎接学术上的挑战和收获!

Hello everyone! I’m Frank, currently serving as a Student Ambassador at the University of Surrey. Today, I’d like to share my experiences participating in the Peer Active Learning Scheme (PALS) and what I’ve gained from this incredible programme.

What is PALS?

PALS (Peer Active Learning Scheme) is a programme at the University of Surrey that provides academic support to foundation, first, and second-year undergraduate students. Through PALS, mentees receive guidance from trained final-year undergraduates, masters, and postgraduate research students in developing essential academic skills such as research, note-taking, academic writing, referencing, time management, and exam techniques. The aim of the programme is to help junior students better adapt to university life, enhance their academic capabilities, and lay a solid foundation for their future academic and professional careers.

Why I Joined the PALS Programme

When I initially applied to become a PALS mentor, I hoped to enhance my own skills while helping others. Through the training provided, I not only learned how to effectively mentor others but also deeply understood the principle of “teaching is learning.” As a mentor, I had the opportunity to share my academic experiences and techniques with junior students, helping them overcome their academic challenges while also developing my leadership and communication skills.

My Experience as a PALS Mentor

Helping Mentees Overcome Academic Challenges

As a mentor, I was responsible for guiding several foundation and first-year students who were struggling with academic writing and time management. During our first meeting, we developed a study plan together and set both short-term and long-term goals. It was immensely satisfying to see them gradually overcome their difficulties and make significant progress. On one occasion, one of my mentees was facing a major hurdle in writing an important paper. We discussed her paper outline in detail and broke down each section step by step. In the end, she not only completed the paper successfully but also received excellent feedback in her class, which made me incredibly proud.

Personalised Mentoring

Each mentee has unique needs, so I tailored my mentoring approach accordingly. For example, one mentee had numerous questions about referencing formats. We scheduled a focused session where I explained the APA format in detail. Another mentee felt overwhelmed by the pressure of exam revision. Together, we created a detailed revision timetable and I taught him some effective memory techniques. After a few sessions, his revision efficiency improved significantly, and he performed well in his exams.

Creating a Positive Learning Environment

In the PALS programme, I was not just a mentor but also a friend and supporter to my mentees. I encouraged them to ask questions freely and share their learning challenges and insights. This interactive approach helped us build a positive learning environment, enhancing everyone’s enthusiasm for learning. On one occasion, our group organised a study sharing session where everyone shared interesting learning methods and resources they had discovered. This not only strengthened our bonds but also provided mutual inspiration and collective progress.

Reflections and Insights

My experience in the PALS programme has been incredibly rewarding. Firstly, my communication and organisational skills have improved immensely. As a mentor, I needed to express my ideas clearly, patiently answer my mentees’ questions, and constantly adjust my mentoring strategies based on their feedback. Secondly, by helping others, I also reflected on and improved my own learning methods. Most importantly, this experience has shown me the joy of helping others and the profound concept of “teaching is learning.” Seeing my mentees progress with my help fills me with pride and satisfaction.

Conclusion

The PALS programme not only provides invaluable academic support to mentees but also offers mentors a platform for personal growth. If you are at the University of Surrey, I highly recommend joining the PALS programme and experiencing this enriching journey. By participating in PALS, you can help others while developing your own skills, preparing yourself for future academic and professional challenges.

Thank you for reading. If you have any questions about the PALS programme or would like more information, please feel free to contact me or visit the university’s website. Let’s grow together in the PALS programme and embrace academic challenges and rewards!