Building on experience
The period following secondary school (and completing your Abitur, if you live in Germany) is an exciting time in a person’s life. A whole array of possibilities and new experiences lie ahead – but so do a series of important decisions and, potentially, some periods of uncertainty. With our Mentoring Program, our scholarship holders can draw and build on the experience of their mentors, who stand ready to provide advice and support.
Academic advice and general guidance
Around 130 professors at Bavarian tertiary education institutions volunteer as mentors to our scholarship holders. Each mentor oversees a group of up to 15 of our scholarship holders; they act as both a point of contact and someone that students can trust.
Mentoring groups provide a port of call for advice and support in the whirlwind of university life. They provide academic and personal support, including beyond the seminar or semester at hand. Mentors provide their mentees with guidance on plans for semesters abroad or their aspirations to advance to doctoral studies. Linda Jaculi, a Max Weber scholarship holder and European Studies student at the University of Passau, has been delighted by her experience as a mentee. “For me, the Mentoring Program provides the perfect opportunity to discuss the daily demands of studying in a small group,” she said. “I’ve been delighted with my mentor, because he always offers a sympathetic ear and strives to support me as best he can with issues relating to my studies and beyond.”
At most tertiary education institutions, our scholarship holders can select their own mentor, with professors from a range of subjects to choose from. In most cases, students make their selection basic on academic criteria.
Mentors also invite their groups to joint meetings, usually once per semester. This helps the scholarship holders they mentor to meet and exchange ideas. These mentoring groups often also serve as the starting point for interesting and exciting activities, from which students in other groups can also benefit.