Helping You Find Your Place at UB

The Honors Student Council created this program based on the unique needs of their peers. Many current mentors wished they had a program like this when they arrived on campus. This program is designed to:

  • Help first-year students adjust to life at UB and the Honors experience.
  • Encourage active participation in the Honors College community.
  • Foster mutually beneficial and positive relationships between Honors scholars.

The opportunity to sign-up for Honors Connections and be paired with a peer mentor will be included in your first year pre-advising survey.

What to Expect From Your Peer Mentor

As a new Honors scholar, we expect you will have many questions. How do I get involved on campus? Where are the best places to eat? How do I get off campus? Where can I find Bonner Hall? The Honors Connections program will help you successfully transition to life as a college student and scholar. This peer-mentoring program will match you with an accomplished upperclassman, providing an opportunity for you to connect with someone who has been in your shoes.

  1. Once paired, you will receive your mentor’s name and a brief bio. Before arriving on campus, your mentor will reach out to you allowing you to pick their brains about life on campus. 
  2. Once you arrive at UB, your mentor may offer to take you on a tour of campus to find your classes, have coffee or attend events. 
  3. Throughout the first semester, there will be additional opportunities to engage with your mentor and all other Honors Connections students.

We hope you see this program as an chance to ask some questions, meet new friends and start to become part of the Honors family.

Expectations for Peer Mentors

An Honors Connections mentor’s role is to help new students adjust to college and serve as a resource regarding student involvement, campus life, study skills or things to see and do in Buffalo. Mentors are asked to:

  • Communicate with their assigned first-year student(s) prior to the first day of class.
  • Meet with their mentee(s) during the first two weeks of classes.
  • Encourage participation in Honors College and campus-wide activities.
  • Help answer general questions or concerns their mentee(s) may have.

In general, we hope the mentor will make the transition to college for our new Honors College scholars a little easier.