Students4students – Mentoring during the introductory phase of studies at Potsdam University of Applied Sciences

The first few months at university present students with major challenges that can lead to delays and, in some cases, dropouts. Mentoring programmes offer support during this transition. Universities and students benefit greatly when students are involved in supporting fellow students in their studies. To increase academic success in two degree programmes at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, students4students was introduced. In this programme, students from higher semesters accompany mentees in the introductory phase with the aim of facilitating a regular course of study and preventing dropouts. We report on the data collected from the documented contacts and discuss the effectiveness of the programme using a study progress indicator and the dropout rate.