Are Peer Advising Programs Worth It?
Some colleges and universities have implemented peer advising programs as an innovative way to relate to young advisees and to effectively assist greater numbers of students during peak advising times. Certainly successful programs require significant management and oversight to ensure that appropriate messages and guidance are given by the peer advisers, who often are undergraduate students themselves. Does your institution manage a peer advising program? Is it working well? What are the benefits and challenges? Are there liability concerns? What kinds of experience and knowledge can peer advisers gain by assisting professional advising staff?
What is your opinion?
UMass Amherst does have a peer advising program that I do think is working well. Students are comfortable talking with other students whether it’s about courses, requirements, or academic guidance. When you talk to someone your own age, you know they are currently facing some of same issues you are and have or have had some of the same questions you have. With peer advisors, students can openly express concerns or questions they may have as well as trust the advice they’re given. Students also don’t have to feel uneasy about certain topics because with a peer advisor. If something is misunderstood, students may feel more at ease confirming it with a peer advisor because they know they once had to understand it too.
However, peer advisors may not always be able to answer all questions students have in which they would direct them to another advisor or counselor. By assisting professional advising staff, peer advisors can learn about the different strategies of communication and coming to solutions, understanding others, and weighing in all possible and best options.
At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, we have several peer advising programs including some for individual majors, or for overall colleges, such as Social and Behavioral Sciences. I think that peer advisors are very effective, as for some students it may be intimidating to speak to a professor or faculty advisor, and they may feel that they are getting a more honest opinion that they can relate to when speaking with a peer. The benefits of the program are that students can feel comfortable walking into the advising office at any time, knowing that they will only be talking to another student who is not going to judge them, will answer questions honestly, and has been trained to know how to handle different situations. The challenge with this is that peer advisors may not be as informed as faculty advisors, and all they can do is do the best they can to be knowledgeable as possible about the subject matter they are advising on. I think that being a peer advisor has been a positive experience because it helps develop leadership ability, confidence in oneself, and interpersonal communication skills. By working with the faculty as well, we are always increasing our knowledge of what we are advising on and gaining experience working in a professional environment. Being a peer advisor has also taught me to realize and appreciate how diverse this school is, as each student will come into the advising office with a different explanation and various ideas of what they want to do.
I agree with Amanda, the Peer Advising Program is very helpful here at UMass. Like she said we are not trained like professionals, but my school offers a good teaching program. I am going through a Peer Mentor program right now where students looking to become peer mentors must participate in a mandatory class which teaches us how to effectively become a peer mentor and learn the values of good listening, understanding diversity, and different advising methods. Also referencing Amanda’s comment, I feel that peer advising is beneficial because some students may be too nervous to e-mail their professors or their adviser and prefer to speak to a peer instead. I remember as a freshman I would email my Comm Peer Adviser all the time instead of my actual adviser! The peer adviser not only benefits the advisees but also the advisers. Students who participate in peer advising programs gain leadership skills and people skills. It is also rewarding to know that you are helping out other people. The other week we all helped put together a workshop for students who were undeclared in a certain field and the turn out was great! Over 100 students declared their option, proving that peer advising has a good impact and is successful program to continue. Working with the faculty is also a great way to learn about new opportunities on campus, especially here at a big university like UMASS.
I would agree with Brittney and Erin, that Peer advising programs are definitely worthwhile and beneficial to the University as a whole. I came into UMass as a Biology major, and for a while couldn’t figure out what I actually wanted to do, I switched my major two times before I figured out what I wanted to do, and I was very overwhelmed. I didn’t know who to talk to, and felt that I would never graduate or get through school. When I got to be a psychology major, I discovered that they had peer advisers and I went to talk to them to discuss my options and my plan for school. I never felt more relieved after talking to them, I have talked to advisers and professionals at school before, but got the most out of my experience in talking to a peer adviser. Peer advising allows students to talk to other students in confidence and be comfortable with talking, because it definitely is a lot easier to talk to a student than a professional. Aside from helping with academics, peer advising is extremely rewarding. To know that I can help a student clear up points of confusion that I once had as well as that other students have means a lot to me. You get to meet different people from all different walks of life, and you feel a lot more involved, making such a large school a little smaller.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst does manage a peer advising and also a peer mentoring program. As a peer adviser for my particular college, I can speak for fellow advisers in saying we are a very important part of the institution. No one ever knows exactly what they plan to do in their four years of college or how they should go about it. There are always questions to be answered. As a freshman, my head was spinning with all of my major, minor, general education and global education requirements, I was nervous I wouldn’t graduate on time. After meeting with peer advisers every so often to set up an academic career plan and declare things such as my minor and global education option, I felt much better about my time at UMass, I could finally breathe. I would definitely say the peer advising program is working out well. It’s nice sometimes to just ask a peer an opinion or have them explain things to you rather than an intimidating professor. What’s great about peer advising in an office of a professional advising staff is the experiences and knowledge I am gaining. Here I develop people skills and figure out how to solve problems on my own. I am the informer in the situation; therefore it is my responsibility to find the answers for my peers seeking help or advice.
I definitely agree with Brittney’s idea that peer advising programs are worthwhile. She brought up great points about the type of assistance peer advisors can offer. I, too, remember being confused about what I wanted to major in my freshman year. Somehow, my problems didn’t seem important enough to bring to my academic advisor or professors. I was confused and felt lost in the crowd. It was so relieving to discover that there were advisors who I could speak with who were my own age. I could relate to them and I wouldn’t feel that I was bothering them with my trivial issues as I would with a professor or other professional on campus. Having peer advisors to speak with really enhanced my college experience and led me to choose a major in a field that I absolutely love.
I also identify with Brittney’s love of the experience we are gaining from this program. It feels so wonderful to be able to truly help students while gaining the tools and experiences that can help me in my field of study (communications). Entering the role of a peer advisor has been such an honor and I’m so grateful that I am able to be a part of this program. The skills and benefits it provides me with are invaluable.
I think Brittney is exactly right in her description of the integral role peer advising plays at an institution, particularly one as large as Umass. With the proper tools such as the readings and information provided to us in the peer advising seminar, a student has plenty of opportunity to make an impact and help out fellow students. These programs have an ability to benefit such a wide range of people in a University. For one thing, it has obvious benefits for the students seeking advising, especially the ones who are really struggling or who do not feel as comfortable speaking with adults. On top of that, peer advisors can take a lot of heat off of the professional advisors working in an office, particularly around times when lots of students are seeking help, such as registration or the start and end of a semester. Even more than that, the students doing the advising gain so much from the experience. We learn from our peers, our professional counterparts, and the experience itself of providing help to our fellow students. The skill set I’m gaining from doing the work is so relevant to my pursuit of a career as a guidance counselor, and that is truly valuable.
Sidebar
Pages
Affiliations
©2013 The Pennsylvania State University | Privacy and Legal Statements | Contact Webmaster