What is it?

Many students enter their graduate programs with little understanding of the complex landscape of higher education or how different dynamics of the job market drive ideal career pathways. In fact, despite the very articulate and promising statement of purpose in their applications, many students are unsure of what they will do with a graduate degree. Sophisticated 21st century and cut-throat competition mean that the need to support one’s learning in order that they maximize their potential is a matter of utmost importance. You may be a rising star and have a track record of success but having a mentor to guide you will help succeed in the long haul. Mentors bridge academic and pastoral support roles ensuring that individuals engage more effectively in learning and professional development. Furthermore, research shows that students who experience good mentoring also have a greater chance of securing high profile jobs and greater career advancement potential.

At ‘Merging NepSocs’, we aim to achieve this through a Mentoring Scheme which is free of cost and one of our five projects. With two schemes, namely Sixth form to University and University to Graduate job/ Further study, it is a platform whereby both mentors and mentees can elevate knowledge-sharing to a practical level. For the Sixth form to University scheme, mentors will primarily focus on UCAS applications i.e. choosing Universities and courses, personal statements, and interviews. On the other hand, for the University to Graduate job/ Further study scheme, mentors will emphasize employability skills i.e. CV, cover letter, interview techniques, and aptitude/psychometric test. The scheme is open to all Nepalese students (A level equivalent and University) and young professionals, and interested individuals can join the scheme by using the mentor and mentee sign up form on our website.

Our mentoring scheme is now up and running and was launched on 10th August 2019 with the first batch of 7 mentors and 8 mentees. Matching was done based on the profile and needs of individual mentees and the availability of relevant mentors. During the event, mentors and mentees had the opportunity to learn more about the scheme and know each other via one-to-one interaction. Moreover, activities such as brainstorming ideas, mock interviews, drafting the personal statements, and psychometric tests made the day very productive with positive feedback from those involved. Having successfully launched the scheme, we now plan to release a new batch after every 2/3 months.

We offer one-to-one mentoring- and what that means is - every mentee will be assigned a specific mentor who will be providing guidance up until the mentee achieves his/her target which could be getting into a graduate scheme/ university course or an entrepreneurial start.

To be part of our 2nd batch (date: TBC) as a mentor or a mentee, please fill the relevant form using the link below.

• Mentor Recruitment Form
• Mentee Application Form (University to Graduate Roles/ Higher Education)
• Mentee Application Form (A-Levels to University)

Project Leader: Pratik Kandangwa

Graduated from Imperial in 2018 with an MEng degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Having completed a research placement at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and worked as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant at Imperial, he is currently pursuing Ph.D. in Fluid Dynamics at Imperial.