Senior Year and Mentorship Begins- by blogger Ashley from Bradley University

Last August, I wrote about freshmen coming to campus and essentially being naïve to the true happenings of the college nightlife. Now as a senior, it is (or should be) my duty to guide freshmen in the right direction when I can. I joined a new multicultural peer mentor program on campus and will have two mentees to personally guide this year. The start of this program will be great for the campus, especially for minority students since many of us have trouble “fitting in” our first semester of college.


Since this program didn’t exist my freshmen year, I didn’t have someone to show me how to get around campus or where to find certain resources. I didn’t have someone to show me all of the various activities the school has to offer. I wasn’t into the whole frat party scene, so I felt out of place and bored often on campus. No one was there to tell me that the older guy who seemed so into me was clearly out to use me. By default, most upperclassmen just roll their eyes at “those silly/stupid freshmen” rather than helping them out.


As upperclassmen, we know the DOs and DON’Ts of the social scene in college, but we can’t hold freshmen to that same standard. Freshmen are bombarded with so much information, including how to protect oneself from being a victim of sexual assault (a method that has many flaws, but that’s for another discussion), so the majority of that info is not necessarily retained or used in every situation a freshmen encounters. College is overwhelming at the start, and it pretty much takes the entire first year to adjust to being on our own and having this much freedom.


If you’re an upperclassmen, think about helping out the freshmen you see in compromising positions that they may not know how to get out of. Just as you may hear or read a sign on public transit- if you see something, say something. I know we live in a generation that is supposedly very self-centered, but we can break that stereotype by helping someone younger and more naïve than us. Everyone could use a mentor in life, so why can’t that person be you? Spread your knowledge with others to help keep them safe. It’ll make the college experience much better for everyone.