What is it?

A service for economically disadvantaged students, run by students. Senior students share their study experience with junior students.

Who is it for?

Mainly for first-year students who are in a difficult socio-economic situation.

It is also possible to apply in later years of study, if enough mentors are available.

Who can become a client of mentoring?

The program is designed for students in the 1st and 2nd years of study or for applicants to Charles University.

You can join the program if you:

• have lower financial support from your family (e.g., your family receives social benefits),

• are the first in your family to attend university and your parents cannot advise you,

• are studying in Czech, which is not your mother tongue,

• left secondary school a longer time ago,

• may be disadvantaged due to ethnic stigmatization,

• are a student parent,

• have already once unsuccessfully completed your studies,

• have an individual study plan,

• face difficulties in your studies,

• are a newly arrived student from Ukraine.

How does it work?

Mentoring usually takes place in the form of regular personal meetings, but it is also possible to have a one-off consultation with a mentor or to conduct the entire process online.

A more experienced student (the mentor) provides support to a new student or applicant to Charles University (the client of mentoring = mentee).

The mentor helps the mentee overcome challenges brought by their studies or life situation, to navigate their studies, or to prepare for them.

The mentee receives support in a new life situation (at the beginning of studies or preparation for them), which helps them to better manage study obligations or entrance exam preparation.

The mentor meets with the mentee approximately once a week for one hour (in person or online) and is financially compensated (currently CZK 150 per hour).

The mentoring service is completely free of charge for mentees (students and applicants). How do clients evaluate the experience?

"Petra helps me with requirements from the study office: how to adjust my study plan and timetable, how to plan my studies effectively, how to get involved in student associations, what to expect from certain courses. She showed me all the important faculty websites and links, and how to navigate them. It definitely lowers my stress level, and thanks to that my academic performance doesn’t suffer. I’m very satisfied with the program so far. We have a pleasant informal atmosphere, and Petra is also a very nice person."

— Sára, 1st year medical student at Charles University

Mentees with their mentors usually focus on topics such as:

• How studies work and how things function at the faculty, where to find information, what different fields deal with.

• How to navigate the first year of studies.

• How to register for courses.

• How to register for exams.

• How to study effectively.

• Practicing Czech language, help with text correction.

• How to adjust the study plan.

• How to adjust the timetable.

• What to expect from certain courses.

• How to navigate the faculty website.

• How to organize studies within semesters.

• What to expect from entrance exams.

• What to study for entrance exams.

• What it’s like to study at the chosen faculty/field.

• Practicing Czech language, help with correcting Czech texts.

• How to manage everything.

If you are interested in mentoring, please contact: