First-Year Data Science Program

Peer Mentor Group

First-Year Data Science Program

The First-Year Data Science Program is designed to help first year students build a solid foundation for their data science education. All new students take a common set of data science foundation courses. These classes will help students understand the foundations of data science and guide them to decide on a concentration at the end of their first year.

First- Year Data Science is more than just a set of classes. It also provides orientation, peer mentoring, academic advising, basic career advising, and academic skills development.

Peer Mentoring

Peer Mentoring is a form of mentorship that takes place between a person who has lived through a specific experience and a person who is new to that experience. In the case of Peer Mentoring in the First-Year Data Science Program (FYDS), your Peer Mentor will be an upperclassmen Data Science student who will have experienced many of the challenges, obstacles, and experiences that await you. Your Peer Mentor will be a resource for you in the realms of FYDS, the University of Arkansas, college level academics, and the overall transition to college life.

What will we talk about?

Peer Mentor meetings will consist of some specific topics, typically ones that prove useful for most first-year students. These topics are geared towards helping you better transition not only academically to a university setting, but also professionally and socially. But what if these topics are not useful for you specifically? Then we encourage you to take charge of the conversation with your mentor. What do you want to know about FYDS, the University of Arkansas, or college life in general? Do you know all the ways of bolstering your resume? Do you know when you should start including things such as internships, study abroad, or campus organization involvement? There are so many things you and your mentor can discuss, but it is up to you to make the most of this time together.

Example of Peer Mentor Topics

  • Understanding Blackboard/UASuccess/UAConnect/Outlook/Other tips and tricks to the UofA online tools and apps
  • Interacting with instructor/professors: the benefits and when to start
  • Resume review
  • How to survive your first year of college
  • Study Abroad/Internship/Research
  • Keeping up with personal wellness and time management at college

Peer Mentoring is Required

Peer Mentoring is a required component of your DASC courses. As such, your weekly meetings with your Peer Mentor will count as a grade towards your DASC course. Failure to meet with your Peer Mentor will result in the loss of points that week, with each meeting being roughly a percentage point of your overall DASC grade.

FYDS and the University of Arkansas place a lot of value in the Peer Mentoring program, as such we expect you to treat this opportunity with sincerity and respect. It might be a mandatory process, but it is one that we have seen work, when utilized effectively by students.

What if I have issues or concerns about my Peer Mentor?

If you are experiencing issues with your Peer Mentor or your meetings, please do not hesitate to contact the coordinator for the program, Ms. Lee Shoultz. She oversees not only the Peer Mentors but also the placement and specifics of the process. She would be more than happy to discuss with you any concerns you have and help you reach a resolution. If you have not heard from your Peer Mentor by the first week of classes in either the Fall or Spring semester, please first check your Spam Folder and then contact Ms. Shoultz immediately.