Over the coming weeks new students will be receiving lots of information from the Department of Chemistry Education Office about commencing your studies at Manchester. Find out more about one of our schemes, PASS from PASS Coordinator Dukula.

What is PASS/Peer Mentor Scheme?

PASS, for me, is simply a great way to meet new friends, senior year students, and also participate in different activities based around the content learnt whilst at lectures. It is really different from a lecture based environment. There are no right or wrong answers, everybody talks and does activities about both academics and general life and honestly one of the most enjoyable hours that I remember in both my first and second year of the study.

How did you hear about the scheme? How did you then get involved?

I received an email in my first year regarding the availability of the chemistry PASS scheme, and after joining one session and enjoying it thoroughly, I went to every next available session each week. After completing my first year, I decided to be a PASS leader and was one of the most enjoyable memories I cherish in my second year of study. Moving on to the third year, I will be working as a PASS coordinator for the chemistry PASS scheme.

How has being part of the scheme helped you?

Being part of the scheme helped me to develop a sense of community within the chemistry department. It also helped me to find friends and almost all of friends at university is people I found from the scheme. It also helped me in academics as I was able to get a lot of support from senior year students as they have already completed the year.

What kind of support does the scheme offer? How is this delivered?

Each week we had a one hour session with our PASSEES when I was a PASS Leader. We did many things including question and answer discussions, practice questions, quizzes and other fun activities. These were all face to face activities. From 2020 September onwards, the whole Chemistry PASS scheme would be able to access an online platform as well, which will have many resources to help you in both academics and general life. There are other activities that has been carried out too in the last year, including the annual liquid nitrogen ice cream event, Christmas dinner event, which will also be hopefully completed in the next year as well. Further to this, the scheme have also opened up a new blog on the research carried out by the University (https://chemistrypass.weebly.com/research–manchester-the-student-blog) that will help all students to get a good idea on what the lecture’s have been doing in the Department of Chemistry at Manchester.

What kind of opportunities were opened up for you from being a part of the scheme?

Being a PASS leader in the Chemistry PASS Scheme helped me to develop my organisation, time management and communication skills which I think will be vital transferable skills that employers look into. Me and my co -leaders, Jacob & Shauna, have been also fortunate enough to win the award for the Most Outstanding PASS Leader award across the university, and these valuable experiences and achievements will be, in my opinion, extremely useful in the next few years in my life.