As parents, do you ever feel as though your student takes their friends’ advice more seriously than yours? Turns out, that’s completely normal for this developmental stage, and it can reap some really good results for students. Whether via regular check-ins with their housing advisers (HAs), peer support groups at the Student Wellness Center or one-on-one academic coaching, students are often receptive to what their peers have to say. Who better to know what they’re going through than fellow students?

Receiving support and guidance from peers has been shown to decrease symptoms of mental health issues, increase a student’s social network and friendship group and instill hope that whatever a student may be going through is not insurmountable — because others have gotten through it, too. F&M recognizes the importance of peer support in a variety of ways. Here are some examples of peer-based programs we offer:

• Resident Housing Advisers (HAs) on each floor for students in residence halls
• Support groups on a variety of topics led by a therapist from our Student Wellness Center
• Peer Academic Coaches to help with study skills and time management
• Student Tutors for a wide range of subjects
• First-Year Advising Mentors (FAMs)
• Peer Health Educators to offer support for a wide variety of health issues, including emotional and physical health topics

If your student is struggling and is hesitating about reaching out to a faculty or professional staff member, encourage them to reach out to a fellow student from the list above. It may make all the difference!

Academic Support at F&M

A constellation of tutoring and academic support services are available to students at F&M, many of which are conveniently located in one central location at the heart of campus: the Student Support Hub. We offer academic coaching, writing support, peer advising, subject-specific tutoring, and much more.

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