Which courses are important for me? Where do I register? And when and how will I receive information from the university? There are many unanswered questions at the start of your studies. First-year students can get help through the mentoring program offered by the RPTU’s Office for Equality, Diversity, and Family: A mentor—an experienced student—supports her mentee, a first-year student.

“I’ve always been interested in the natural sciences and wanted to study something in that field,” says Selina Mehl, who is now in her third semester of the bachelor’s degree program in biophysics—and adds: “My degree program is an exciting mix of chemistry, biology, and physics.” She really likes this interdisciplinary approach. That way, she explains, she doesn’t have to decide right away exactly what her future career path will look like. Kira Vogel, who is also studying biophysics in her fifth semester of the bachelor’s program, appreciates that her degree offers such a broad foundation—“with these three fields, you never get bored.”

Register as early as possible—that way, you’ll receive support right from the start

The two students share a special bond: Kira is Selina’s mentor. This arrangement was initiated through the mentoring program run by the Office for Equality, Diversity, and Family. “In our project, we pair up mentors and mentees. This consists of an upperclassman who is at least in her third semester and a freshman in the same major,” explains Christine Klein, who coordinates the program at RPTU. The goal is for the experienced student to advise and support the freshman during her first two semesters—and perhaps warn her about one or two potential pitfalls. “The first key criterion for forming a pair is that both students are majoring in the same field. If there are more candidates to choose from, I look for shared hobbies and interests,” says Christine Klein, describing the selection process. She advises interested first-year students: “Sign up for the program as early as possible. That way, you’ll receive support right from the start.”

“You have an experienced point person”

Selina, who was a freshman at the time, first learned about the mentoring program through an email that landed in her inbox at the start of the 2023–24 winter semester. “It immediately caught my attention,” she recalls. “After all, the transition from high school to college is a major challenge. At college, you have to organize everything on your own. For example, you have to put together your own class schedule.” Talking with her mentor helped her a lot with all of that. Mentor Kira, who had been a mentee herself just a year earlier, can only confirm the benefits of the program: “You have a mentor with experience. I didn’t have to figure everything out on my own through the university’s website. There’s someone you can ask anything. And you get tips you might not otherwise receive.”

Kira and Selina met for the first time in Christine Klein’s office—about two weeks before Selina started her studies. “Afterward, the two of us took a walk around campus. I showed Selina the university library and the cafeteria,” Kira recalls. A year has passed since then. A year during which the two stayed in regular contact. During a stressful exam period, for example, Selina turned to her mentor, Kira, with spontaneous questions. She even asked once where she could get a lab coat. And Selina recalls another situation—one that was challenging for her: “The deadline for exam registration was fast approaching. I didn’t know how to sign up. Kira then explained to me that I could register in writing. And that this would meet the deadline.” Kira: “Whenever Selina asks me something, I always imagine how I felt a year earlier. And I ask myself what helped me back then. And that’s exactly what I try to pass on.”

“Thanks to the mentoring program, I was able to continue my studies”

For Kira herself, starting college was once a—in the truest sense of the word—unique challenge: she was the only student in her class. “That’s why the mentoring program has a very special meaning for me. Because with the help of my mentor at the time, I was able to approach the professors in the first place. We asked whether classes were even taking place.” In the process, she noticed how friendly the atmosphere was at RPTU: “You can just knock on a professor’s door. I hadn’t really realized that before.” Through her mentor at the time, she also got in touch with biophysics students in higher semesters: “At first, I had doubts about whether I should continue my studies. But these connections encouraged me, and I kept going.”

Communicating Proactively and Preventively as a Mentor

What advice would Kira give to future mentors? “When problems arise, the first step is to reassure the mentee. And to show them that there’s a solution to every problem.” She also recommends proactive communication: As a mentor, she says, you can—for example, after an exam—simply ask your mentee, “Did everything go well?” Selina knows from her own experience that such check-ins do a world of good. And Kira adds: “As a mentor, you can also think about the problems you yourself faced at the beginning of your studies—and then point those out.” A preventive approach, so to speak.

Overall, you develop a wide range of social skills, Kira sums up regarding her time as a mentor. Skills that will come in handy for the rest of your life—and career—not just if you eventually take on a leadership role. Speaking of careers: Where do you see yourself professionally in the future? Kira: “My dream job is to be an astronaut. But I can just as easily imagine a career in medical research. My degree gives me a broad foundation.” Selina isn’t quite sure yet what she wants to do later on. After her bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue a master’s degree. In the near future, however, she can definitely see herself becoming a mentor.

Workshops and Exciting Connections

Help with getting started in college—a total of 68 first-year female students took advantage of the mentoring program’s support last winter semester. Christine Klein tries to bring all mentees and mentors into regular contact with one another. In addition to joint barbecue evenings and Christmas parties, there are also informational events organized by the mentors themselves. These events focus on topics such as experiences pursuing a Ph.D. or scholarship programs. All participants are also invited to workshops designed to help them develop their “soft skills”: “Confident Presentation” is one topic, for example, as are “Learning Techniques” and “Social Branding—Building and Developing a Strong Personal Brand.”

Kira and Selina really appreciate that this gives them the chance to connect with the other mentors and mentees. “It gives you insights into what you might do yourself later on,” says Selina. That’s how she once struck up a conversation with another biophysicist “who’s currently working on her dissertation.” This is exactly the kind of exchange that’s encouraged, says Christine Klein: The participants are meant to form networks among themselves—and make exciting connections. “Sometimes you might hit a slump during your studies,” Kira sums it up, “but these interactions show that all the effort is worth it. The mentoring program shows you what cool things are possible.”

Author: Christine Pauli

Interested in participating in the mentoring program for first-year female students?

The registration period for the 2026–27 winter semester has begun.

Further information:
Christine Klein
Mentoring for female students
Office for Equality, Diversity & Family
in Kaiserslautern
Email: zv-mentoring[at]rptu.de

or at

Mentoring for First-Year Female Students - RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau

Due to the high level of interest in mentoring among first-year female students, the team at the Office for Equality, Diversity, and Family is looking for additional female students in higher semesters who have the time and desire to support a first-year female student as a mentor as she begins her studies. Christine Klein would be happy to provide more information to those interested.

"We spoke on the phone before I started my studies, about two months before I came to university," says Florentine Domrös about her first contact with her mentor Annelina Valerius. Further meetings followed online and at the start of my studies in Kaiserslautern: "I had a lot of organizational questions at the beginning. It was good to know that there was someone there who could explain everything." Annelina Valerius and Florentine Domrös are both studying for a Bachelor's degree in mathematics - although Annelina Valerius is four semesters further on. They were brought into contact via the mentoring program for first-year students, which was set up by the Department of Equality, Diversity and Family at RPTU. Annelina Valerius: "The project brings tandems together. These are an older student who is at least in her third semester and a first-year student from the same subject." The aim is for the older student to advise the younger student in her first two semesters, give her a helping hand - and perhaps warn her about the odd stumbling block.

The interview in full length...