Careers – Access Monash Mentoring Program
The Access Monash Mentoring Program supports Year 11 and 12 students by matching them with Monash University student mentors based on shared interests, strengths, and career aspirations. Through regular mentoring sessions, students gain guidance on study strategies, wellbeing, stress management, and pathways beyond school.
To better understand the impact of the program, we asked two participating students to reflect on their experiences and what they have gained from working with their mentors this semester. Both were selected as Ambassadors of this program for 2026.
Angelica Agas, Year 11
Looking back on the semester, one of the most meaningful aspects of the Access Monash Mentoring program has been the ongoing, personalised conversations with my mentor. She always has a plan for our meeting which is structured and aimed at what I want to know/learn more about with resources for me to use after/in between our sessions. One piece of advice that really stayed with me was around planning backwards – or what I like to say is reverse engineering, starting with my long-term goal and then working out what small, achievable steps I can take now in VCE to move closer to it. This resonated with me because it shifted my mindset from feeling overwhelmed by the future to feeling more in control of it.
The program has changed the way I approach my studies and wellbeing. Before joining, I was completely focused on results alone, which often led to unnecessary stress. Through mentoring discussions, I have become more conscious of balancing effort, rest, and realistic expectations, as well as recognising that there are multiple pathways into my intended course, meaning achieving the highest possible grades is not the only measure of success. I now approach my workload with more structure and intention, using study strategies that work for me rather than comparing myself to others. This has helped me feel more confident and less anxious about managing VCE alongside thinking about university.
Learning from my mentor’s personal experience has also been incredibly valuable. Hearing about their own transition from high school to university helped me realise that uncertainty is normal and that pathways do not have to be perfectly planned from the start. This reframed how I view decisions about subjects, courses, and career options. Instead of seeing them as permanent, I now see them as part of my journey.
Prior to joining the program, I felt quite unsure about what my future pathway would look like at university and what university life involves. I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do, but not a strong understanding of how that translated into university study, electives, or the different pathways available. Over the semester, that uncertainty has shifted into clarity and confidence. Being able to ask questions about courses, campus life, electives, and application processes, as well as planning an in-person visit to Monash, has made university feel far more real and achievable.
Beyond the sessions themselves, the real value of the Access Monash Mentoring program is the sense of connection and reassurance it provides. It helps bridge the gap between school and university by showing students that support exists and that they do not have to navigate future decisions alone. One area that could be further strengthened is supporting mentees to feel more confident in shaping what they want to get out of each session, as this clarity could reduce uncertainty and stress and help students gain even more from the program. As an ambassador, my aim is to support this by helping mentees find direction for their discussions so they can make the most of the experience.
I would highly recommend becoming a mentee to a student even briefly considering the program next year, I would say it is not just about gaining information but about gaining confidence, perspective, and belief in what you can achieve.
Muhammed Ali Bhatkar, Year 11
The major thing that has changed for me throughout this course is realizing how deeply the medical school entry requirements are elaborated. A great score in ATAR is one thing, but medicine is an entirely different type of thinking. My discussion about the main aspects of medical admissions left such a deep mark on me that it totally flipped my point of view, that today knowledge alone is no longer sufficient; medical admissions, through interviews, mainly test critical thinking, situational judgment, and communication skills. My mentors reminded me that a doctor isn’t only a walking medical encyclopedia but also a kind, thinking outside the box personality. Seeing my VCE studies through this new perspective made this highly competitive pathway not just a daunting and intimidating hurdle, but rather a set of skills that I can start to develop right now.
Tackling the challenge of medical school preparation alongside a packed VCE schedule really can be quite overwhelming if you try to treat it like a short sprint. The course really turned my study methods upside down. Thanks to my mentors, I’ve completely changed the way I study from just doing it to actually being very productive and efficient with my revision. They also showed me the importance of keeping well and mentally fit, not as a bother with the study load but a necessary part of being able to handle it. Nowadays, I plan my week in a more organised way, looking at my med school prep as a professional, long, term, project.
Being able to chat with mentors who are currently studying medicine made the apprehension around the university transition disappear for me entirely. Their accounts of medical school were so comforting that the anxiety surrounding the unknown. They talked about how they had found their own way during the high school to clinical course transition, which was quite a revelation that changed my attitude towards the current academic pressures. Previously, I might have considered a difficult SAC or a large amount of work as a scary obstacle, but now, through their example, I understand it simply as a regular, perfectly manageable part of the learning process that all successful students go through.
Before joining the program, I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted to achieve and the medical pathway I wished to follow. Yet, after the mentorship began, my mentor provided a brilliant layer of genuine, firsthand insight that greatly enhanced my preparation. They gave me a valuable reality check, which completely dismantled several of my old misconceptions about modern medical admissions. Having that direct connection allowed me to discard outdated assumptions and replaced them with accurate strategies that have made my future planning more focused than before.
If you want a very specialized and competitive career path, like medicine, then general school advice is hardly going to be sufficient for you. What Access Monash really does is provide you with the access of a personal and independent mentor. Someone who has literally just walked the exact path you’re trying to take. It equips you with a great advantage bonus because it changes your standpoint from being just a high school student to thinking like a university student. It keeps you motivated, helps you remember your commitments, and at the same time, it reminds you of your bigger goal when your VCE workload gets heavy.
Access Monash Mentees: We Want to Hear From You!
To all our fellow VSV students who are currently involved in the Access Monash program, we hope your study year is going really well! In order for you to get the best of your mentorship, we’ve come up with very simple, only two-minute pulse check. Please find the time to tell us about your progress, the VCE difficulties you face and your goals for the rest of the semester so that we can adjust our support to suit you directly. Take the survey.
