Pass on what you wish you had known in your first semester.
As a mentor, you support someone from your degree programme through their first semester, about 10 hours in total.
Apply as a mentorAbout 6 minutes.
Two paths, one tandem
While you prepare, your mentee applies. In November, you come together.
YouYour mentee
You apply
About 6 minutes
Your mentee applies
About 15 minutes
Briefing and favourites
About 1.5 hours
We read without names
A shortlist per degree programme
You are a tandem
A joint email, you write first
Kickoff
About 2 hours
5 to 6 meetings
About 45 minutes each, until February
Certificate
After some short feedback
About 10 hours in total for you, spread across the whole semester. Seminars and events are optional.
Where we are still looking
We open a degree programme as soon as 3 mentors have signed up. First-year students can already apply, but they only get a place in a degree programme that opens.
| Degree programme | Mentors |
|---|---|
| Business Informatics | 0 of 3 |
| Computer Science | 0 of 3 |
| Digital Economics | 0 of 3 |
| Mathematics | 0 of 3 |
| Industrial Engineering and Management | 0 of 3 |
Your degree programme is not on the list? Apply anyway.
What you get out of it
A certificate at the end. Enter your name to try it out.
KITE
Certificate
supported a first-year student from their own degree programme through the first semester as a mentor in the winter semester 2026/27.
Karlsruhe, February 2027Place, date
For the KITE team
© 2027 KITE, Karlsruher Initiative für Talente und Entwicklung. A student initiative, not run by KIT.
On request, a recommendation from us on LinkedIn, an event just for tandems on student assistant jobs, working student positions and internships, priority for the seminars and contact with mentors from other degree programmes. If you like, you can also give a seminar on your topic yourself.
You are a point of contact
Not a teacher and not a counselling service. Subject questions belong in tutorials and exercise classes. If it is about more than studying, you refer them to the services that are there for it and let us know. We go through this in the briefing. All tandems follow our principles.
- zib at KIT
- Centre for information and advice, also anonymously
- PBS
- Psychotherapeutic counselling service of the Studierendenwerk, free and confidential
- Your student council
- Everything about your degree programme
- 112
- In an emergency
Questions from mentors
Who can become a mentor?
Anyone studying at KIT in at least the 3rd semester of a KITE degree programme, or doing a master’s after completing their bachelor’s in that programme at KIT.
Do I have to turn anyone down?
No. You choose favourites, we form the tandems and send out the rejections.
Could I end up without a tandem?
Yes, if there are fewer suitable applications than mentors in your degree programme or you do not confirm your participation in time. You are then a reserve: you step in until mid-December if a tandem drops out, and you take part in all events. If you confirmed your participation, you get a certificate of availability and priority in the next round.
Will anyone find out who I chose as favourites?
Other mentors and the first-year students do not see your favourites. In mid-December, we reduce them to totals. If someone asks for their own data before then, we give at most a rank position, without your name.
What do I get as proof?
A certificate if you attended the briefing or watched the recording, supported your tandem until the end of January (or it ended earlier through no fault of yours) and give brief feedback at the end (not needed if your tandem ended earlier). If you remain a reserve and confirmed your participation, you get a certificate of availability. On request, we write you a recommendation on LinkedIn.
Can I mentor more than one first-year student?
Not in this round. That keeps your time commitment predictable.
Do I have to give a seminar?
No. In the application we ask what you are particularly good at and whether you would give a seminar on it. If the idea comes to you later, write to us at hallo@kite-karlsruhe.stec-online.com.
Anything else? Ask us directly: hallo@kite-karlsruhe.stec-online.com