Chalmers pluggstöd is seeking new supervisors

The Chalmers homework help now has a new name – “Chalmers pluggstöd” – and new project managers: Rachele Mello and Elin Norén.
Now is the time to enrol if you would like to help out as a supervisor in this project.
Elin and Rachele were good enough to take time to answer a few questions from us.

Hi Elin and Rachele! You are new project managers for Chalmers study help. Please tell us more about yourselves.
“I’m from Göteborg and have studied Design Engineering at Chalmers. This autumn I’ll begin the master’s program Industrial Design Engineering. I’ve worked as a supervisor for Chalmers homework help since 2012, and I think it’s a very important project,’ said Elin.

‘I’m from Italy and am studying the Software Engineering master’s program. I’ve also a background in materials technology and became involved with the Chalmers homework project last autumn,’ Rachele tells us.

Chalmers homework help (Chalmers läxhjälpsprojekt) has changed it’s name. Why’s that?
‘The project changed names last term to separate itself from another homework help project run in the library. And we wanted a shorter name for the project,’ Elin explained.

Why have you become involved in the project?
‘I started as a supervisor because I thought it would be a good extra job and one where I could help other people directly. I like the project’s purpose of helping to increase undergraduates’ motivation and self-confidence while helping them with their studies. So too, the project promotes cultural exchange, by means of insisting on a Swedish and an international student attending each study help session. I think it is important for the project to continue and it will be fun to be a part of running it,’ said Elin.

‘I’ve always enjoyed helping people with studies. As a child I used to help my classmates with their homework if I could. Helping people with their studies is a great experience in many ways. When you explain something to another person, you begin to think about it from different angles. This frequently results in you understanding the subject better and learning something yourself. On top of that you develop as a person in the social sense – you become better at explaining, better at standing up in front of other people and your self-confidence develops. I like Chalmers pluggstöd (study help) especially, because the project has an ambitious objective. For me, with my roots in another country, it feels extra meaningful to help young people in a similar situation,’ said Rachele.

You’re now looking for supervisors for the coming year. What does that entail and what should those who are interested do?
‘As a supervisor you help undergraduates at the various institutions in Göteborg with primarily mathematics and science. Further, you need to do your best to motivate and inspire students and increase their interest in studying. Each study help session lasts two hours and you are expected to work on one or on two occasions each week. If you have questions or want to apply you can mail pluggstod@chalmers.se. Your application should include brief information about yourself, why you are interested in working as a supervisor and what it is that will make you a good supervisor,’ explained Elin.

Text: Michael Nystås
Photo: Sahana Prasanna