Case Study: Supporting a Healthcare Student in the Final Months of Their Degree

After almost five years of study, this student began Specialist Mentoring (ASC) with just three months left of their integrated master's degree in healthcare.

At this stage, they were managing significant academic demands while also navigating difficult personal circumstances beyond university which were affecting their capacity to manage their workload, stay engaged with their studies, and make progress towards what remained of their degree. With relatively little time left, mentoring focused on helping the student work through these barriers while continuing to move towards completion.

Structure, Flexibility and Manageable Goals

Weekly mentoring provided a sense of routine and a consistent point of support, while staying flexible enough to respond to what the student was experiencing at the time.

Realistic, achievable goals were identified collaboratively — giving direction between sessions without adding extra pressure when circumstances changed. Larger or overwhelming demands, including assessments, were broken down into smaller, manageable steps, alongside strategies for organisation, planning, prioritisation and managing deadlines.

Rather than following a fixed programme, priorities and strategies were reviewed regularly, allowing mentoring to respond to changes in the student's circumstances while continuing to work towards their academic goals.

Wider circumstances were recognised as an important part of understanding the student's experience — including how these were affecting their wellbeing, capacity and studies. Mentoring maintained an educational focus while developing strategies around the impact of these circumstances on academic engagement.

When asked what they found most valuable about the support, the student highlighted this adaptability:

"Regular check ins to adapt to the issues with health I was experiencing."

And when asked directly whether Specialist Mentoring had helped them continue engaging with their studies during periods of difficulty, their response was:

"Yes, significantly."

The Impact of Support

The student reported:

✓ More effective management of their workload
✓ Improved confidence as a student
✓ Progress towards their academic goals
✓ Support with organisation, planning & managing deadlines
✓ Understanding the support available to them
✓ Reduced overwhelm and stress

The aim was not simply to manage academic tasks within sessions, but to help the student develop approaches they could use more independently, between sessions and beyond. Reflecting on the practical impact of weekly mentoring, they explained:

"My mentor [Maryam, Mentorium Minds Founder] was very supportive and the weekly check ins did help a lot to keep me on track and break down tasks into manageable chunks."

Looking Beyond University

The value the student placed on the mentoring relationship extended beyond their degree. They said they would recommend their mentor to another student, and expressed an interest in continuing support beyond university, using Access to Work funding.

Their experience reflects a principle underpinning Specialist Mentoring at Mentorium Minds: university does not happen in isolation. Wider circumstances can influence a student's capacity to organise, initiate tasks, manage academic demands and remain engaged with their course. Specialist Mentoring provides space to recognise these interactions while maintaining an educational focus and developing practical, individualised strategies around their impact on study.

By the end of the support period, the student had successfully completed their degree. Three months represented only a small part of this student's five-year university journey — but during a particularly demanding final stage, consistent and adaptable Specialist Mentoring helped them manage academic demands, maintain engagement, and continue progressing towards completion.