Starting out as a first year optometry and vision science student can be a little daunting at times. There are plenty of differences between high school and university to navigate as you acclimatise to your first term. That’s why joining our peer mentoring groups helps you to land on your feet and get off to a positive start.
Peer mentees benefit from the experience and advice of our seasoned fourth year students. Peer mentors help you make the most of uni life and hit the ground running. As fourth years, your mentors will have experience of the classes you will soon be doing, and they will guide you through any confusion or questions you may have in the early weeks.
The peer mentoring program is an opportunity to make friends with your new university peers, friendships you may potentially have for life. Like all degrees, studying optometry and vision science can be challenging at times, so developing a group of study buddies early on is a great way to help your academic progress.
How to enroll in a peer mentoring group
Please register to one of the peer mentoring groups below
If you have any difficulties or questions, email Michelle Wanandy.
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Erika Raimoto
Hi! I’m Erika and I am currently working at Specsavers as an optical assistant. I enjoy cooking, baking, gymming and exploring new places to eat and visit around Sydney. I understand how challenging the transition into university can be, so I would like to be your first friend and provide you with all the support and advice you need! I am super friendly so don’t be afraid to ask me any questions. Keen to meet you all soon!
Availability
Monday from 9am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday after 1pm, Wednesday all day, Thursday from 11am, Friday 9am - 10am and after 3pm
Paula Challita
Hi, my name is Paula! I’m a fourth year optometry student currently working as an optical assistant at Eyecare Plus. During my time at university, I’ve been part of lots of societies including the UNSW Science Society and the Fred Hollows Society. In my free time, I enjoy trying new places to eat, traveling and binging new TV shows on Netflix. I’m eager to be part of the Peer Mentoring Program to help new students adjust to university life and make the transition a little bit easier in any way I can!
Availability
Monday from 9am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday after 1pm, Wednesday all day, Thursday from 11am, Friday 9am - 10am and after 3pm
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Justin McNamara
Hey, I’m Justin! I’m looking forward to meeting you guys soon and giving you some tips & tricks on how to settle in and make the most of your first year!
I moved to Sydney for uni and I love living near the ocean and being able to surf. I work at an optometry clinic and a sports centre and outside of this I’m a keen adventurer, lover of nature or anything travel related. I also try to balance my student life with that of being an athlete and my interests in music.
Availability
Monday from 9am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday after 1pm, Wednesday all day, Thursday from 11am, Friday 9am - 10am and after 3pm
Leyna Nguyen
I am an energetic, caring and opportunity-driven individual. I have always been passionate in the field of healthcare and dedicate of lot of time volunteering in that sector. I am fluent in Vietnamese and in my down time I enjoy collecting board games or online collaborative gaming. Looking back over the past three years at UNSW, I am so proud of everything I have accomplished as a volunteer, year representative and leader of mental health in SWAG. My goal as a peer mentor is to make sure students can feel the same gratification throughout their journey at the university.
Availability
Monday from 9am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday after 1pm, Wednesday all day, Thursday from 11am, Friday 9am - 10am and after 3pm
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Irene Wei
Hi everyone! My name is Irene, nice to meet you. The transition to university life can be challenging, and I still remember how excited and nervous I felt when I just started uni. So now I’m here to support you as much as I can if you are feeling the same way as I did. I am more than happy to share my experiences of both online study and on-campus life. with you! Please reach out if you would like to learn more about UNSW student life or have any questions about optometry.
Availability
Monday from 9am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday after 1pm, Wednesday all day, Thursday from 11am, Friday 9am - 10am and after 3pm
Amy Odisho
Hi, I’m Amy! In 2020, I transferred into Vision Science and now I’m onto Optometry. While studying, I work casually at Specsavers as an optical assistant, and some of my hobbies include boxing, reading Sci-Fi, and colouring/drawing. During summer, I especially love visiting different beaches and taking photos of nature. I decided to become a peer mentor because being a first-year student with a mentor once myself, I know how comforting it is to have a helpful guide during this overwhelming transition in your life. I hope to make your transition feel welcoming and easy! :D
Availability
Monday from 9am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday after 1pm, Wednesday all day, Thursday from 11am, Friday 9am - 10am and after 3pm
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Anika Chand
Hey! My name is Anika and I’m a 4th-year Optometry student. When I’m not studying, I’m exploring new places and trying new food. I work at an Optometry clinic that specialises in Behavioural Optometry and Paediatrics. I also am a Bollywood dancer. You can find me performing at people’s weddings. I am keen to be your peer mentor and guide you around Optometry and uni life. Excited to meet you all.
Availability
Monday from 9am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday all day, Wednesday after 11am, Thursday from 9am - 11am and after 4pm, Friday from 9am - 10am and after 3pm
Sophia He
Hi! I’m Sophia and I was in the BVisSci program prior to transferring into the Optometry program. I work at Specsavers and volunteer for first aid but I also love to make the most of UNSW through dabbling in societies, volunteering and just chilling around on campus with friends (come say hi if you ever see me!). If you’re my peer mentee I can show you the best to study and eat, how to make the most of your uni experience and tell you where the best toilets are on campus!! My interests include hiking, cafes, dance and shiba inus.
Availability
Monday from 9am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday all day, Wednesday after 11am, Thursday from 9am - 11am and after 4pm, Friday from 9am - 10am and after 3pm
Bianca Stevenson
Hey, I’m Bianca! I grew up in Perth and moved to Sydney to study optometry at UNSW, as becoming an optometrist had been my career goal since Year 7. Moving interstate as COVID was beginning was intimidating at first, but it has been very rewarding to build an independent life in Sydney. I hope to help you make the most of your first year at UNSW too! Outside of studying and working part time at an independent optometry clinic, I procrastinate by practising piano and have been teaching piano for 3 years. I also enjoy going to the beach and napping whenever I can.
Availability
Monday from 9am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday all day, Wednesday after 11am, Thursday from 9am - 11am and after 4pm, Friday from 9am - 10am and after 3pm
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Sarah Joung
Hey guys, I'm Sarah and I'm very excited to be your peer mentor this year! I’ve been working at Specsavers in Chatswood for the past few years and throughout Uni I have been involved in societies such as Giving Sight as the Internal Vice-President and Arc-Delegate for two years consecutively which has all been very fun and rewarding! I am (at the best of times) an extrovert who is always down to go on spontaneous adventures and on my off-days I like to explore places to eat with friends and binge watch episodes of one too many tv shows. I hope to extend a warm welcome to you all into Optometry and also be a great peer mentor and friend throughout your University journey. I will probably offer up life advice (you may not have asked for!) and try my best to make the transition as seamless and exciting as possible. Keen to meet you all!
Availability
Monday from 10am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday all day, Wednesday from 10am -11am and after 1pm, Thursday from 10am - 11am and after 4pm and Friday after 3pm
Carol Nguyen
Hi guys! I’m Carol and I’m excited to be a part of your journey of transitioning into uni! I’m currently working as an optical assistant at Eyecare Plus. Having experienced working at different optometry franchises and part-time jobs such as tutoring, I hope to share any advice, study techniques, and strategies I used to balance work and uni life. I’ve previously been a part of volunteering groups and societies such as the Giving Sight society so I’ll be keen to share my experiences. Outside of work and uni you’ll always find me eating and finding new restaurants to try out or scrolling on TikTok for 124536 hrs, and going on hikes and beach road trips, but only like once a year lol. I’m keen to help you guys navigate your way through uni and hope to meet you all soon!
Availability
Monday from 10am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday all day, Wednesday from 10am -11am and after 1pm, Thursday from 10am - 11am and after 4pm and Friday after 3pm
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Rosanna Lee
Hi there! I’m Rosanna, or Rosie for short, and I’m really excited to be apart of this program! I have always been really interested in vision and optometry since I was in high school, so I’m really glad to see that we all have the same passion for this field of science and medicine. My hobbies are watching Anime, listening to music, and taking cute pictures with friends. While I’m a little shy at first, talk to me about any common interests we may have, and I’ll be the most talkative individual! I look forward to meeting everyone, thank you!
Availability
Monday from 9am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday after 1pm, Wednesday all day, Thursday from 11am and Friday 9am - 10am and after 3pm
Jonathan Zhou
My name is Jonathan, but you can call me Jono. I am studying Optometry as you know and I’m involved in a few societies in uni. I am a Science Society director and Yellow Shirt squaddie which are very fun and rewarding experiences so make sure to ask me about it. I work at OPSM as an optical dispenser and at the Centre for Eye Health as a Visual Field Assistant over the summer for those interested in getting a part-time job soon. I tutor high school Math, English and some piano on the side as well so I can understand how many of you have just graduated high school and are either super keen or nervous for uni. I’m looking forward to meeting all of you.
Availability
Monday from 9am-11am and after 1pm; Tuesday after 1pm, Wednesday all day, Thursday from 11am and Friday 9am - 10am and after 3pm