PASS - Peer Assisted Study Support at QMUL
PASS is a course-based mentoring scheme, run for students by students. It gives first-years the opportunity to discuss study-related problems and get general advice from higher-year undergraduates in their subject. The scheme is firmly established at Queen Mary with 14 departments/schools running regular sessions.
Science and Engineering Foundation
Science and Engineering Foundation Students are welcome to join PASS sessions in their Academic School for study support.
The sessions will be held on QMplus and the times for individual Schools can be found below:
SBCS Foundation Year PASS sessions: Wednesdays, 1pm-2pm
https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2464 |
Student Organiser: Hady George, h.george@qmul.ac.uk
SEMS Foundation Year PASS sessions: Wednesdays, 1pm-2pm
https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13389 |
Student Organiser: Sushang Limbu, s.limbu@se18.qmul.ac.uk
Physics Foundation Year PASS Sessions: Wednesdays, 1pm-2pm
https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13374 |
Student Organiser: Habibah Khanom, h.khanom@se18.qmul.ac.uk
Maths Foundation Year PASS sessions: Wednesdays, 1pm-2pm
https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13418 |
Student Organiser: Hannah Cresswell, h.cresswell@se18.qmul.ac.uk
Please contact the corresponding Student Organiser respective of which Academic School your Foundation Programme falls under for any further information.
General enquiries
Fathea Khanum, Peer Mentoring and Transition Coordinator: f.khanum@qmul.ac.uk
Biological and Chemical Sciences
Student organiser:
- Hady George - h.george@se18.qmul.ac.uk
SBCS PASS sessions will be held on QMplus for Semester 1 from week 3 onwards, please find link and session times below:
Link: https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2464 |
Time:
Mondays, 2pm-3pm Wednesdays, 12pm-1pm |
Business and Management
Student organisers
- Naveena Dhera: n.dhera@hss19.qmul.ac.uk
Please contact Naveena for PASS sessions details for the School of Business Management.
Dentistry
Student organisers
- Aniraj Sapra: a.sapra@smd18.qmul.ac.uk
- Simran Dogra: s.dogra@smd18.qmul.ac.uk
Dentistry PASS sessions will be taking place fortnightly on Wednesdays, between 2pm-4pm. The webinar sessions can be accessed here:
Drama
Student organisers
- Eleanor Thomson: e.thomson@hss18.qmul.ac.uk
Drama PASS sessions will be held on QMplus for Semester 1 from Week 3 onwards, please find QMplus link and session times below:
Link:
https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13404#section-0 |
Time: Every fortnightly Tuesday, 4pm-5pm
Economics and Finance
Student organiser
- Dipannita Jannat Sarah: d.j.sarah@hss19.qmul.ac.uk
SEF PASS sessions will be held on QMplus for Semester 1. Session details are as follows:
Link:
https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13415 |
Time: Fridays, 2.30pm-3.30pm
Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
Student organisers
- Harshil Chordia: h.chordia@se18.qmul.ac.uk
EECS PASS sessions will be taking place On QMplus on Wednesdays, 2pm-3pm. The webinar sessions can be accessed here:
Engineering and Materials Science
Student organisers
- Sushang Limbu: s.limbu@se18.qmul.ac.uk
SEMS PASS sessions will be held on QMplus for Semester 1. Sessions details are as follows:
Link:
Time: Monday, 11am-12pm & Wednesday, 1pm-2pm
English
Student organisers
- Masuma Sultana: m.sultana@hss18.qmul.ac.uk
PASS English sessions will be held on QMplus for Semester 1. Session details are as follows:
Link:
https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13405 |
Time: Fortnightly sessions every other Wednesday, 3pm-4pm
Geography
Student organiser
- Kayleen Owusu-Boateng: k.owusu-boateng@hss18.qmul.ac.uk
Geography PASS sessions will be held on QMplus for semester 1. Session details are as follows:
Link:
Time: Fridays, 10.30am-11.30am
History
Student organisers
- Si Ru Chen: s.r.chen@hss18.qmul.ac.uk
History PASS sessions will be held on QMplus for Semester 1. Session details are as follows:
Link:
https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13416 |
Time: Wednesday, 1pm-2pm
Languages, Linguistics and Film
Student organiser
- Ciara Briggs: c.briggs@hss18.qmul.ac.uk
SLLF PASS sessions will be held on QMplus for Semester 1. Session details are as follows:
Link:
https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13530 |
Time: Wednesdays, 1pm-2pm
Mathematical Sciences
Student organisers
- Hannah Cresswell: h.cresswell@se18.qmul.ac.uk
Maths PASS mentoring sessions will be held on QMplus for semester 1. Session details are as follows:
Link:
https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13418 |
Time: Wednesday, 2pm-3pm
Physics and Astronomy
Student organisers
- Habibah Khanom:h.khanom@se18.qmul.ac.uk
SPA PASS sessions will be held on QMplus for Semester 1. Session details are as follows:
Link:
https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13374 |
Time: Wednesdays, 1pm-2pm
Politics and International Relations
Student organiser
- Sahil Karra: s.karra@hss19.qmul.ac.uk
SPIR PASS sessions will be taking place on QMplus on Wednesdays, 1.30pm-2.30pm. The QMplus sessions can be accessed here:
https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13510 |

Volunteer mentors are the most important part of PASS. Without them, the scheme could not run. They can offer first-years something staff members cannot – recent experience of being a first-year in the mentees’ own school or departments.
Hours
Mentors in each department give varying amounts of time, it is a flexible scheme. Mentors who commit to more than 3 sessions per semester are accredited through HEAR.
Who can be a mentor?
Mentors are second and third-year volunteers chosen or approved by their school or department. Most mentors are motivated by wanting to give new students the help they wished they had had at the same stage. Through mentoring, students increase their own academic and social confidence and gain useful experience and key employability skills.
What is the key skill of a PASS mentor?
Mentors are there to help mentees come to their own conclusions and solutions, not to supply answers.
How can you become a mentor?
We are currently recruiting mentors for Geography. Please conact pass-scheme@qmul.ac.uk if you are intersted in mentoring. All other mentor applications re-open in 2020.
Make a note of the academic coordinator's email address for your school, it is listed on this web page. For more information about the role see the careers jobs and work experience web page. Please note: compulsory training sessions are held at the start of each new academic year.

Mentees are the first-year (and sometimes second year) students who attend PASS sessions. All students are welcome, no one is judged as struggling because they come along – they may want to get ahead for the following year or just enjoy talking to other students about their subject.
How do I know if it’s useful to come to PASS sessions?
Go along to a session and find out. There’s no requirement to be there on the dot or to come more often than you want to. You will get friendly, informal advice in a relaxed environment from people who understand your situation.
I understand my feedback much better after going through it. I know how to improve now
PASS Mentee 2015

Student organisers are at the pivot of the whole scheme as they are the main contact point for all the staff and students involved in PASS. They lead their team to publicise and plan the scheme in their department and are often experienced mentors.
Hours
More commitment is expected of organisers, they have paperwork to complete and sessions to organise.
How do you become a Student Organiser?
Contact the current organiser in your department (details on this web page) find out when the sessions run and go along to find out more. Each department recruits their mentors and student organisers differently but usually, this is finalised by the summer. Please click on the student organiser profiles below to find out more about the role.
I just wanted to say a big thank you for everything that PASS has meant to me these past few years. The new SOs are really perfect for the job. I couldn't be more proud of them and the whole team and of the sense of community that PASS has built within our course.
Previous Student Organiser from Dentistry

Every school or departmental PASS scheme has an interested and involved academic to liaise with the student organisers on course matters and logistical issues. Some academic coordinators work with an administrative or support colleague who is also a key contact for the mentor team.