91桃色

The Immersion Mentors are upper-year Immersion students. When you have a question or a problem, start with them: they know exactly what you're going through, because they've been in your shoes!

What the Mentoring Centre offers

Before and during your first year at 91桃色, meet with a Mentor to talk and obtain help for making the transition from high school to university. Our mentors are not tutors. However, having been in your shoes just a little while ago, they are well-equipped to help you or refer you to someone who can.

Workshops

Something the French Immersion stream hears regularly from students is that they have no idea how to do readings at the university level nor how to take notes during their lectures.

In response to these comments, the French Immersion mentors are proud to offer two different types of 鈥淎teliers鈥 or workshops where students can come and learn tips and strategies to help them develop the skills necessary to their success in university (e.g. how to read diagonally or how to take abbreviated notes).

Students can attend the 鈥淧rise de notes鈥 or 鈥淟ecture efficace鈥 workshops, which are offered several times throughout the school year.

Keep an eye on your 91桃色 email account and our Instagram (@uottawa_fi) page for dates and times for workshops.

Student studying in modern cubicle.

How to improve your French

Learning a language is hard; maintaining it is just as difficult and needs a lot of will. Your French professors are right when they say that if you don't use your French, you will lose it. Keep practicing!
Learn more on how to improve your French

Our mentors

Peter

Peter

City: Conception Bay South, NL

Program: Translational and Molecular Medicine, 5th year

Hey everyone! I鈥檓 Peter and I鈥檓 a fifth-year Translational and molecular medicine student from Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador. I look forward to meeting you all this fall! Quand je ne suis pas dehors en train de faire une randonn茅e ou du cano毛, vous me trouverez sur les terrains de squash! N鈥檋茅sitez pas 脿 me contacter si vous avez jamais besoin de conseils, du support, ou de bonnes expressions terre-neuviennes.

Sydney

Sydney

City: Cambridge, ON

Program: Translational and Molecular Medicine, 4th year

J鈥檃i 茅t茅 en immersion fran莽aise 脿 l鈥櫭ヽole depuis que j鈥檃vais six ans et quand j鈥檃i appris que l鈥橴niversit茅 d鈥橭ttawa offre l鈥檌mmersion fran莽aise, c鈥檈st devenu l`茅cole de mes r锚ves. Prendre les cours en fran莽ais 脿 l鈥檜niversit茅 est une des exp茅riences le plus int茅ressant et enrichissant de ma vie! Quelque chose d鈥檃utre qui me passionne 脿 part du fran莽ais c鈥檈st la danse. J鈥檃i 茅t茅 danseuse depuis l鈥櫭e de cinq ans et danseuse comp茅titive entre les 芒ges de 12 et 18. I also love reading, doing logic puzzles (sudoku is one of my favourites!), playing pool, and going for walks and hikes. Je suis honor茅e d鈥檃voir l鈥檕ccasion de vous aider 脿 profiter de votre exp茅rience dans le r茅gime d鈥檌mmersion en fran莽ais! Please feel free to reach out if you ever need help, advice, or someone to talk to!

Kristina

Kristina

City: Toronto, ON

Program: Political Science and History, 4th year

J'ai toujours aim茅 apprendre le fran莽ais, 茅tant dans le programme de fran莽ais intensif depuis l'茅cole primaire, et j'ai 茅t茅 ravie de d茅couvrir que l'Universit茅 d'Ottawa offrait un programme d'immersion fran莽aise ! Jusqu'脿 pr茅sent, mon exp茅rience en tant qu'茅tudiante en immersion 茅tait tr猫s enrichissante et j'ai beaucoup appris. Donc, je suis tr猫s heureuse de devenir mentor cette ann茅e ! Dans mon temps libre, j'aime lire, apprendre de nouvelles choses, et fr茅quenter diff茅rents caf茅s pour essayer de nouvelles friandises (si vous avez de bonnes recommandations de caf茅s 脿 Ottawa, n'h茅sitez pas 脿 m'en informer !). Feel free to reach out or drop by the office whenever you need help. I can鈥檛 wait to meet you all this year and support you throughout your French immersion experience!

Brianne

Brianne

City: Red Deer, AB

Program: Statistics, 2ndyear

Bonjour! Je m鈥檃ppelle Brianne, et je viens d'une petite ville du centre de l鈥橝lberta pour faire mes 茅tudes en statistiques 脿 l鈥橴niversit茅 d鈥橭ttawa. Je viens de terminer ma premi猫re ann茅e 脿 l鈥檜niversit茅, mais j鈥檃i commenc茅 mon cheminement en immersion fran莽aise beaucoup plus t么t, en maternelle. En apprenant le fran莽ais, j鈥檃i d茅couvert une passion pour l'apprentissage des langues, et j鈥檃i commenc茅 脿 apprendre le japonais au secondaire et plus r茅cemment, j鈥檃i commenc茅 脿 apprendre l鈥檃llemand aussi. Ma ville natale est tr猫s anglophone, alors je suis vraiment contente de non seulement avoir la chance d'茅tudier quelque part qui est si multilingue, mais aussi d鈥櫭猼re capable de travailler avec d鈥檃utres qui sont autant passionn茅s par leur deuxi猫me langue que moi! Lorsque je ne suis pas en train d鈥櫭﹖udier sur le campus, vous pouvez me trouver me promenant dans la ville avec mes amis et jouer 脿 des jeux comme Animal Crossing et Mario Kart sur ma Nintendo Switch. J鈥檃i vraiment h芒te de vous rencontrer et de vous aider 脿 accomplir vos objectifs linguistiques! Don鈥檛 be afraid to reach out if you have any questions or just want to talk!

Varshika

Varshika

City: Brampton, ON

Program: Biomedical sciences, 3rdyear

Je m鈥檃ppelle Varshika et j鈥檈ntame ma troisi猫me ann茅e d鈥櫭﹖udes en . Jusqu鈥櫭 pr茅sent, mes 茅tudes bilingues ont nourri ma curiosit茅 et m鈥檕nt permis de relever de nouveaux d茅fis personnels et acad茅miques. Depuis un je没ne 芒ge, j鈥檃i int茅gr茅 l鈥檌mmersion en fran莽ais dans mes 茅tudes, et le fait de poursuivre mes 茅tudes en fran莽ais et en anglais m鈥檃 vraiment permis de d茅velopper mon c么t茅 cr茅atif et de renforcer mes comp茅tences en communication. 
To unwind from my studies, you鈥檒l often find me playing volleyball, going on long walks, or sitting at the piano when I鈥檓 not on campus. I鈥檓 also an avid reader and find a lot of inspiration in books. I love to travel and explore new destinations. 
I'm excited to continue growing in a bilingual environment and to support others on their journey as an Immersion Mentor this year! Please don't hesitate to contact me if you are looking for advice of any sort or simply to talk! J鈥檃i h芒te de faire ta connaissance et t鈥檃ider 脿 te sentir chez toi dans cette communaut茅!
 

What to expect during the first weeks

Pumped

WOOOOO!! Welcome to University! You are mentally prepared for university 鈥 and looking forward to it.

FI Mentor Pro-Tip: This new chapter in your education is starting! It's going to be quite memorable, so carpe diem and enjoy your Welcome Week and don鈥檛 forget to come to French Immersion鈥檚 information session.

Intimidated

Certain professors talk too quickly or with accents, but don鈥檛 worry 鈥 you鈥檒l figure everything soon enough.

FI Mentor Pro-Tip: If you persevere, it will get better. Don鈥檛 let one or two classes dissuade you from a course 鈥 sometimes the professors who seem difficult at first end up being the best.

Overwhelmed

The university campus is really big! But give it a week, you will be able to find your way around.

FI Mentor Pro-Tip: Downloading a campus map right onto your phone to give you some direction on campus. Even the building codes should be on the maps, so you should be good!

Panicked 

Maybe you鈥檝e tried reading some of your textbooks in French鈥 and maybe you鈥檝e thrown them across the room out of frustration. This is very common 鈥 and it will go away with time.

FI Mentor Pro-Tip: Don鈥檛 stress! The Mentors have your back with their 鈥楲ecture efficace鈥 workshop to give you some useful tips to help you with your readings.

Self-doubt

You might feel like your French abilities are subpar compared to your classmates. And that鈥檚 a totally normal feeling. But remember, you picked French Immersion for a reason, don鈥檛 forget that reason. And know that by sticking in the program, you will be able to improve your French skills.

FI Mentor Pro-Tip: We all feel anxious about our abilities sometimes. Luckily, we have created a diagnostic page to help you to pinpoint what you鈥檙e feeling nervous about and what to do about it!

Stress

Course syllabuses are technically worded and can seem very severe. Its really easy to be nervous when you see all the term鈥檚 work laid out before you, especially if the professor has made it very thorough. The best way to resolve this feeling is to create a study plan to help you get organized.

FI Mentor Pro-Tip: Academic support offers many services to help students manage their stress productively.

What did I get myself into?

All of these things can lead to you feeling like maybe French Immersion wasn鈥檛 the best choice for you鈥. Ne l芒chez pas!! If you persevere you鈥檒l reap the rewards (like the French Studies Bursary).

FI Mentor Pro-Tip: Take everything in stride, you don鈥檛 have to do all your readings in one night. Sometimes mental breaks can be beneficial and provide some much needed clarity.

Contact us

French Immersion Mentoring Centre

Hamelin Hall - Room 130
70, Laurier Ave. East
Ottawa ON  K1N 6N5

613-562-5800 ext. 3642
mentor.imm@91桃色.ca

Office hours

Monday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  
Wednesday 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  
Friday 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.