TechSupport
TechSupport is a student-led mentoring program designed to welcome first year undergraduate students and integrate them into the Caltech community through connections with upperclass students.
First year students are invited to sign up to learn about a wide range of activities that go on at Caltech, and will be connected to upperclass mentors who will serve as resources and provide them with the knowledge they need to succeed.
If you have any questions, please email TechSupport at techsupport-mentoring@caltech.edu. TechSupport is spearheaded by student leaders Paulina Ridland, Alex Guerra and Irene Crowell.
Additional Information
Each freshman participant is paired with an upperclass mentor who they can virtually meet with individually, or with an assigned group of 1-3 other frosh/upperclass student pairs. By providing specific points of contact in small group settings, freshmen can get guidance on topics as broad as an overview of what life at Caltech is like, or as specific as asking for help on a given assignment. The program is organized such that even if the specific upperclass student cannot answer all their questions, they can serve as a pipeline to put frosh in contact with the groups on campus who can. In this way, TechSupport can not only put frosh in contact with other students who share the same interests as them, but also with a broader community of students and faculty who make their time at Caltech great!
Dear Frosh: You're not alone! Your TechSupporter can help you with many commonly asked questions:
- Registering for Classes
- Pass/Fail
- Analytical vs Practical
- Set Extensions
- Imposter Syndrome
- Social Life at Caltech
- Work/Life Balance
- Extracurricular Activities: Clubs, Houses, Campus Leadership, Sports
- Group Specific Support: International Students, Women, LGBTQ+, Cultural Groups (Religious and Affinity Groups)
Mentors will be required to attend one of the following 1-hour training sessions:
Mentor and mentee matches will be made by committee based on overlap of areas of interest and time commitment expectations of both parties.
Mentors are expected to follow the guidelines outlined during training and may reach out to the TechSupport committee and/or the Office of Residential Experience for any questions, resources or other support to assist them in their mentor relationships.
