Kings Student Money Mentors

Empowering Students and Building Essential Skills – A personal reflection on being a King’s Student Money Mentor:

When I joined the Money Mentors project, one question persisted in my mind: What exactly does a Money Mentor do? The answer, as it turns out, is incredibly wide-ranging. The success of the project at King’s lies in its flexibility and the wide array of opportunities it presents.

Originally launched as a small project within the Money & Housing Advice Service at King’s College London in 2015, the King’s Student Money Mentors initiative has expanded significantly over the past eight years. Not only has the project grown in terms of the number of participants, but it has also evolved in the methods it employs to accomplish its mission of promoting student financial literacy.

What makes being a Money Mentor so unique is the absence of a rigid job list. Instead, it offers a dynamic platform where individuals can explore various roles based on their interests and strengths. Whether delving into social media management and honing marketing and design skills or taking the lead in organising and leading campaigns to flex their leadership muscles, Money Mentors have the freedom to adapt and seamlessly switch between roles, and we are encouraged greatly by our project leads to do so. This flexibility not only caters to the needs of busy students but also allows for the development of valuable skills that hold significance in the job market.

Furthermore, the multifaceted nature of the role ensures that Money Mentors are involved in every aspect of the team’s content production and distribution. This level of immersion enables us to create effective, relatable, and impactful materials that resonate with our fellow students. The content produced by the Money Mentors is not only informative but also highly relevant because it is created by students, for students. This collaborative approach brings together the diverse experiences and perspectives of the team, who, being students themselves from a wide range of backgrounds, can generate content that truly addresses the financial concerns and challenges faced by our peers.

Whenever the Money Mentors may lack in-depth technical financial knowledge, we can find support in the guidance and expertise of the Money & Housing Specialist Advisors, who provide us with the necessary insights to inform our content. This close relationship between the department and the student mentors is a huge factor in driving the project towards its ultimate goal of enhancing student financial literacy.

Becoming a Money Mentor goes beyond the role itself. It is a transformative journey that empowers individuals to develop invaluable skills, gain practical experience, and contribute to the betterment of their peers’ financial well-being by acting as confidants and friends in a way that university staff may not be able to do. Through this endeavour, we work towards a future where KCL students are equipped with the knowledge and tools to navigate their financial lives with confidence and success.

Yahye Mohamud & Shivam Chotai
King’s Student Money Mentors
Part of Money & Housing Advice

The King’s Student Money Mentors blog shares our students’ personal experiences and thoughts on money-related topics. Any reference, opinions or recommendations on a particular company/brand are only the views of the student(s) who wrote the blog post. King’s College London, the Money & Housing Advice service and the Money Mentor project do not share the views in the blogs nor endorse any of the companies mentioned. Readers should conduct their own research before using any companies mentioned in our blog posts. 

Do you have any questions about money management during your time at university? Would you like to speak to another student about your budgeting concerns? If so, the Money Mentors are here for you! We are current trained students at King’s with a particular interest in being money savvy, and we hope to support our fellow students with all sorts of money-related matters. If you’re unsure of how to create a realistic budget, would like to explore various ways of saving money, and keep yourself safe from scams throughout the year, our Student Money Mentors would always be happy to support you. We will introduce our wonderful Money Mentor team below, which consists of students from a huge variety of different backgrounds and courses.

Tasniya Aktar 

Hi, I’m Tasniya and I’m a third-year medical student. Being a Money Mentor is great as it means I get to help students manage their money better, which then leads to them having a better student experience! I only joined the team in 2022 but I’m already enjoying the variety of tasks and flexibility that comes with the role. I’m really looking forward to meeting new students, especially in-person, and creating online content through blogs and social media posts in the upcoming year. 

Asmae Ait Abdallah 

Hi, I am Asmae! I am a third-year Neuroscience student and I have recently joined the Money Mentoring team, and I could not be more thrilled. I have a deep interest in financial literacy and its importance in education, which eases me into this role quite nicely. I have met many existing Money Mentors oozing with passion and ambition, and I cannot wait to collaborate with them to create great and useful content to share with our peers. I look forward to meeting students in our future events. 

Aanchal Raina 

Hi, I’m Aanchal and I’m a third-year medical student. I joined the team over a year ago, and I’m really excited for the upcoming year, where I can meet new students and hopefully pass on some money-saving tips and general advice about settling in! In particular, I’m looking forward to seeing some new faces at our campaigns!

Ilinca Olteanu 

Hi guys! I’m Ilinca, a third-year Economics and Management student and I have been a Student Money Mentor since February 2022. I joined the team to increase my financial awareness, as well as to help fellow students looking for guidance. I am the Head of the Social Media Team, and I actively manage our social media platforms and create content. Can’t wait to see what the upcoming year at King’s brings us!

Yahye Mohamud 

Hi, my name is Yahye, and I am a second-year medical student. I joined the Money Mentor team because the opportunity to help my fellow students with tips and tricks on how to manage their finances seemed interesting and exciting. I have recently become a permanent part of the social media team and I look forward to working with the team to make financial literacy more accessible to the KCL student body. 

Shivam Chotai 

Hi everyone, I’m Shivam Chotai and I’m a final-year medical student. I initially joined the Money Mentors team so I could help other students with their financial life, and to experience having a job whilst at university. I’ve recently become the head of the blogs team after writing several blog posts for the Money Mentors, and have been involved in the previous campaign and several budgeting-focused events. This year I will be looking forward to continuing the development in my role and participating in more of our fantastic campaigns.

Amber Naeem

Hi my name is Amber and I’m currently a third-year medical student. I joined the Money Mentors team a year ago, and over that time, I’ve been able to interact with new students, help organise in-person campaigns, create fun social media posts and share financial guidance with peers. More recently, I’ve become a permanent member of the social media team and the lead for Blackbullion, which I hope to promote even more throughout the next year!

Ami Jemide

Hello! My name is Ami Jemide. I’m a second-year law student. I’m Nigerian-British and I love meeting new people and exploring different cultures (travelling and I are best friends really). I’m interested in skincare and selfcare as well as sustainability. I became a Money Mentor because I want to help people understand how to cultivate a healthy, sustainable relationship with money. It’s something I’ve just learnt and I think would be great to pass on to other people as well 🙂

Anmoyul Mohon

Hi I’m Anmoyul Mohon , I am currently a fourth-year student in MSci pharmacology so you might see me around ( if I’m not busy studying at the library!) . I’m French but ethnically Bengali and I’m delighted to have joined the Money Mentor team last year. I’ve been involved in various tasks, from workshops to blog-writing and on-campus stall events. I find the team’s work genuinely interesting and helpful, especially when it comes to saving money, particularly as a newcomer to the UK. I’m looking forward to writing more blogs to share my personal experience and tips that I wish I knew when I moved to London.

Where can students speak to or connect with the Money Mentors?  

Students can reach out to Money Mentors on Instagram and ask any money-related questions they may have! You can also take a look at our Money Mentors blog for some tips on managing your money and staying (financially) safe during your time at university. However, if you need specialist advice tailored to any complex financial situation or have serious concerns that require urgent help, please contact the Money & Housing Advice Service where you can speak to a Specialist Money & Housing Adviser.  

Can students apply to become a Money Mentor? 

Yes! We are planning on recruiting more Money Mentors. If you are interested in getting involved, please keep an eye on our Instagram, as we will be advertising our recruitment opportunities there.  

Whether you’re interested in speaking to another Money Mentor or are hoping to become a Money Mentor yourself, we hope this blog post gives you a better idea of who we are and what we do alongside our specialist advisers. Student Servies also has a page on Money Mentors, should you be interested in learning more about us! Finally, if you have any concerns about financial wellbeing or wish to know more about what we do, again, please do not hesitate to contact us on Instagram!  

King’s Student Money Mentors
Part of Money & Housing Advice

The King’s Student Money Mentors blog shares our students’ personal experiences and thoughts on money-related topics. Any reference, opinions or recommendations on a particular company/brand are only the views of the student(s) who wrote the blog post. King’s College London, the Money & Housing Advice service and the Money Mentor project do not share the views in the blogs nor endorse any of the companies mentioned. Readers should conduct their own research before using any companies mention

Throughout this week, our Money Mentor team thoroughly enjoyed interacting with our fellow peers on and off campus! We hope you found our various tips on money helpful. As we wrap up our campaign, a current and a former Money Mentor decided to write a reflection on our week. 

Our ‘umbrella’ theme, ‘Navigating the numbers: cost of living’, sought to support students through the current cost of living crisis. We understand how stressful money management can be when the cost of household bills, food, and everything else continues to rise. By exchanging our personal experience and tips on money, we hoped to help students feel more confident about making their money stretch longer.  

Monday 6^th March – Sustainability 

On day 1, we focused on living sustainably and making student money last longer.  

‘Monday was all about the concept of helping students save their money, but in a sustainable way, and so this involved giving students tips and tricks on how they could be greener with their purchases and actions, for example upcycling old clothes instead of throwing them away or using apps like Olio or Too Good to Go to save waste food from being thrown away. The stall went extremely well with lots of students interested in taking part in the spin the wheel to test their knowledge, add their own tip to the ‘Tree’ or complete the prize draw survey. The recipe jars and mugs proved to be a big hit at the end!’ 

– Amber, Student Money Mentor.  

Tuesday 7^th March – Look after yourself 

Day 2 involved our Money Mentors speaking with various students about mental wellbeing and money. We know financial concerns can have a profound impact on people’s mental health – we hope our conversations and plant pots helped to relieve some of your stress. 

‘I have had the pleasure to be part of the stall running on the second day during national student money week, and let me tell you it was delightful, interesting, and fun! We got the chance to talk to hundreds of students about taking care of yourself when university, social life and cost of living crisis all come to knock at your door, and the wisdom and empathy that was exchanged between Money Mentors and students was mesmerising. In conclusion I believe it was an unforgettable experience that I will carry with me and remember as a highlight of my university career.’ 

– Asmae, Student Money Mentor.  

Wednesday 8^th March – Reducing costs and save 

Day 3 was all about reducing expenses and saving money. We shared our personal experience and tips on using various strategies to cut down on some of the day-to-day expenses. 

‘I had a great experience working as the team lead for theme 3. It was wonderful to see so many students interacting with us, as I know reducing costs and saving is a topic that we could all use some help with. I’m really happy that Money Mentors are available to give or signpost this help to students during the cost of living crisis, and it’s great that so many people came to see us on Guys Campus and our Mentors braved the weather to host a great stall!’ 

– Shivam, Student Money Mentor.  

Thursday 9^th March – Extra support from King’s 

On Day 4, we shared information on the financial support King’s can offer and other funding opportunities that students may be eligible for. We gave out goodie bags in King’s App tote bags with informative leaflets for our students.  

‘It was great fun meeting students and talking to them about NSMW at our stall in the Strand Building. Spin the wheel was the main attraction, even security and reception got involved and grabbed themselves a goodie bag with lots of free treats! Even with the poor weather our Money Mentor Team went out and about and met students all across Strand. All in all, it was a successful penultimate day of our campaign.’ 

– Yogi, Student Money Mentor.  

Friday 10^th March – Making cents of it all 

Our Money Mentors handed out flyers on various campuses and spoke with students about money management and budgeting to make every pound count!  

We also shared various information related to our themes throughout the week on Instagram.  

‘While working on Day 5 of the NSMW, I really enjoyed speaking to various students at Waterloo, Strand, and Bush House. Something I found quite fascinating was the different perceptions of money held by each individual. Some third years were tired of London because of how expensive it was while other found a way to make it work and they are loving it. I also learnt new things! Speaking to students at the Vault, I found out all about the amazing lunch prices. I will definitely be taking advantage of those more often.’ 

– Ami, Student Money Mentor.  

Missed us?  

If you wished to speak with us but could not visit our on-campus stalls or attend our online session, you can still do so by contacting us via Instagram! We also organise other campaigns throughout the year, so we hope to see you in some of our future events.  

Keep an eye on our Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Blog for more tips on money!  

King’s Student Money Mentor Team
Part of Money & Housing Advice

The King’s Student Money Mentors blog shares our students’ personal experiences and thoughts on money-related topics. Any reference, opinions or recommendations on a particular company/brand are only the views of the student(s) who wrote the blog post. King’s College London, the Money & Housing Advice service and the Money Mentor project do not share the views in the blogs nor endorse any of the companies mentioned. Readers should conduct their own research before using any companies mentioned in our blog posts.