February 18, 2019, by The Ingenuity Lab
Lab Member Rebrand: Tyfy – peer mentoring, made easy.
Ingenuity Lab company Tyfy has undergone a rebrand recently that reflects a relaunch in 2019. The UoN based business is working towards improving student engagement, retention, satisfaction and graduate employment, all at once. How? By helping students help themselves.
Currently working with Nottingham University Business School, Tyfy (Third Year, First Year) uses a matching algorithm to pair users based on their course and module, and now have a new look to go to market with.
The platform allows older students to display their academic knowledge, soft skills and employable qualities by answering questions they already know the answer to. This in turn lends a guiding hand to help younger students ease their way gently into the struggles of campus life – all from the comfort of their own phones.
What’s the point?
“One problem we’ve faced from the very beginning is the question of ‘Why would a student bother’, the new marketing seeks to answer that question”
– James, Founder.
It’s no secret that peer mentoring can be invaluable in the enrichment of the student experience: 89% of first years say that a peer mentor aided their transition into University; 48% say having a mentor made them reconsider dropping out and 70% say that a mentor made them feel more confident in their own ability to do well. So, what’s the point? Providing an online platform for the mentoring process makes students feel welcome, worthy and interested in their academic performance. It helps Universities satisfy, engage and retain them.
“We’ve also struggled to convince Universities that this is a process they need to update, again, this relaunch is about demonstrating to them just how essential it is to get this right”.
– James, Founder.
The minimum financial loss of a first year drop out is £18,500, but the cost of not paying enough attention to student wellbeing is far greater. Around one quarter of students experience psychological distress in some form and University counselling services are currently only reaching around 4% of them. Student mental health is a topic that seriously needs addressing but is, sadly, not being addressed enough. Online peer mentoring provides students with the opportunity to reduce academic stress, feel welcomed amongst their peers, and improve their experience of University life. With an average of 4.7 suicides for every 100,000 students, providing students with effective support is not just about retaining them – it’s about protecting them.
How it works
Tyfy uses a process of reviews that allows mentors to demonstrate not only their intellectual aptitude, but their communication and leadership skills. With the job market being more competitive than ever, graduate employment is a terrifying prospect. Tyfy allows graduates to show employers they possess desirable qualities without just telling them.
“Anyone can sit in an interview and say they’re a ‘good listener with excellent communication skills’ – Tyfy allows graduates to prove this, and sets them apart from the competition”
– James, Founder.
The Universities themselves are considered very much a part of the Tyfy experience. They can check up on their student’s site activity, further prevent academic plagiarism and rest assured that their institutions are doing the best they can to produce students and alumni that are engaged, employable and, most importantly, happy.
So what’s next?
Working with the Business School has been invaluable in the growth and development of Tyfy. Now, with a total rebrand and a larger than ever desire to help Universities help their own students, the need to join a connected campus has never been greater.
The rebrand is the result of surgeries with Lab mentors Cherry Anderson, Liz Bolt and Mel Berry. The new look includes a new Logo, a new colour scheme, and several new explanatory videos. This professional redesign will hopefully encourage potential clients to get in touch.
“Tyfy.co is a tool to connect students with questions to students with answers. It’s a simple idea but the rebrand should help us express what we do – making what already exists easier.”
– James, Founder.
To find out more about Tyfy.co and get involved, head over to their website: https://tyfy.co/
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