LYNX LIFE LIBRARY

College is such an exciting time in our lives, but every year it can get harder and harder to stay focused and make time for ourselves. Over Winter Break, the Peer Advocate Leaders, or PALs, like to do a personal re-set and create space to assess where they’re at and where they want to be going.

With these three steps, you can also start the Spring semester refreshed and ready to learn:

Reflect

After finals are done, take a few days to de-compress and then consider how the Fall semester went. Do you feel like you learned a lot in class? Are you happy with the grades you earned? Did you try new things outside of the classroom?

If you don’t like the answers to any of those questions, spend some time considering how you might be able to feel differently at the end of the Spring semester. Even for the things that are out of our control, how can you be prepared to handle those challenges next time? You don’t have to do that alone! Student Success Coaches and other staff members are here to help you find resources and make plans. This might include stepping away from routines or roles that aren’t positively impacting your life, so you can find new, better ways to complete your work and do the things that make you happy. PALs are all about reflecting on what they’ve experienced and learned so they can take a more active role in creating their future! They’re great at helping students start to build this skill for themselves and being an unbiased ear to help you process.

Connect

Engaging in our campus community is a proven effective way to make the kinds of connections that improve our college experience, both socially and academically. Even if you don’t have time to spend 10+ hours a week in extracurriculars, even spending one hour trying something new or making friends can make the difference. Are you into student activism and want to voice your opinion in the future of our school? Attend SGA meetings! Want to meet people with similar career goals, hobbies, or identities? Join a student organization! Want to make some money, develop a network, and gain professional skills? Find a campus job! PALs are experts at finding campus resources and opportunities with the students they mentor.

Make Plans for the Future

You don’t have to have everything figured out right now, but you should be using this time to help create the future you want for yourself. That means taking bold steps to try new things with an action plan to help you get there. PALs work with all kinds of students to create semester, yearly, and even long-term action plans as students envision their lives after college!

Need Some Help?

Get connected with a PAL in January by emailing [email protected]! 

YOU CAN ALSO BECOME A PEER ADVOCATE LEADER!

Peer Advocate Leaders, or PALs, are student mentors who support students new to CU Denver and beyond! PALs work with students in First Year Experience classes supporting brand new college students and new transfer students in Transfer Seminars. Develop your interpersonal communication skills through one-on-one coaching meetings, classroom presentations, planning and running events, and more!

Requirements

• CU Denver undergraduate student with at least one semester completed at CU Denver by the time you apply
• Maintain a 3.0 GPA 
• Available for late summer training and new student support leading into the Fall 2026 semester
• Work Study preferred but not necessary for consideration

Benefits

• Earn College Reading and Learning Association certification as a Peer Educator—up to the mastery level
• Earn a Certified Peer Educator certification through NASPA
• Broaden your network through close working relationships with CU Denver faculty and staff
• Get coaching, event planning, and office experience before you graduate
  
• Make great friends with your colleagues and tons of new connections on campus
• Most PALs only work in the fall, so you can pursue other opportunities, like studying abroad, internships, research assistant projects, and more in the spring

Application 

The Fall 2026 PAL application is open now and closes February 18, 2026! Apply now and learn more about the program and info sessions for interested applicants on the PALs webpage. 

Email [email protected] if you have any questions!