The QMSS Program is excited to introduce (free) coffee chats with QMSS Peer Mentors to the broader QMSS Community! In order to better support and serve students, the QMSS Peer Mentors have made themselves more accessible, and we are thrilled to support their efforts by treating students to enjoy coffee, tea, or a pastry on us while getting applicable advice and resources from our excellent team.

What is a coffee chat?

A coffee chat is, simply put, a casual conversation had over coffee, tea, pastries, or other small treats typically found at a cafe! QMSS coffee chats are meant to be more casual, down-to-earth, "real talk" conversations than what you may have experienced or heard about for informational interviews. We want you to have the opportunity to make truly genuine connections with our Peer Mentors so that you can trust them as a resource for support and advice whenever you may need it. We hope that a chat over a sweet treat can be the excuse you are looking for to start those connections and conversations!

What can I talk about during a coffee chat?

The short answer is: anything at all! Below is a list of questions you can ask yourself. If you answer "yes" to any of them, that could be your sign to have a coffee chat & discuss the topic with one of our Peer Mentors! 

  • Are you looking to explore internship and career options that use technical data skills like Excel, R, Python, Tableau, or others? 
  • Do you want to hear directly from fellow students who have already had success using their data skills for internships and research opportunities and learn how they did it and what it was like?
  • Are you curious about how or whether skills in data analytics, data visualization, or data communication can complement your major? 
  • Do you want to figure out how you might combine your personal interests and passions with technical, data-related skills to find (and be competitive for) jobs and other opportunities? 
  • Are you concerned that you might not be competitive for data-related opportunities because of your major or experience in statistics or computer science courses? (Spoiler alert: you can absolutely be competitive with skills from QMSS courses, which are unique relative to courses in other programs!)
  • Are you curious about QMSS courses (QMSS 201, QMSS 301) or the QMSS minor and whether it is feasible for your schedule and plans?
  • Are you wondering which courses students have used to satisfy the QMSS elective course requirement?
  • Are you looking to find a community at the University of Michigan?
  • Are you just looking for someone to bounce academic/professional/student life ideas off of or to help you navigate life in Ann Arbor and University of Michigan?

Please know that these topics are not the ONLY things that our QMSS Peer Mentors can discuss! In addition, note that there are only a few questions above that explicitly mention "QMSS" above, so as much as we would love for all students to want to join our minor, it is not at all a requirement to want to talk about real world applications of data skills or life at Michigan with a QMSS Peer Mentor.

Who are the QMSS Peer Mentors?

QMSS Peer Mentors are current students actively completing the QMSS minor here at the University of Michigan and passionate about giving back to the QMSS Community, which includes other declared QMSS minors, students taking our QMSS courses, and students otherwise interested in data analytics from a real-world, social science perspective. They represent a variety of majors, have a wide range of experiences from internships, and each have their own distinct goals for future full-time jobs and other opportunities. What connects them is their QMSS minor & draw to data-related or data-adjacent problems and solutions.

You can learn more about our current Peer Mentors, their majors, and their "specialties" on our website here: who are the QMSS Peer Mentors?

How do I have a coffee chat?

On the Peer Mentoring section of our website, each Peer Mentor has their own calendar link to be able to sign up one-on-one with the Peer Mentor with whom you feel best matched! If you're not sure who you should meet with, you are always welcome to message the team at qmss-peermentors@umich.edu, and they will help pair you with the best-fitting Peer Mentor or encourage you to come chat with a few of them together. Then, together, you will find a place to meet on or near campus for coffee, tea, or a sweet treat (or virtually if you prefer to opt out of the free treat), and our QMSS Peer Mentors will take care of the bill. A few QMSS Peer Mentors are always in attendance during QMSS Community Hours as well, so you can drop into these events at any time without an appointment to get to know them & chat with them.

We hope that this new opportunity brings more connections between our QMSS Community and our dedicated Peer Mentor team and that you as students feel all the more supported & cared for here with us in QMSS, regardless of if you decide to declare our minor. Happy chatting!