Student success technology often starts with dashboards and data—but the real impact happens when technology is used to amplify something deeply human: students helping students.
GUEST COLUMN | by Megan Dusenbery
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Colleges and universities invest heavily in advising centers, tutoring services, and mental-health resources, but one of the most effective forms of support often happens outside any formal structure. It occurs in residence hall lounges, in study rooms, on walks between classes, and increasingly through student-led programs built on the simple idea that students understand one another in ways no handbook or workshop ever can. Peer support has become an essential touchpoint of the modern college experience. Peer support benefits both the students receiving guidance and those offering it.
‘…one of the most effective forms of support often happens outside any formal structure. It occurs in residence hall lounges, in study rooms, on walks between classes, and increasingly through student-led programs built on the simple idea that students understand one another in ways no handbook or workshop ever can.’
Why Students Turn to One Another First
College can be overwhelming, especially for students who are new to campus or first in their families to pursue higher education. When challenges arise such as struggling in an introductory course, navigating roommate tensions, or feeling out of place it is helpful to turn to someone who has lived experience on campus. A peer understands both the challenges and opportunities of the academic experience along with the unspoken social expectations that accompany campus life. Advice from a fellow student tends to feel less like a directive and more like shared experience.
The sense of shared experience plays a significant role in reducing isolation. While universities often highlight community, many students privately wonder whether their peers are coping better than they are. Talking with another student who openly acknowledges similar stressors can break down the assumption that everyone else has things figured out. It normalizes the challenges of college and encourages more honest conversations about mental health and academic pressure.
When Classmates Become the Most Effective Teachers
Peer support also has tangible academic value. Classrooms can be intimidating, and students may hesitate to ask professors questions that feel basic or obvious. A classmate, however, can reframe a concept in language that resonates more quickly. Peer-led study groups and tutoring programs rely on this dynamic. Students often learn most effectively from others who recently navigated the same material and remember where confusion is likely to occur. This not only improves comprehension but also builds confidence, reinforcing the idea that setbacks are part of learning rather than evidence of personal inadequacy.
Helping Others, Building Skills for What’s Next
The benefits of peer support extend just as strongly to the students providing it. In offering help to others, students sharpen their own mastery of academic content, communication skills, and emotional intelligence. Explaining a calculus concept or guiding someone through time-management challenges requires clarity of thought and patience. These skills prove valuable well beyond college. Many peer mentors and tutors report that teaching others solidifies their own understanding far more effectively than studying alone and all translate to the workplace.
‘Many peer mentors and tutors report that teaching others solidifies their own understanding far more effectively than studying alone and all translate to the workplace.’
There is also a sense of purpose that develops through supporting others. College can be competitive, with students often measuring success through grades, internships, and accolades. Peer support creates an alternative narrative rooted in collaboration rather than comparison. When a student realizes their guidance made a difference by helping a classmate pass a course, easing someone’s anxiety, or simply offering reassurance, the experience reinforces their own sense of belonging and capability.
Serving as a peer supporter also prompts self-reflection. Students who help others navigate academic or emotional challenges often become more attuned to their own habits and limits. Listening to a peer describe burnout or procrastination can encourage mentors to examine their own patterns. Many students involved in peer programs say they become more organized, more empathetic, and more proactive about seeking help when they need it. In this way, supporting others becomes a catalyst for personal growth.
Technology That Amplifies, Not Replaces, Human Connection
Perhaps most importantly, peer support builds community at a time when many campuses face rising mental-health demands and record levels of student stress. Professional services are essential, but peer networks offer something unique. A peer is often the first person a struggling student confides in, and those early conversations can influence whether the student ultimately seeks formal help. Peers can notice shifts in mood, changes in behavior, or signs of academic disengagement that may otherwise go overlooked.
The strength of peer support lies not in grand interventions but in everyday interactions: a classmate offering notes after someone misses a lecture, a mentor checking in after a tough exam, or a resident advisor helping a first-year student navigate homesickness. These moments create a campus culture in which students look out for one another.
‘The strength of peer support lies not in grand interventions but in everyday interactions: a classmate offering notes after someone misses a lecture, a mentor checking in after a tough exam, or a resident advisor helping a first-year student navigate homesickness.’
As colleges continue to grapple with how to best support student well-being, peer networks deserve recognition as a vital part of the solution. They are not replacements for professional services but critical complements, providing empathy, immediacy, and understanding that only students can offer. Furthermore, the skills gained as a peer tutor translate effectively into the workplace and create opportunities for students to show how their work experience as a tutor makes them a stronger entry level hire.
In an environment that can feel overwhelming, the quiet power of peers serves as a reminder that students do not have to navigate college alone. And often, the most meaningful support comes not from someone with a title, but from someone walking the same path.
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Megan Dusenbery is CEO of Knack, where she leads the expansion of peer-powered learning solutions that help institutions strengthen student success at scale. Before joining Knack, she guided national partnerships at ACUE and held multiple executive roles at Kaplan focused on innovation in higher education access and support. She has spent her career connecting technology, instruction, and human-centered design to improve student outcomes. Connect with Megan via LinkedIn.
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