The article considers global challenges, threats and uncertainties of the modern world that have a negative impact on students. The basic skills necessary for university graduates, regardless of the level and direction of training, which contribute to the successful and effective life of a young person in the modern world, are presented. Among the main skills are: project thinking, cognitive flexibility, sociability; stress resistance; the ability to make decisions in difficult conditions. The structures that are most capable of forming and developing students ’ life skills are identified. Such structures are: student self-government bodies, university departments responsible for educational work and departments using individual educational trajectories in their activities. The article considers the potential of student self-government bodies, through the mentoring system, to contribute to the formation and development ofstudents ’ life skills in the face of global challenges and threats. On the example of the mentoring system in the students trade union organization (Union of Students) of the Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, effective technologies are proposed that can be used in the mentoring system for the formation of life skills among university students. Among the technologies are: cultural and creative contests; mass sports competitions; scientific and educational conferences in the formats TEDx, public-talk, leaders-at-leaders; case games. The article concludes that student self-government bodies through a mentoring system can contribute to the formation and development of life skills among university students in the face of global challenges, threats and uncertainties. Such skills, according to the authors, are: project thinking, cognitive flexibility, sociability; stress resistance; the ability to make decisions in difficult conditions.