In the office, we can sometimes be out of touch with what it is like being a Buddy volunteer on the ground, and an actual student. This got us thinking: why not start actively looking for case studies from students? This is a way of not only gaining more understanding of how students find settling into the Buddy Scheme, but also to allow Buddies to empower themselves and effectively shed light on the Buddy Scheme community.

Here is what one student said about her time with us:

‘When I decided to go to Sussex, this meant leaving all my friends and family behind and moving to a different country that speaks another language and eats crisp butties. Therefore, I was grateful to have come across the Buddy Scheme. In the first few weeks of university, my buddy helped me a lot settling in and sorting out every-day life issues like getting a British phone number and finding my way around on campus. All of this would have been much harder without her help.

There are innumerable possibilities of things to do for buddies. My buddy and I soon discovered that we both share a great appreciation for good beer. Therefore, we mainly went to pubs together. But there are many amazing things the Buddy Scheme offers themselves or in cooperation with Active US as well. I especially loved the opportunity to try Stand Up Paddleboarding, Zorbball, Yoga, Zumba and much more either for free or for less than two pounds. Because of all of these activities the Buddy Scheme contributed a lot to making my first year at the University of Sussex one of the best years of my life. Thus, I felt like I wanted to not only take but also give back. As I love meeting new people, the university, its international community and life in Brighton, becoming a Buddy volunteer myself just felt like the right thing to do. If I could give you one piece of advice no matter whether you are a buddy volunteer or student, I would say be nice and be you. At uni everybody is always open to meeting new people and making new friends. So use your time and make it the best years of your life surrounded by awesome people.’

Are you interested in becoming a Buddy Volunteer? Sign up on Buddyscheme.com/apply and wait a short while to be matched with another student.