International Student Buddying Scheme

The buddying scheme runs from early September to late January and aims to:

• offer support to new international students getting used to life at the University and away from home
• help international students develop a sense of belonging and community at York
• provide an exciting opportunity for current students to offer support to their peers
• give new students and their buddies the chance to make new friends and learn new things

International Student Buddies are given training to be the first point of contact for new international students; they’ve all been here for at least a year so they know what it’s like to be a student in York. They can share their own experiences and be on hand with friendly advice.

Homesickness and other worries

We know that students are likely to speak to a peer about any concerns before asking the University or deciding to seek professional support. Informal support, like the Buddying Scheme, can help you think about what’s worrying you and decide what to do next. Often, just talking things through with someone who cares is all that’s needed to start feeling more positive.

Chat with a student buddy

International student Ramiro talks about his experiences of having a buddy as a fresher, and of being a buddy himself as a second year.

Other buddying and mentoring schemes 

There are a number of other mentoring and buddying programmes offered at the University - you can get involved in more than one of these schemes if you wish. 

These include:

• The Postgraduate Researcher Mentoring Scheme
• The Student Buddying Scheme supports new full time home undergraduates who belong to one of our Student Communities
• STYCs and STYMs (Second and Third Year Contacts and Mentors) for students living on campus, providing all new undergraduates with a student peer supporter throughout their first year.
• Some Academic Departments also run their own schemes.