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Student Buddying Scheme

The Student Buddying Scheme is here to support new home full-time undergraduate students who belong to our Student Communities.

The scheme runs from early September to early November and aims to:

  • improve the transition experience for students entering university
  • help students develop a sense of belonging and identity during their time at university
  • reduce the number of students who do not complete their course
  • provide an exciting opportunity for current students to offer support to their peers
  • Student Buddies are a first point of contact for new students who will share their own experiences and be on hand with friendly advice. 

Our trained Student Buddies have all completed at least one year of study at York and so know what it's like to be a student here. 

If you are a current undergraduate student find out more about becoming a Student Buddy.
If you are starting an undergraduate course at York in September, and are in one of our Student Communities, you can request a Student Buddy.

Research shows that students are much more likely to speak to a peer about any concerns they have than to seek professional support. Sometimes informal support, such as the Buddying Scheme, can be the first step to someone seeking professional support. More often than not, just knowing someone cares and being able to talk things through is all that’s needed to start feeling more positive.

Our Student Buddies also get a lot out of the scheme as they have the opportunity to learn new things and meet other students.

One of our former Student Buddies, Yasmin, explains why she thinks all new students should sign up for a Student Buddy.

Other buddying schemes 

There are a number of other mentoring/buddying programmes offered at the university for other student groups.

These include:

Some Academic Departments also run their own schemes.

You are welcome to get involved with more than one of these schemes if you wish.